CHESS ARCHITECTURE

“Education in chess has to be an education

in independent thinking and judgement.”
Emanuel Lasker

Keith McCaughin
 Copyright © 2019

Keith McCaughin

All rights reserved

Cover Photo: Grand Master Vugar Gashimov

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 CONTENTS
CHESS ARCHITECTURE..................................................................................................................... 1
Chess Architecture is Four Levels of Planning......................................................................................... 1
Chess Architecture in Practice ................................................................................................................ 4
CHESS ACTION PLAN ....................................................................................................................... 6
Assess Opponent’s Move ........................................................................................................................ 6
Goal Level ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Make Best Move ..................................................................................................................................... 8
WHY GO THROUGH ALL SEVEN STEPS ON EVERY MOVE.............................................................. 10
CHESS SHORT ACTION PLAN ......................................................................................................... 12
CONCLUSION – WHERE ARE YOU AND WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO? ..................................... 13
Seven Levels of Change – Improvement ............................................................................................... 13
Final Thoughts ....................................................................................................................................... 15
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................................................... 16
BACKGROUNDS FOR CHESS ARCHITECTURE ......................................................................................... 16
Systems Thinking............................................................................................................................... 16
Architecture ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Levels of Mind ................................................................................................................................... 18
The Seven Stages of Action ............................................................................................................... 20
Relevant Hierarchies ......................................................................................................................... 22
PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF STRATEGY .................................................................................................. 28
ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY....................................................................................................................... 30
ELEMENTS OF TACTICS .......................................................................................................................... 31
FORCING MOVE ORDER ........................................................................................................................ 31
POSITION DESCRIPTIONS AND SYMBOLS .............................................................................................. 32

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CHESS ARCHITECTURE
The goal of this chess architecture is to help create a habit in a chess player of thinking rigorously and
at peak level on every move of every chess game through continuous conscious use in practice. “One
bad move nullifies forty good ones” said Bernhard Horwitz a German Chess Master. I present and
explain a four-level chess architecture with an embedded six-stage cycle to train the chess player’s
mind. I believe conscious repetition of the stages within the levels of the architecture shown in Figure 1
below is a key to playing chess at a consistently high level.

Chess Architecture is Four Levels of Planning

The architecture is four levels of planning: goal, strategic, tactical and operational:

 Planning levels are described with English language interrogatives: why, what and how: and the
imperative act (see English Language Interrogatives in the Background for Chess Architecture
section)
 A seven stage process operates within the four planning levels and is shown at the points and
indentations of an six pointed star (see Seven Stages of Action in the Background for Chess
Architecture section)

Figure 1 chess architecture is four levels of planning in seven stages

Planning levels (goal, strategic, tactical, and operational) and questions asked (why act, what actions,
how to act) help you chart a course for the achievement of your goal, a plan. Planning involves
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envisioning the result you want to achieve, and determining the steps necessary to achieve it.
Benjamin Franklin said ”Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”. This is certainly true in chess. Planning at
four major levels; Goal (planning to plan), strategic, tactical, operational is necessary for chess players
to make progress. Stages of action are directly related the four levels of planning.

1. Goal level is planning to plan and guides and constrains strategic planning
2. Strategic level plans the intention to act and guides and constrains tactical planning
3. Tactical level plans the sequence of actions and guides and constrains operational planning
4. Operational level plans the execution of the sequence of actions

Actions change the positon on the chess board

5. Operational level perceives, records and transmits position data to the tactical level
6. Tactical level interprets the data and transmits information to the strategic level
7. Strategic level evaluates the information and transmits knowledge to the goal level

This sequence of stages of action through all four levels of planning and back again is the chess
architecture. The nature of the levels is described in each step through the seven stages. The plans of
the levels guide and constrain each lower level. The stages act on the way down and confirm or
measure deviations from respective plans on the way up. The levels and related stage become more
concrete and specific on the way down and more general and abstract on the way up. Each stage at
each level applies that level’s degree of concreteness and specificity or generality and abstraction. For
more specific and concrete description of the levels and stages see the Background for Chess
Architecture in the Appendix.

