The Chess Cognition Podcast

0:00 You Understand It But Can’t Apply It0:43 The Real Problem: Retrieval1:03 The Encoding Specificity Principle2:02 Why Chess Study and Real Games Feel Different3:39 Recognition Is Not Retrieval5:17 How to Make Chess Knowledge Transfer5:33 Guess the Move Training6:27 Mixed Practice and Interleaving7:00 Train Under Game-Like Conditions7:32 Botvinnik Method8:17 Solve Puzzles Like You Play Games8:44 Why Active Retrieval Matters9:36 The Key to Applying What You LearnHave you ever watched a chess lesson, understood everything perfectly, and then completely failed to use the idea in your own games? The problem may not be your chess knowledge at all. It may be a retrieval problem. In this video, I explain how the encoding specificity principle, recognition vs. retrieval, and context-dependent memory can help us understand why chess concepts often seem obvious during study but disappear when the clock is ticking.More importantly, I show how to make your chess training transfer better to real games. We look at guess-the-move training, mixed practice and interleaving, game-like training conditions, active retrieval, and spaced retrieval. If you want to improve your chess decision-making and actually apply what you study over the board, your training needs to involve more than simply watching videos and recognizing familiar ideas.Godden, D. R., & Baddeley, A. D. (1975). Context-dependent memory in two natural environments: On land and underwater. British Journal of Psychology, 66(3), 325–331.Tulving, E., & Thomson, D. M. (1973). Encoding specificity and retrieval processes in episodic memory. Psychological Review, 80(5), 352–373.

0:00 Mistakes Look Obvious Afterwards01:00 The Hindsight Bias2:10 Why Your Brain Rewrites the Past2:41 How Engines Contaminate Your Analysis3:47 A Painful Example From My Own Game6:02 What to Do Before Turning On the Engine7:22 Introducing the SCAN Method10:25 Finding the Real Cause of a Mistake11:53 The True Purpose of Game AnalysisWhy do your chess mistakes suddenly look obvious the moment the engine reveals the best move? The answer may be hindsight bias—a cognitive bias that causes us to see past events as more predictable than they really were. When you turn on Stockfish immediately after a game, the engine gives you the evaluation, the correct move, and the tactical solution within seconds. But once you know the answer, it becomes much harder to remember what you actually saw, considered, calculated, and understood during the game.In this video, I explain how hindsight bias can undermine chess improvement and show you a better way to analyze your games with an engine. You will learn how to reconstruct your original thinking before checking the computer and how to use the SCAN method to diagnose the real cause of a mistake: Did you see the critical feature, consider the right candidate move, analyze it correctly, and understand the resulting position? The goal is not simply to discover the best move, but to uncover the blind spots, calculation errors, evaluation mistakes, and knowledge gaps that prevented you from finding it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvohttps://www.chabris.com/https://amzn.to/437DXhzhttps://amzn.to/44Mrh0O00:00 Intro02:48 Enters Dr. Christopher Chabris06:15 Inattentional and Change Blindness 18:38 Checklists21:26 Categorizing and Labeling Things22:59 Visual Crowding24:36 Blunder-Check30:23 Cognitive Biases and Decision Making in Chess38:30 Sunk Cost Fallacy42:01 Truth Bias43:45 Trusting Authority50:53 Practical Decision Making54:37 Overconfidence in Chess1:00:27 The Dunning-Kruger Effect 1:12:07 The Illusion of Memory and Its Impact on Chess1:14:20 Causal Attribution and Learning from Mistakes1:19:39 The Role of Engines in Chess Analysis01:29:46 Scientific Studies Involving ChessIn this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Christopher Chabris—a cognitive scientist, bestselling author, and chess candidate master—whose groundbreaking work on attention, decision-making, and cognitive biases has deeply shaped our understanding of the mind. Known especially for The Invisible Gorilla experiment, which exposed the phenomenon of inattentional blindness, Chris shares insights on how these cognitive limitations directly affect our chess decisions. We discuss how chess players often miss threats that are right in front of them due to selective attention, and how ideas like gradual change blindness can lead to missed information even under careful observation.We then explore how these principles translate into practical advice for chess improvement. Chris discusses metacognitive tools like checklists and conscious blunder checks as remedies for attentional blind spots. We reflect on the power of naming patterns—like “sniper bishop” or “loose pieces”—to aid memory and pattern recognition, and how habits of structured thinking can eventually become automatic. We also connect this to broader life patterns: why multitasking reduces performance and how expertise shapes perception.Finally, we dive into Chris's recent scientific study on overconfidence in chess players. Analyzing data from hundreds of players, they discovered that most chess players believe they’re underrated, especially lower-rated players—a real-world instance of the Dunning-Kruger effect. We unpack how confirmation bias, sunk cost fallacy, truth bias and motivated reasoning influence not just how we play chess, but also how we evaluate our own skill level. Chris shares powerful reminders that chess is fundamentally a game of decision-making under uncertainty—and that metacognitive awareness, realistic self-assessment, and embracing discomfort are key to long-term growth in both chess and life.keywords: cognitive science, chess, metacognition, attention, cognitive biases, decision making, change blindness, inattentional blindness, learning strategies, memory, cognitive biases, confirmation bias, motivated reasoning, sunk cost fallacy, overconfidence, truth bias, chess decision making, authority trust, uncertainty, Dunning-Kruger effect, chess, overconfidence, Dunning-Kruger effect, memory, skill assessment, causal attribution, chess engines, learning, cognitive bias, player ratings, chess, psychological resilience, tactics, scientific experiments, chess ambitions, cognitive science, performance, skill, learning, expertise

