Chess Expertise

Check Mate!

There is no domain more studied in expertise than Chess. Why is a game involving a checkered board and black and white miniature figurines (almost mimicking a medieval battle of sorts) so pivotal to the study of expertise? Usually, when you think of “expert” you probably conjure up an image of a rocket scientist or a surgeon (maybe even Alex Trebek) but not a chess player…unless you happen to be one. If that is the case, then you can understand that although chess rules are simple enough for a child to learn, playing it skillfully can actually take up to a decade to learn! (Chase & Simon, 1973)

What makes Chess so special?

Chess has been called the Drosophila of cognitive psychology (Charness, 1989) elucidating and providing a way into the mental processes of the a person regardless of skill level. So what makes chess just so special? According to Gobet (1998), the following reasons accurately sums up the nature of chess:

Strong external validity: Theories for chess expertise or garnered from chess as an experimental paradigm has been shown to extend beyond any one domain.

Strong ecological validity: Chess carries into the real world, elucidating processes that aren’t merely abstract but that occur in everyday life.

Complex task involving years of practice to reach expertise: As stated previous, chess isn’t just any ordinary game. Advancing to master level takes years of practice as the number of strategies and possible configurations and many

Rich database of games played by competitors of different skill levels: Many games have been recorded which makes running mathematical analysis (or statistical studies) possible. Such objective form of verification is extremely useful

relatively "clean" domain that is easily formalizable mathematically or with computer languages: Because of the nature of the game (how it can be modeled and the basis of how it is played) a large component of the game is mathematically reproducible using probabilities. Furthermore, its ability to be modeled by computer programs gives another dimension of validity, and provides a way for theories evolved from chess paradigms to be actualized.

Permits the study of cognitive processes both at a low level (e.g. RT to detect presence of pieces on the board) and at a high level (e.g. choice of a move after several minutes of deliberation) so as to study basic processes and high-level aspects of expertise

Offers a precise scale quantifying players' expertise (ELO rating): And perhaps most important to the domain of expertise, the ELO rating can provide cognitive psychologists with a pretty accurate estimate of a players ability. Independent verification of expert level ensures that differences between novices and experts is really due to differing skill level. The ELO is starts at a theoretical zero and can increase infinitely. Although the current highest ELO rating is between 2700-2800 designating a grandmaster.

But what path did chess expertise research take in order to get where it is now?

A brief History of Chess...(Next)