The planning levels exist simultaneously outside of time but are executed in sequence in time. The
mind is capable of thinking about all previous positions on the chess board at any time using the brain’s
memory. So if the positon on the board does not change significantly or you anticipate moves ahead of
them actually occurring, you do not need to go through all seven steps of action, you can act
immediately or at any level based on prior knowledge or anticipated actions. But to create a good habit
it is best to go through the entire cycle on each move.

The process starts at point 1 at the operational level in Figure 1 above and proceeds through all the 7
points and levels and the changed position on the chess board in a repeating sequence throughout a
chess game. The eighth point, the position on the board, is not a process step therefore it is not
numbered.

Until this chess architecture becomes habit so it can be executed unconsciously from memory, think
through each stage at every level in order on every move! Chess is an exercise of the mind so you want
to exercise the mind in an accurate, efficient and effective way to think during chess games. Training

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the mind to think at all levels and steps in chess is the analog of practicing scales and exercises on a
musical instrument or calisthenics and exercises in athletic activity.

Thinking and planning take discipline and they are much more important than IQ. Edison, who
registered more patents than anyone, else worked from the goal down and said that it took 98%
perspiration and only 2 % inspiration! Westinghouse who was not far behind him in registered patents
and worked from the perception of conditions in the world would have agreed.

Figure 2 Grand Master Vugar Gashimov planning

Famous planning quotes to remember:

 “It is not a move, even the best move that you must seek, but a realizable plan.” Eugene
Znosko-Borovsky
 “Even a poor plan is better than no plan at all.” Mikhail Chigorin

 “A bad plan is better than none at all.” Frank Marshall

 “The plan is nothing, planning is everything.” Dwight David Eisenhower

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Chess Architecture in Practice
The following tables show one additional hierarchy level to expand our understanding and limit scope
of the levels of the Chess Architecture (see Levels of Understanding under Relevant Hierarchies in the
Background section). There are many chess openings but I will show only one example. Here is the first
golden move of chess as envisioned by white:

Figure 3 Rachel Li at the world Open chess 2018 controlling the center

Level of Question Stage of Action Action(s) Level of

Planning Asked Understanding
Goal Why Goal In the opening, develop all pieces Assimilated
most effectively and efficiently as Knowledge
possible in order to checkmate
black’s K
Strategic What Intention Control and occupy the center Knowledge
with pawns1 to open lines for
other pieces because these moves
satisfy most effectively and
efficiently
Tactical How Sequence Candidate moves: only e4 and d4 Information
satisfy control and occupy
Sequence: e4 first because it
opens lines for the Q and a B and is
therefore most effective
Select Best Move: e4
Operational Action Execution 1.e4, press clock, record move Data

Table 1 level of planning, question asked, stage of action, white’s opening move followed by levels of understanding

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I limit the moves to pawns to show the “10 golden moves of chess.” In other openings knights can control center squares
but do not open lines or occupy the center.

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Here is an example of black’s response applying all the steps of the CA:
Level of Question Stage of Action Action(s) Level of
Planning Asked Understanding
Operational Action Perceive See and record that White played Data
1.e4
Tactical How Interpret White is occupying a center Information
square e4 on white’s side,
controlling a center square d5
and a central square f5 on black’s
side, opening lines for white’s Q
and B on f1
Strategic What Evaluate White is developing as effectively Knowledge
and efficiently as possible
Goal Why Goal In the opening, develop all of my Assimilated
pieces most effectively and Knowledge
efficiently as possible and/or
interfere with white’s plan to the
maximum extent possible in order
to checkmate white’s K
Strategic What Intend Challenge white for the center Knowledge
and control and occupy the center
at the same time
Tactical How Sequence Candidate moves: Information
1…d5, 1…e5 as these are the only
moves that challenge and occupy
the center
Calculate candidates:
1…d5 threatens to exchange
center pawns
1…e5 controls and occupies the
center with a pawn and prevents
2. d4
Select the best move:
1…e5 satisfies the strategy best
Operational Act Execute 1…e5 Data
Table 2 level of planning, question asked, stage of action and, black’s thinking action followed by levels of understanding

This is a simple example to reinforce that each level of thinking is distinctly different. Notice that the
goal informs and constrains the strategy, the strategy informs and constrains tactics and tactics
informs and constrains the operation.

