Thought and choice in chess: How do chess players think? - Part III

Feb 17, 2023

Some might remember that I did two newsletters on the question: How do chess players think?

Now it is time to continue this series and take a look at A. D. de Groot’s classic research book “Thought and Choice in Chess”. The book starts with the same idea as the survey I did.

“What is so special about the thought processes underlying the skilled chess player's choice of a move? Why do masters find the good moves that patzers overlook? This book is an attempt at answering these questions through systematic description and interpretative analysis of a collection of 'thinking aloud protocols.' The protocols, products of experimental sessions held in the years 1938 to 1943, are verbal reports rendered by subjects performing a simple experimental task: a subject was presented with an unfamiliar position taken from an actual tournament or match game and asked to find and play a move as though he were engaged in a tournament game of his own. The verbal report was to be as full and explicit a rendering of the subject's thoughts as possible, to include his plans, calculations, and other considerations leading to the move decision.”1

De Groot had access to some rather skillful test subjects. He tested two world champions Alexander Alekhine and Max Euwe, and Paul Keres, who was a top contender for the title throughout his career. The transcriptions are printed in the appendix of the book. This gives us a unique chance to compare notes with 3 legends from the past on a test position. You can read the solutions at the bottom of the post.

Paul Keres spent 6 minutes on the position, Alekhine 9 minutes, and Euwe 15 minutes. They did not have to do the transcribing themself during the experiment, so I will judge setting aside 20 minutes for the position is fair.

If you want to try this experiment: find a pen and paper and a stopwatch.

Write down your thoughts, while finding your move for this position.

It is White to move.