In any sport, it is helpful to have a competitive advantage. Gaining this advantage requires study, training, practice, and finesse. In the game of chess, there are 2 types of advantage, material and positional. Material advantage is the more clear cut and measurable type of advantage. It involves having an extra pawn or piece (or more). Gaining such an advantage depends on one or more efforts on your part, such as: careful planning and execution of a strategy or capitalizing on the opponent's mistake or blunder.
When you have an extra pawn or piece, your opponent can become helpless against your pawn advancements or attacks. Still, a material advantage alone is not sufficient to grant victory. Once you have the material advantage, you must not become arrogant and lose focus of the big picture. Afterall, the object of chess is not to have the most pieces in the end; it is to capture the enemy king. A material advantage can become crippling to a player and force a loss (your king is inhibited by your own pieces) or a draw (you have too much power focused on restricting your opponent's moves with no immediate threat).
Similarly, in life, a material advantage can lead to victory but also has the potential to prohibit it. You must stay focused on your goal, capitalize on open doors and opportunities, use every pawn and piece wisely, and execute well-defined plans.
