A decision-making process in a chess game is the main concern of this article. A model is suggested to detect when a chess player is likely to operationalize a concrete calculation or to consider the position in terms of general assessment. The phenomenon of a “double mistake” is used to illustrate the usefulness of the model in comprehending cognitive processes during competition. The relations between human rationality and elite chess are discussed, but empirical research is needed to draw further conclusions.
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