Competition

In poker, every dollar you win comes from someone else’s loss. In chess, one player wins and one loses. In tennis, your point is your opponent’s lost opportunity. These are zero-sum games—pure competition where one player’s gain equals another’s loss. Understanding zero-sum games changes how you compete, negotiate, and think about conflict. Let’s explore this fundamental concept. What is a Zero-Sum Game? A zero-sum game is a situation where the total gains and losses always sum to zero. Whatever one player wins, another must lose. ...