For those unfortunate enough to miss out on the [albeit somewhat geeky] joys of chess, strategy is not only profoundly interesting, but immensely important when it comes to running a successful enterprise.

It would be strategically unsound, for instance, to start planting in the dead of winter - we all know that the success rate for such endeavours would be significantly lower than if we waited a few months for spring.

Agriculture as much as warfare has left a legacy of understanding that simply throwing seeds on bare earth is nowhere near as intelligent or fruitful as preparing a strategy in advance.

Of course we don't suggest you take it as far as one guy we knew - who used to play chess with prospective flat-mates as a way of analysing how their minds worked.

But then, if it works for you ...