Why was Bismarck considered the "greatest chess player of his generation"?

Otto von Bismarck was considered the "greatest chess player of his generation" not because of his chess skills but for his use of realpolitik. Realpolitik is, simply, a system of political principles based in pragmatism rather than ideology or morality. Bismarck used realpolitik to take Prussia from a small but influential German kingdom to the heart of a new German nation. He employed manipulation to provoke wars between smaller countries, most notably in the Schleswig-Holstein incident, to expand the sphere of Prussia within the rest of Germany. Realpolitik was also employed domestically. Even though he was not a socialist, Bismarck created pensions and other forms of social insurance to appease the masses and prevent revolution from below. In employing this approach to politics, he was often compared to a chess player capable of outwitting other rulers in Europe and thinking many moves ahead.