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CHESS ACTION PLAN
The action plan builds on everything I have covered, or is explained in the Appendix, and adds specific
questions you should ask or suggestions at each of the seven stages of action.

Figure 4 repeated here to visualize the chess architecture at four levels of planning in seven stages

Assess Opponent’s Move

1. Perception (Action, Operational and Data Level) – Observe, record, and double-check your
recording of your opponent’s move. Looking only at the immediate move, answer the following
questions in forcing move order (see Forcing Move Order in the Appendix);
 Are you checkmated?
 Are you double-checked?
 Are you checked?
 Are you forked or double attacked?
 Are you pinned or skewered by any of your opponent’s pieces?

2. Interpretation (How, Tactical and Information Level) – Now that you understand your
opponent’s move, analyze your opponent’s likely future moves two or more moves ahead in
forcing move order until you feel sure that you understand your opponent’s tactical plan.
Interpretation implies an analytical technique at the tactical level that looks at the individual
possibilities in a position. There are at least:
 35 essential openings
 41 tactical motifs

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  13 checkmating nets
 31 checkmate patterns

3. Evaluation (What, Strategic and Why Level) – Now that you think you understand your
opponent’s short-term tactical plan, try to understand your opponent’s longer term strategic
plan. Answer the following questions about your opponent’s position using the elements of
chess strategy (see Elements of Chess in the Appendix):
 What space is controlled or lost?
 What time is gained or lost?
 What force (material) is gained or lost?
 What harmony exists or not among your opponent’s pieces?
 What has changed in the position (elements of chess)?
 What dynamics (tactics) are available in the position?
There are 9 possible evaluations:
1. Equality (=)
2. Slight plus for White (+/= or ⩲)
3. Slight plus for Black (=/+ or ⩱)
4. Clear plus for White (+/− or ±)
5. Clear plus for Black (−/+ or ∓)
6. Decisive advantage for White (+ − )
7. Decisive advantage for Black (− +)
8. Unclear (∞ )
9. Compensation (=/∞)

Goal Level

4. Goal (Why, Goal and Assimilated Knowledge Level) – The goal in a chess game is almost always
to win, but sometimes to draw by agreement, three position repetition or stalemate. The goal
will inform and constrain your strategy, tactics and moves at every move. Compare and
contrast your positon with the evaluations made in step 3 and assimilate the knowledge gained
and decide if you need to change your goal. (See Position Description and Symbols in the
Appendix)
Assess each element:
 Space - Comes with a downside usually - can be weaknesses to exploit
 Time - Development and forcing moves available
 Force (Material) - Balance of material
 Position - King safety, check the dynamics of the position for forcing checks; pawn
structure, pawn islands, weak pawns and isolated pawns

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  Harmony - Scope of the pieces, bishop pair is usually better than single bishop especially
in open positions
 Dynamics - Understanding the relationship between these elements is important in
chess. For example, you can accept doubled pawns, but know your rooks could use the
resulting file. So you can accept tradeoffs between elements: pawn structure for
another element such as piece activity, development for time, material for time, etc.
Use your best judgement.
Summarize the Element Assessments:
Use Positon Description and Symbols in the Appendix to summarize in one description or
symbol the result of the position assessments above. This summary description or symbol helps
in making any decision to revise or retain your goal. Revise your goal only if necessary.

Make Best Move

5. Strategy (What, Strategy and Knowledge Level) – Now that you have a better understanding
of your opponent’s plan and the position, you need to develop or revise your strategy.
Focus on your evaluation of the position and determine the best course of action to achieve
your goal in this position. Apply the chess strategy of the principle of activity (see Principles
of Activity in the Appendix):
 Capture Principle:
o Capture a sufficiently attacked pawn or piece
 Attack Principle
o Gain the initiative in the direction where pawns and bishops are pointing
o Create threats on every move
o Exploit your opponent’s weaknesses
o Concentrate your pieces in an attack
o Open lines on ranks, files and diagonals
o Exchange opponent’s defenders in an attack
o Avoid exchanging your attacking pieces
o Attack on both sides of the board if you can
 Maximize Principle
o Maximize the activity of every pawn and piece
o Move pawns to the center
o Move pieces as far forward as possible or centralized as much as possible
o Improve your weakest piece