The game: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044387Spassky drew lessons from this loss in the same match: https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1129672Spassky - Portisch (1977): https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1113732🔵 My Chessable Courses: https://chessable.com/drcan♟️ Find me on Chess.com: DrCanChess♟️ Find me on Lichess: cantosh🏆 2022 Chessable Community Author of the Year! https://www.chessable.com/blog/announcing-the-winners-of-the-2022-chessable-awards/🏆 2023 Chessable Best Tactics Course of the Year! https://www.chessable.com/fundamental-chess-calculation-skills/course/123333/🏆 2024 Chessable Author of the Year! https://www.chessable.com/blog/annoucing-the-winners-of-the-2024-chessable-awards/00:00 Intro04:17 Andras Joins07:03 Spanish Tabiya08:00 A Fun Story by Andras 16:30 Major Transformation of the Pawn Structure23:46 Identifying Key Plans and Strategies32:41 Don't Try This at Home39:11 Why Did Fischer Play Ne2?50:00 Discovering but Not Believing in the Winning Plan50:38 Good Bishops vs. Bad Bishops01:01:27 An Explosive Pawn Break01:05:53 How Super GMs Differ From Us Mortals01:38:04 SummaryIn this episode, IM Andras Toth and I dive deep into a fascinating game: Fischer vs Spassky, 1992. But this isn’t just a game analysis—it’s a full-blown Guess the Move training session. We pause at every move, think out loud, and try to step into the shoes of Spassky. Sometimes, our ideas align beautifully with the masters; other times, our egos are shattered by their brilliance. That’s the beauty of this exercise: it exposes your blind spots, forces you to calculate deeply, and helps you ask better “why” questions with every decision.Guess the Move is one of the most effective—and underrated—forms of chess training. Instead of passively watching, you're actively guessing, evaluating, and engaging with the position like you would in your own games. From positional maneuvers to wild tactical shots, this game had it all—and we felt every twist and turn. You’ll also hear the contrast between our thought processes, offering insight into how a Candidate Master and an International Master see the board.

The Perpetual Chess Pod: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/Perpetual Chess Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@perpetualchesspodcast9143Perpetual Chess Improvement: https://amzn.to/4i4JsmpPerpetual Chess Link-fest: https://benjohnson.substack.com/Ben's Chessable Course: https://www.chessable.com/identifying-critical-moments-in-chess/course/248353/00:00 Intro01:49 The Art of Guest Selection and Preparation09:39 Insights from Years of Podcasting Experience12:30 Memorable Conversations and Unique Stories16:08 The Chess Linkfest Newsletter19:06 Chess Scandals & Drama22:59 Writing 'Perpetual Chess Improvement' 27:56 Structured Learning in Chess30:33 Minimizing Blunders for Improvement33:30 Ben's Next Book Project38:33 His Recent OTB Tournament Experience51:08 Blitz Chess52:58 Ben's Chessable Course 'Identifying Critical Moments in Chess'In this episode, I’m thrilled to host Ben Johnson, the voice behind the Perpetual Chess Podcast and one of the most connected figures in the chess world. With over eight years of experience interviewing top players, coaches, and adult improvers, Ben has a unique perspective on what it takes to improve at chess. We dive deep into his journey as a podcaster, the art of selecting guests, and the lessons he’s distilled into his book, Perpetual Chess Improvement. Ben shares valuable insights that every chess enthusiast can learn from.We also explore the key themes from his book, including the importance of community, effective training methods, and how to sustain improvement as an adult. Ben's candid reflections on the state of chess content and his thoughtful approach to interviews make this conversation useful for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of chess improvement. Please check out his book and listen to his podcast for deep chess wisdom.