I'm sure many people here have heard of A. D. de Groot and his seminal study "Het denken van den schaker", later translated into English as "Thought and choice in chess". It was one of the first serious studies done into the thought processes of both master and amateur chess players, with many applications outside the chess world, as well. He is a very important figure in the history of psychology, and well known in Dutch pedagogic circles, as well. But never mind that: his original study is a truly fascinating view into the chess brain, and that's what important to us here.
Well, if you speak Dutch, you can now download the original thesis from
I have the book and while it is interesting, I feel that so many chess writers have referenced this work that there isn't that much need to read the original.
I thought the interesting thing was the conclusion that its not about depth of calculation but experience of the position which made the better player.
Originally posted by plopzilla I thought the interesting thing was the conclusion that its not about depth of calculation but experience of the position which made the better player.
That is, indeed, the most interesting thing. In its time, that conclusion was nothing short of revolutionary.