| Abstract: | A check detection task in a 5 × 5 section of the chessboard, containing a King and one or two potential checking pieces was
employed. The checking status (i.e., the presence or absence of a check) and the number of attackers (one or two) were manipulated.
It was found that the reaction time cost for adding a distractor was differentially greater inno trials thanyes trials for novice, but not for expert, chess players. In addition, we contrasted standard check detection trials with trials
in which one of two attackers was cued (colored red) and the task was to determine the checking status of the cued attacker
while ignoring the other attacker. We documented a Stroop-like interference effect on trials in which a cued nonchecking attacker
appeared together with an attacker that was checking (i.e., incongruent). These findings suggest automatic and parallel encoding
procedures for chess relations in experts. |
