Checkmate the Future: AI, chess and decision making for business leaders

Chess Grandmaster David Smerdon live in Brisbane, Tuesday 3 February 2026.

AI is changing how decisions get made. The leaders who win are the ones who can spot threats earlier, keep judgement in the driver’s seat, and act with clarity when information is incomplete.

This session is different because you will feel the tension of real, top-level chess moments, then see exactly how the same decision patterns show up in boardrooms, deals, and growth calls.

David will give you a simple, memorable chess-based framework you can apply immediately to make cleaner, faster decisions in an AI accelerated world.

About David Smerdon

David Smerdon is an Australian chess Grandmaster and Associate Professor in economics at the University of Queensland.

On the chessboard, David has represented Australia at the Chess Olympiad eight times, four of those as Australia’s top player, and is a former Oceania Continental Champion and Commonwealth bronze medallist.

In 2016, he drew with World Champion Magnus Carlsen at the Olympiad in Baku.

Off the board, David’s work sits at the intersection of decision-making, incentives, and human behaviour.

Prior to academia, he worked as a policy analyst at the Australian Department of Treasury.

He is also the author of widely read chess books including The Complete Chess Swindler (winner of the English Chess Federation’s Book of the Year) and Smerdon’s Scandinavian.

Event details

Date: Tuesday 3 February 2026
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm (doors open 5:40pm, talk begins after 6:10pm)
Location: Rydges South Bank, Brisbane.

What you will take away

A repeatable framework for clearer decisions under pressure
Practical ways to think about strategy and risk when the information is incomplete
A sharper lens for competitive advantage and leadership judgement in an AI-accelerated world
Three clear ideas you can explain to your team the next day

What to expect on the night

David’s sharp perspective on how AI has quietly reshaped top-level chess and what that signals for business
Three chessboard lessons that translate into better strategy, risk control, and leadership judgement
A practical way to think about when to trust AI, when to challenge it, and how to keep judgement in the driver’s seat
An interactive “choose the move” moment that shows how strong teams miss winning lines in plain sight
Live Q&A, then a short close from Adam with a simple pathway for those exploring follow-up bookings

Who should attend

Business owners and founders building toward $10M plus valuations
Accountants, brokers, lawyers, and advisors who want sharper judgement and stronger advisory conversations
Leaders who want to make better calls, faster, when the stakes are real

Books and signing
David will have books available for purchase and signing after the session, with time for photos and informal conversations.

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