Thinking Ahead in Chess

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Abstract
Cognitive processing in skilled chessplayers depends on search and evaluation abilities, not solely on recognition memory. How well players foresee the values of impending game positions was tested by obtaining positional evaluation scores after each of a series of moves that were dictated but not made on the board. Players next chose the best move from the imagined positions, and the pieces were moved into place for a final, visual evaluation. The move choices varied in quality in accordance with the playing strengths indicated by tournament ratings. All players showed reduced discrepancies between the projected and the visual evaluations as the internally represented moves approached the final position. Stronger players had smaller discrepancy scores throughout the projected moves, with almost zero discrepancy at the end of the sequence, as expected if they excel at forward judgment.

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