Cognitive Science

Exploring the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and game theory. How does the human brain process the infinite complexity of chess?

The Grandmaster Brain

Research using fMRI scans has shown that expert chess players engage different parts of the brain compared to novices. While beginners rely heavily on the medial temporal lobe (associated with creating new memories), experts activate the parietal cortices (associated with pattern recognition and retrieval).

This shift suggests that mastery is not just about "calculating deeper," but about fundamentally changing how the board is perceived.

Pattern Retrieval

Experts don't see 32 pieces; they see 3-5 "chunks" of interacting forces. This reduces cognitive load and allows for instant evaluation.

Intuition as Data

What we call "intuition" is actually rapid, subconscious access to a database of tens of thousands of stored positions.

The Limit of Working Memory

The average human can hold 7 ± 2 items in working memory. In chess calculation, this is the hard limit for visualizing variations without a board. Our research aims to develop training methods that optimize this limited bandwidth through "blindfold" visualization techniques.

Topics of Interest

• Heuristic Biases: Why do players irrationally fear knight forks more than bishop pins?
• Decision Fatigue: Measuring the drop in accuracy after move 40 in classical games.
• The "Losing" Mindset: Psychological paralysis when defending a worse position.