6. Tactics (How, Tactics and Information Level) – Use the strategy from stage 5 Strategy to select
candidate moves that may satisfy the strategy (strategic plan). Consider what tactical themes
are available given your goal and strategy (see Elements of Tactics in the Appendix). Look for

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 candidate moves in the most forcing move order to find the best tactical plan in the next two to
five moves. This stage requires 4 steps:
1. Generate candidate moves
Consider moves that may satisfy the strategy. The strategy has narrowed the universe of
moves that you consider and calculate but don’t overlook moves no matter how crazy if
they satisfy the strategy. Sacrifices and pawn breaks, although not obvious, may work.
Try the following ideas for generating candidate moves:
 Look for moves in forcing move order
Forcing moves limit your opponent’s responses to the point that there is very
little or no calculating required. If you find a forced mate, you’re done!
 Think broad, not deep
Some players have a tendency to see a good move and not look much further.
There may be many better moves that satisfy the strategy. You must look
broadly to select a candidate move but it must seem to satisfy the strategy.
Variations will be calculated in the next step. A good rule of thumb is to try at
least 4 to 5 moves before you actually start calculating them.
 Look at the position from a perspective of knowledge
If you have studied and know openings, tactics and endgames well, you may see
a pattern of moves immediately that satisfies the strategy. This will save you
time selecting candidates and may eliminate the need to calculate some
candidates because the pattern springs full blown to your mind.

2. Calculate variations
Calculate each candidate move in forcing move order (see Forcing Move order in the
Appendix) that best satisfies the strategy. Hint, thanks to Peter Suich, “If you think you
have finished calculating a combination or series of moves, calculate one half move
(tempo) more!” You will be surprised at how much more you can learn.

For each candidate move

1. While you can still visualize the positon on the board
2. Calculate the next move in a variation

3. Evaluate variations
Compare and contrast candidate moves.

4. Sequence move order

Select the variation that best satisfies the strategy

7. Move (Action, Operational and Data Level) – Make your best move, press your clock, record
your move, and double-check your recorded move.

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WHY GO THROUGH ALL SEVEN STEPS ON EVERY MOVE
Ideally a good player will go through all seven steps until the cycle becomes an unconscious habit.
Once it becomes second nature to a player, exceptions can be made for time trouble, forced moves,
memorized variations, or unforeseen situations.

Figure 4 below shows how beginners play chess. Beginners seem to only perceive an opponent’s move
and respond with a move right away without thinking almost as reflex action to a punch. Beginning and
intermediate players will have a difficult time winning against higher rated players.

Figure 4 perception, goal and move based on goal only

Figure 5 below shows how intermediate players perceive an opponent’s move, interpret it, plan tactics
and make a good, but seldom the best, move. Playing this way you may win many casual games but
you will seldom, if ever, win a rated tournament game. If you want to play chess well or play in chess
tournaments, then avoid this kind of only tactical play.

Figure 5 perceive, interpret, goal and tactics and move based on goal and tactics

Notice that the goal is always there. Every player wants to win. It is the cognition of the distinct levels
of thinking that is missing. They have yet to emerge out of the background.

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Figure 6 shows the way good chess players think and act all the time.

Figure 6 a chess player applying the full Action Plan with levels of hierarchy now understood

By now you are familiar with the levels chess architecture and the stages of action but we will review
them to reinforce them in your memory.

Planning levels (goal, strategic, tactical, and operational) and questions asked (why act, what actions,
how to act) help you chart a course for the achievement of your goal, a plan. Goal level is planning to
plan and guides and constrains strategic planning.

1. Strategic level plans the intention to act and guides and constrains tactical planning
2. Tactical level plans the sequence of actions and guides and constrains operational planning
3. Operational level plans execute the sequence of actions

Actions change the positon on the chess board.

