Beginners typically decide each chess move by considering the consequences. Expert players, in contrast, primarily us...

shunhe on January 1, 2020

Hi @HannahC,

So we're looking for the answer choice must strongly supported by the stimulus, which states that beginner chess players decide chess moves based on each move, whereas experts recognize being in similar positions and recall the consequences of their moves in those scenarios to make their move. One thing that's definitely needed to do this is a sharp memory, and this is what (D) states. Clearly, the expert chess player's memory is crucial as she has to not only recognizes (and thus remember) each of the (millions of) positions, but also the consequences of potential moves from those positions.

(E), on the other hand, is incorrect because the language is a bit too strong. Can we really infer that ANY chess player would improve his or her chess-skills by playing other games with pattern-recognition skills? Maybe some of those games are so basic, they don't help at all. Maybe some expert chess players are so advanced, they can't improve their chess skills any further, or their pattern-recognition skills. Maybe some beginners, who haven't risen to the level of using pattern-recognition techniques, wouldn't benefit from working on those skills at their stage of chess playing. Anytime extreme words like "any" or "none" are used, keep a sharp eye out for the full implications of the answer choices. They're not always wrong, but they will be a good amount of the time. Hope this helps!