Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
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Quick answers
Does this atlas rank groups by IQ, race or nation?
No. Pathways and evidence stay individual. Scores are browsing aids — never group biological or racial ranks.
What did de Groot find?
Masters did not always search deeper in simple measures; they saw better positions. Perception as expertise.
How much does practice explain in games?
Macnamara et al. 2014: about 26% in their games coding — minority, largest among their bands.
Were the Polgárs a proof of nurture?
László Polgár’s project produced three elite players, including Judit. It is a powerful family experiment, not a proof that any child can be world number one.
Is go the same file as chess?
Shared search and pattern; different aesthetics and institutions (Japan/Korea/China houses).
Does chess make you smarter at life?
Near transfer to similar search tasks is likelier than far transfer to every decision. “Chess in schools raises IQ” is a weaker claim.
Practice means designed work with feedback — Ericsson’s construct, not Gladwell’s hour ticket.
Where Macnamara et al. 2014 published domain bands (games ~26%, music ~21%, sports ~18%, education ~4%), this page uses those rounded figures and does not invent new precision.
Steps
- Play a slow game
Enough clock to think.
Search.
- Write a post-mortem
Three errors.
Design.
- Study one structure
An endgame or joseki.
Chunks.
- Face a stronger player
Loss as data.
Zone.
- Use an engine after, not during
Hygiene.
1997.
- Explain a plan aloud
Opponent model.
Talk.
Checklist
- Review exists — Not only play.
- Design named — Ericsson cut.
- ~26% humility — Macnamara games.
- No IQ-nation talk — Editorial.
- Engine role clear — Teacher vs ghost.
- Gender folklore refused — Polgár.
- Transfer not assumed — Far claims need evidence.
- Club or peer exists — Social.
Drills
- Blind chunk recall — Five-piece positions.
- Plan in one sentence — Before the move.
- Opposite-colour game — New problems.
- Loss autopsy — Why the evaluation flipped.
- Teach the rule in 90 seconds — Clarity.
Pitfalls
- Elo as intelligence — A sport rating.
- Bullet-as-practice — Occupancy.
- National game-IQ — Refused.
- Hiding the post-mortem — No information.
Tools
- A slow clock — Search medium.
- A notebook of errors — Designed practice.
- An engine used after — Teacher.
- de Groot or a good annotated classic — Perception models.
Strategic talent: design the hour; retire the poster. Education is not a diagnosis.
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