You may already know that most people prefer things to stay the same, but did you know you can use being unpredictable to your advantage in a competition? Acting in unexpected ways can give you an edge. Here’s how it works. When you’re competing with others, they often try to figure out what you’re going to do by watching your habits and decisions. They might use this knowledge against you. In this situation, the smart move is to act in a way that’s hard to predict. This will keep your opponents from understanding what you’re up to, and it can make them feel uneasy.

Let’s look at the famous chess match in 1972 between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Fischer knew that Spassky’s strategy was to figure out his routines and habits and use that against him. So, Fischer decided to be as unpredictable as possible. Even before the match started, Fischer made it unclear whether he would even come to Reykjavik, where the match was supposed to happen. He arrived at the last minute, almost causing the match to be canceled. Then, when they finally started playing, Fischer began complaining about everything, from the lighting to the chairs. In the first few games, Fischer made unusual mistakes and gave up, which was strange because he was known for not giving up easily. Spassky couldn’t tell if Fischer was making mistakes on purpose or not.

At this point, Fischer had Spassky right where he wanted him. When your opponent is confused, you have a great chance to win. Why? Because when you do things that puzzle your opponent, it distracts them from what they should be doing, and you can take advantage of that distraction. So, after a couple of chess games, Fischer started winning one game after another with bold moves. Eventually, Spassky had to admit defeat, and Fischer became the World Champion.