4. Operational level perceives, records and transmits position data to the tactical level
5. Tactical level interprets the data and transmits information to the strategic level
6. Strategic level evaluates the information and transmits knowledge to the goal level

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CHESS SHORT ACTION PLAN

Figure 7 short chess action plan for the left hand

The short chess plan shown in Figure 7 is intended to be used while you are playing over the board.
Use your left hand if you are right handed or vice versa under the table so it won’t annoy or alert your
opponent. If you can’t control your urge to move immediately without sufficient thinking then maybe
you should use the hand that you move the pieces with! The operational level is already apparent to
your senses so it doesn’t need to be brought to your attention on one of the fingers. Each finger
represents one of the remaining stages and the approximate height of opposing finger pairs and
middle finger represent the levels of thinking. The Thumb and little finger represent the tactical level,
the index finger and ring finger represent the strategic level, and lastly the middle finger represents the
goal level. Open your left hand with the palm facing you before each move. Fold in each finger in order
from the thumb to the little finger as you complete each step. It will help you remember the levels and
stages and resist the urge to move too quickly.

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CONCLUSION – WHERE ARE YOU AND WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
If you have a USCF or ELO rating, is it where you want it to be? Probably it is not. Then use the
following seven levels of change to determine where you are and what you need to do to improve.
Then drive the chess architecture fueled with the seven stages of action to get there.

Figure 8 chess architecture fueled with stages of action on the 7 levels of change highway

Seven Levels of Change – Improvement2

Einstein pointed out that "The significant problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level
we were at when we created them." To get different results -- change -- we must do things differently.
The framework of this model is divided into seven distinct levels -- from easy to impossible - across a
spectrum of continual change (continuous innovation) over increasing levels of difficulty.

 LEVEL 1: Effectiveness DOING the right things

 LEVEL 2: Efficiency DOING things right
 LEVEL 3: Improving DOING things better
 LEVEL 4: Cutting Stopping DOING things
 LEVEL 5: Copying DOING things other people are doing
 LEVEL 6: Different DOING things no one else is doing
 LEVEL 7: Impossible DOING things that can't be done

2
http://www.thinking-expedition.com/change7.html

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Each level is progressively more complex, more difficult to undertake than the preceding level.
Consider the seven levels of change in the context of moving into a new job or a new business activity
to which you have not been exposed before.

Level 1: Effectiveness - Doing the Right Things.

The easiest change to make is to learn the basics - what are the right things to do and how to
immediately change enough to become effective in a new job. The Pareto Principle states that 20% of
the things being done actually yield 80% of the total payoff. To maximize effectiveness, energy must be
shifted to and focused on doing that 20% (the right things).

Level 2: Efficiency - Doing Things Right.

Level 2 change requires a thorough understanding of all the aspects of the new job or business activity
in order to identify and then focus on doing very well those things which have the most important
impact and make the largest contribution. Level 2 changes are based largely on personally adjusting to
new standards and procedures, and involve coaching or explanations by others familiar with the job or
business activity.

Level 3: Improving - Doing Things Better.

Change at this level involves thinking about ways to improve or fine-tune -- ways to speed things up,
shorten delivery time, increase functionality, reduce downtime. Level 3 change makes something more
effective, more efficient, more productive, and more value-adding - frequently with customer input.

Level 4: Cutting - Doing Away With Things.

This level of change involves analysis of core functions and applies the Pareto Principle to focus on
stopping doing things - cutting out the 80% of things that only yield 20% of the value. In the simplest
case, change at Level 4 focuses on eliminating waste. If this can be done systemically while keeping all
organizational interrelationships and subsystems in perspective, major company-wide results can be
achieved.

Level 5: Copying - Doing Things Other People Are Doing.

Level 5 marks the transition from incremental to fundamental change. Copying, learning from, and
"reverse engineering" can dramatically boost innovation at significantly lower costs than starting from
scratch. Benchmarking how other organizations are doing things and then enhancing their processes is
the hallmark of the successful innovator.

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Level 6: Different - Doing Things No One Else Is Doing.

