Much like Chess, seizing the middle in any business requires taking control of as much as possible, so that every change is anticipated and winning action can be taken easily. 

Apart from Oil barons, this strategy was heavily deployed by Hollywood studios.

The Golden Age Of Hollywood, the 1920s to the 1960s, had many movie studios owning and controlling every aspect of movies, from production to distribution and screening. They had strict long-term contracts with Hollywood stars and owned the movie halls that showed the flicks.

The chess board, made up of 64 squares, has a middle area that if a chess player dominates using forward thinking and strategic skills, he can restrict the opponents moves, and control the maximum pieces in the game.

Similarly business leaders can limit the options of their...