Do mini skills add up to the Trick?

 

What have I found so far? The Trick is the decisive element from novice to super grandmaster. It is the decisive element between two players of equal level. Players with equal rating differ in what they have automated (absorbed by System 1). What happens in the game determines which skill is pivotal. That is a matter of chance.

The human mind is not suitable to play chess. Because the mind is easily overwhelmed. There are too many parameters. So we need a trick to prevent the mind from cognitive overload.

Luckily, evolution has provided us with a mechanism to prevent cognitive overload. We can simplify reality before it happens. By logic and conceptualisation we can simplify the world so it becomes more manageable. We even have an inner LLM which can predict the future based on what has happened before. Of course such simplification results in mistakes caused by bias every now and then.

When you hear a rustle in the bushes you better be biased that it is a lion and run, rather than to save energy assuming it's nothing.

Hence oversimplification, bias and hallucinations (LLM!) are part of the game in order to prevent cognitive overload.

The atomic cognitive element is the logical question/answer process IF I do this THEN he does that. Typically 2 ply deep. Since the question has a 1:n relation to the answers, there can be many answers that need an immediate answer (ELSE IF, ELSE_IF, Elif).

The logical component is simplified to Yes or No. IF I do this THEN he does that, is that good Yes OR No?

These questions need an immediate answer by System 1. If you need System 2 to concoct an answer, you are toast. The function of System 2 is to judge whether whatever System 1 comes up with is correct.

This imposes strict requirements on what System 1 must store during study time. This is about the logical consequences of a move. IF I move this piece away THEN it no longer protects that invasion square.

We already observed that a good functioning System 1 leads to improved visualization without special training. We observed that it increases the speed too without separate training. The reason for this is the storage of the logical consequences of a move by System 1. That's a micro skill.

By studying an (almost) random set of puzzles, we can unearth all the necessary micro skills. The question that now arises is: "Do al micro skills add up to the Trick?"

Or is there some mysterious skill that only grandmasters know about?

Since I'm no grandmaster, I cannot answer that question. Yet. But I'm going to find out.