The second notable characteristic of these mental representations is that while a chess master will initially analyze a position in terms of general patterns—which is enough when playing a lesser opponent—the representations also allow the master to zero in on individual pieces and mentally move them around the board to see how such moves would change the patterns. So the master can quickly examine strings of possible moves and countermoves in great detail, looking for the particular move that will offer the best chance of winning. In short, while the mental representations give masters a view
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