You are asked to determine which of two people is an expert chess player. (The other one is a beginner.) You could quickly do so by answering the following question:

A) Which one is better at memorizing the positions of chess pieces arranged randomly on a chessboard?
B) Which one can correctly describe the position of the pieces at the beginning of the game?
C) Which one is better at memorizing the positions of chess pieces arranged on the board as they might actually occur during a game?
D) Which one would prefer to use the white pieces instead of the black pieces?

Question

T'aira Peters · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : C, Explanation :  Being able to quickly and accurately memorize the positions of chess pieces as they occur during a game is a key skill of an expert player. Option A tests short-term memory, which is not necessarily indicative of chess-playing ability. Option B tests knowledge of a specific, memorized starting position, which can be learned through studying, but does not necessarily reflect skill in playing the game. Option D is a meaningless and irrelevant factor in determining chess expertise.

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