it's patterns... i'm a shmuck of a player, but when i play guys who are even shmuckier, i can tell by how long they move, how bad they move, and how crazily they move that they got no patterns in their noggins. and patterns are stored in the nooks and crannies of your brain ------ you'll call 'em up when you see 'em again. it's almost automatic.
but strategies and stuff........ that's more long term, abstract thinking. less patterns.
Yeah, chess is all about moving pieces. How banal.
Is it football or basketball all about patterns? Arguably yes because much of the training consists of repeating certain movements a lot of times until they come out almost automatically.
Is it maths all about patterns? Arguably yes because much of the study before exams involves repeating certain typical exercises a lot of times until you have some ease in solving them.
I think rather automating certain patterns is the way the human brain becomes expert in almost any field.
Then, when you reach a certain level, the difference is made by creativity, the creation of new patterns, improvising different things, psychology to face the competition, etc.
If everything was trainable, anyone could get to play like Messi, but it is not like that, training like a beast you could become like Ronaldo, which is not bad, but it is not the same ;).
Is chess actually all about patterns?
Yes, absolutely.
This is how GMs play blitz and bullet games to such a high level.
No but mostly. It is also about knowledge and deep understanding of positions.
@Benedictine There is some difference between a 2450 IM and a 2700 GM, you know.
It's probably because the latter knows much more patterns.
@CM sheldonleecooper515
not necessarily, there are many so called weak GMs with 2400 and I am sure they have the same knowledge as their stronger colleagues. Its about better and faster calculation, creativity, style and many other factors, but the topic is not titles and ratings.
I thought my sarcasm was obvious.
And I never said the topic is titles and ratings. However, if you ask what chess is all about, I'd take the strongest players as an example.
@sheldonleecooper515 Yes absolutely this is why the 2700+ player is better than the IM as they just know more chess stuff, chess stuff as in more patterns.