Change at Level 6 is about either doing something very different or doing something very differently -
and transitions into degrees of novelty which not only move an organization "out-of-the-box", they
move the organization into areas where nobody else is doing it. Level 6 is a shift into 3-Sigma thinking.
Such trailblazing and greater degrees of risk-taking can bring about genuinely new things, often by
synthesizing seemingly unconnected concepts and technologies - or by totally shifting perspective
around the possible uses of a product.

Level 7: Impossible - Doing Things That Can't Be Done.

"What is today impossible, but if it were possible it would fundamentally change the way you do
business?" Joel Barker's famous question reframes thinking extremely well for Level 7. Market
constraints, resource limitations, or company culture are too often seen as insurmountable barriers. As
a result, discoveries at Level 7 frequently build on major mind shifts connected with exploratory thrusts
into the unknown - bold, significant and long-term visions and change so different that it cannot be
compared to anything else known at the time.

Final Thoughts

Any change requires time, resources and personal energy. The higher the level of change, the more
time, resources and personal energy the change will require in implementation. Further, it is not a
straight-line relationship across the seven levels; it is geometric and explodes in terms of difficulty as
the change level increases.

Now you have the vehicle, the chess architecture, the fuel, the seven stages of action, and the road to
get there, the seven levels of change. All of this is about creating a habit of thinking. Notice that there
is not a single chess diagram or tactical puzzle in this paper. There are plenty of resources for that and
virtually none on thinking. “Education in chess has to be an education in independent thinking and
judgement” – Emanuel Lasker.

The goal of this chess architecture and action plan is to:

1. help create a habit in a chess player of

2. thinking rigorously and
3. at peak level
4. on every move of
5. every chess game through
6. continuous conscious use in
7. practice.

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APPENDIX

BACKGROUNDS FOR CHESS ARCHITECTURE

All of the following were used to create the chess architecture:

Systems Thinking
“Systems thinking” is a way to approach problems that asks
how various elements within a system — in our case, chess —
influence one another. Rather than reacting to individual
moves, as do almost all beginning chess players, a systems
thinker will ask about relationships to other moves within the
system, the chess game as an example, will. Look for patterns of
moves, structures of pawns and pieces, position evaluations
over time, and look for the best way to continue, ultimately the
best move. We have heard the adage "If you find a good move,
look for a better one."
The iceberg model is a systems thinking model that is helpful for
understanding the system of chess. We know that an iceberg
has only 10 percent of its total mass above the water while 90
percent is underwater. But that 90 percent is what the ocean
currents act on and what creates the iceberg’s behavior at its
tip. Your move and your opponent’s move are tips of icebergs
that are visible. You and your opponent’s thinking are not
visible. “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but
what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is
evolved.” Sun Tzu, Art of War.
Figure 9 Iceberg Model

LEVELS OF THINKING

1. Event Level
The event level is the level at which we perceive the chess board with its pieces. While chess positions
observed at the event level can often be addressed with a simple readjustment, the iceberg model
pushes us not to assume that every move can be solved by simply responding to the last move, an
adjustment at the event level.
2. Pattern Level
If we look just below the event level in our minds, we will notice patterns, similar events that have
taken place over time. Observing patterns allows us to predict and forestall events as your opponent
would have them.

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3. Structure Level
Below the pattern level is the structure level. What is allowing the pattern to occur? The answer is
usually a structure of pawns and pieces. Mauricio Flores Rios provides an in-depth study of the 28 most
common structures in chess practice in Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide. Andrew Soltis shows
strengths and weaknesses of pawn structures resulting from typical openings in Pawn Structure Chess.

4. Mental Model Level

Mental models in chess include the six chess elements:

1. Space - The number of squares controlled

2. Time - The number of pieces developed
3. Force - The total value of pieces and pawns
4. Harmony - How well all the elements work together
5. Position - Pawn structure and king safety
6. Dynamics - Potential for tactics
Knowing how to respond to these evaluations of chess elements requires knowledge acquired and
assimilated over your entire chess playing experience by analyzing your games, and studying master
games, knowledge bases, information bases and data bases.

Architecture
Architecture is the art or science of building. It is also building a pattern in the mind, a unifying and
coherent form or structure for thinking. This brief paper defines such an architecture for thinking in
chess. The goal is to internalize and make habitual a pattern of thinking that will lead to better chess
for the player who takes the time to learn and apply it.

