I have a theory that you get good at something when you start breaking conventional rules.

In chess, beginners are taught principles such as to control the centre, develop minor pieces before major pieces and don’t trade your queen for a pawn.

But in many situations, these rules must be broken. Some positions require an attack on the edge of the board rather than the centre. Some positions require a rook lift instead of developing a minor piece. And some of the most spectacular games in history involved queen sacrifices to push for a positional advantage (examples). These defy all the principles taught to newer players but grandmasters recognise that sometimes, religiously obeying principles can be the wrong move to make.

When you reach a certain level of competency, you realise that some rules are meant to be broken.

In other domains, the moment we start winning is when we begin to innovate; to push and find tactics where traditional principles don’t apply. The best students study more efficiently than the rest. The best athletes do better workouts than the rest. The best companies are more innovative than the rest. Following the status quo is a guaranteed measure to remain mediocre.

Pablo Picasso summarised it well when he claimed, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”