Simultaneous Chess
How should a supply chain director of a multinational deal with all the announced and postponed import tariffs? I often hear that executives, like chess players, must think several moves ahead. However, companies aren’t playing on just one chessboard, but on multiple geographical boards at once – sometimes also with different product groups or divisions. What’s more, these boards are interconnected. With today’s rapidly evolving and divergent geopolitical developments, playing this simultaneous chess game seems almost impossible. Inertia is a real risk.
Fifteen years ago, I asked Dutch chess grandmaster Hans Böhm how he managed to become the Guinness World Record holder for simultaneous chess. He explained that the key to simultaneous chess lies in recognising the opening moves and subsequent tactics of the thirty opponents. If you recognise your opponent’s tactics and spot an opening, you make an offensive move. If you’re unsure of the tactic or see no opening, you make a defensive move to at least secure a draw. Thanks to a combination of physical and mental preparation, strategic planning, and years of experience, Böhm achieved an impressive score of 94 per cent against 560 opponents in 26 hours back in 1998: 509 wins, 38 draws and only 13 losses. And all without help from a chess computer.
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In early 2025, the world experienced its ‘DeepSeek moment’: the moment when this Chinese start-up launched a generative AI (GenAI) requiring significantly less computing power and investment than comparable models such as ChatGPT. DeepSeek is accessible to everyone, even within a private and secure environment where no data is leaked. What makes DeepSeek particularly interesting is its strong reasoning ability and its tendency to argue with itself – unsolicited. Professor Carlos Cordon rdon of IMD Business School therefore used DeepSeek to develop a strategic GenAI tool. This tool can calculate, within minutes, the various implications of import tariffs for a specific multinational and its competitors, based on publicly available data.
So, the tools are there. Make use of them and ask DeepSeek, as a supply chain director, what the cascading effects of the import tariffs might be. It could help guide you towards grand mastery in geopolitical simultaneous chess.
Thanks for sharing Martijn!
Great article ! Indeed - our agenda becomes increasingly complex. If I may, sometimes I feel we play mutliple Go games ... Go is even more complex (10^700 potential parties versus "only" 10^120 for chess 😀). Go can be played will multiple players on the same game. The objective is not to "kill" the oponent but just to do "a bit" better ... and sometimes, it is difficult to say who wins or loses until the very end ...
Thanks Martijn Lofvers, I love the analogy as chess truly captures the complexity supply chain leaders face today. The combination of strategic foresight, rapid adaptability, and AI-powered insight is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Tools like DeepSeek are raising the game. It’s time we embrace them, not just to react to change, but to anticipate it with clarity and speed.
Thanks for sharing, Martijn This analogy of playing simultaneous chess brilliantly captures the intricate balancing act supply chain leaders must perform amid volatile global dynamics. Like grandmasters, they must anticipate moves not just on one board—but across many, each shaped by economic policy, trade shifts, and geopolitical change. The reference to Hans Böhm is especially compelling. Pattern recognition and strategic foresight are no longer optional—they're essential skills. And with AI tools like DeepSeek entering the mainstream, leaders are now empowered to simulate scenarios, visualize outcomes, and respond with agility rather than reaction. This isn’t just about managing disruption—it’s about mastering complexity with clarity, speed, and precision.