WhatWhat is it like to be a chess Grandmaster?is it like to be a chess Grandmaster?

•• Jonathan Jonathan RowsonRowson–– British Chess Champion 2004,2005,2006British Chess Champion 2004,2005,2006

The Seven Deadly Chess SinsThe Seven Deadly Chess Sins((RowsonRowson, 2000), 2000)

•• Thinking as the first and most pernicious sin! Thinking as the first and most pernicious sin!

•• Taking thinking for granted is the Taking thinking for granted is the ‘‘ sinsin’’ ..

WhatWhat is it is it likelike??

•• MathematicsMathematics

•• LanguageLanguage

•• SportSport–– Boxing?Boxing?

•• Driving a car?Driving a car?

•• Playing a musical Instrument?Playing a musical Instrument?

Embodied CognitionEmbodied Cognition

“The Modern Chess Game requires such tension, it is impossible for a normal human being to withstand.”

-Victor Kortchnoi (78)

‘‘ ThinkingThinking’’ DimensionsDimensions

•• CognitiveCognitive––Patterns, GoalsPatterns, Goals

•• EmotionalEmotional––Desire, Attachments, ResistanceDesire, Attachments, Resistance

•• VolitionalVolitional––Points, Prizes, Ratings, ReputationsPoints, Prizes, Ratings, Reputations

•• AestheticAesthetic–– ‘‘ Too BeautifulToo Beautiful’’

The Exponential JungleThe Exponential Jungle

•How do we cut through the jungle?•goals, concepts, thinking strategies….

Thinking Expertise?Thinking Expertise?•• ExperExpertisetise–– 10 years?10 years?–– Overwhelming majority of Grandmasters started Overwhelming majority of Grandmasters started

playing before they were tenplaying before they were ten–– But is it easier to become an expert now?But is it easier to become an expert now?

•• ExperExper: : ‘‘ to try, to be testedto try, to be tested’’ ; experiment; experiment

•• ExperExperienceience–– ““ Experience is not what happens to you, it is what Experience is not what happens to you, it is what

you do with what happens to you.you do with what happens to you.””––AldousAldousHuxleyHuxley

Playing Several People at once Playing Several People at once is easier than it looksis easier than it looks……

Pattern RecognitionPattern Recognition

Patterns as PurposesPatterns as Purposes

•• Patterns are often purposes in disguisePatterns are often purposes in disguise

•• AffordancesAffordances–– Weak king is Weak king is ‘‘ for attackingfor attacking’’

–– Weak pawn is Weak pawn is ‘‘ for capturingfor capturing’’

•• Chess Examples:Chess Examples:–– ChessbaseChessbase

ArborescentArborescentThinkingThinking

•• KotovKotov’’ ss tree of analysistree of analysis

•• ““ I donI don’’ t think like a tree. Do you think like a tree?t think like a tree. Do you think like a tree?””-- Grandmaster Anthony Grandmaster Anthony LeinLein

Cognitive LoadCognitive Load

•• Bottleneck ProblemBottleneck Problem

•• Visual Image of board changes over timeVisual Image of board changes over time–– ClearerClearer

–– Also more Also more ‘‘ abstractabstract’’

•• Implications for Implications for ‘‘ UnderstandingUnderstanding’’

Grandmasters as good ScientistsGrandmasters as good Scientists

•• FalsificationFalsification

•• CowleyCowley& Byrne, Trinity College Dublin (2005)& Byrne, Trinity College Dublin (2005)

Chess HumourChess Humour

•• ““ Perhaps the most important trait a player Perhaps the most important trait a player needs is a warped sense of humourneeds is a warped sense of humour””

--Grandmaster Tony MilesGrandmaster Tony Miles

•• Asymmetrical Pattern Recognition (De Bono)Asymmetrical Pattern Recognition (De Bono)

•• The importance of Surprising OurselvesThe importance of Surprising Ourselves

StorytellingStorytelling

•• Two actorsTwo actors–– What is the setting?What is the setting?

–– What is the plot?What is the plot?

•• ““ HeHe’’ ll take this space here and try to push ll take this space here and try to push here, and Ihere, and I’’ ll counterattack here andll counterattack here and……

•• Attention to narrativeAttention to narrative--busting detailsbusting details

SelfSelf--DeceptionDeception

KnowingKnowing--that and Knowingthat and Knowing--howhow

•• KnowKnow--that: that: –– bishops are better than knights in open positionsbishops are better than knights in open positions

–– doubled pawns are bad doubled pawns are bad

–– an attack on the wing should be countered in the centre an attack on the wing should be countered in the centre

–– this position is a theoretical draw etcthis position is a theoretical draw etc

•• KnowKnow--how: how: –– ‘‘ keeps the pressure onkeeps the pressure on’’

–– ‘‘ needlessly riskyneedlessly risky’’

–– gives him a difficult decision to make etc.gives him a difficult decision to make etc.

What kinds of understanding do we want?What kinds of understanding do we want?

•• ““ Those who say they understand chess, Those who say they understand chess, understand nothingunderstand nothing..””

––Grandmaster Robert HGrandmaster Robert Hüübnerbner..

••Thank youThank you