Figure 10 the systems thinking model related to an action architecture superimposed on a four story building

1. Fourth (top) floor where the executive sets and revises the goal
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 2. Third floor where directors evaluate conditions and develop the intention to act
3. Second floor where managers interpret conditions and sequence actions
4. First floor where workers perceive conditions and do work, the execution of actions

Conditions outside the building are changed and the stages of action within the architecture are
repeated and can be in action simultaneously and laterally on levels. Notice that:

 Each level of the chess architecture is distinct as shown by separate boxes for each stage
 Each stage, except the goal stage, is paired with its complementary stage at the same level of
thinking as shown by separate floors
 Each stage, except the goal stage, is grouped in a column of ascending input and descending
output as shown by the directions of the blue arrows

So when conditions change, they are first perceived, which sets off a process that exercises all the
steps or stages within the four-story building.

Levels of Mind
Now apply what I have presented to the human mind. In the mind all levels are active at the same
time! Here is an example:

Figure 11 a piano keyboard in action

1. You open a piano cover to reveal a single line of 166 black and white keys (Action)
2. You remember and play “row, row, row your boat” a simple tune of only a few notes
(Perception/Execution level)
a. A friend joins you and sings the same tune from the beginning as you play the next
phrase “gently down the stream”
b. Another friend joins both of you and sings the same tune from the beginning while as
you now play “merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily”

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 c. Another friend joins the three of you and sings the same tune from the beginning while
you now play “life is but a dream”
3. You notice that the interleaving of the same tune, a round or canon, creates vertical groups of
notes that form or imply chords. You get the idea to play “Chopsticks” which implies chord
progressions (Interpretation/sequence level)
4. A pianist shoos you away from the piano and plays “Silent Night” and you realize that these 166
keys or notes can be composed horizontally in time and vertically in harmony to create music
(Evaluation/Intention levels)
5. You close your eyes and listen to “Silent Night” and remember the sounds, tastes, smells, and
feelings of what Christmas means to you (Goal level)

All the levels remain active yet separate and distinct at the same time while you listen to “Silent Night.”
You can focus on one or more separately or relax your focus and just experience it.

Table 3 relates and implies the action architecture of the mind from what I developed in the piano
example: piano, action cycle, chess player perspective, and the game of chess.

Piano Action Cycle Chess Player Perspective Chess Game

Meaning Goal Goal setting and revising Competition
Music Evaluation/Intention Synthesis and planning Games
Chord Interpretation/Sequence Analysis and move order Patterns
Tune Perception/Execution Record moves and move Moves
Keyboard Action Move Act
Table 3 the piano example related to action cycle, chess player, chess game perspectives

Describing Table 3 from left to right:

 Piano shows the increasing levels of awareness in the mind from the bottom up
 Action Cycle is the action stages in Figure 12 below in the next section
 Chess Player Perspective shows increasing levels of a chess player’s level of awareness
 Chess Game shows increasing level of chess concepts

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The Seven Stages of Action
Chess is an exercise of the mind, a process within the action architecture of the mind. The cyclical and
simultaneous process is most simply described by Donald Norman’s Seven Stages of Action shown in
Figure 12. The process is divided into two phases, an evaluation phase and an execution phase. Each
phase is comprised of three stages that parallel each phase within an implied architectural hierarchy.

Figure 12 seven stages of action by Donald Norman

The world, being outside the mind, is not considered to be a stage of action or level in the architectural
hierarchy of the mind. The implied architectural hierarchy from top down is:

1. Goal
2. Evaluation of interpretations and intention to act
3. Interpreting the perception and sequence of actions
4. Perceiving the world and execution of the action sequence

This, at first, may be unconscious, but none the less it is projected in many well developed conscious
actions. Our goal is to make this hierarchical process conscious to the point that it is consciously and
habitually applied in playing chess. I integrate the Seven Stages of Action with three other parallel
hierarchies from a commonly understood planning hierarchy to the most useful hierarchy of
understanding for our purpose later in the section on Relevant Hierarchies.

When we observe a change in the state of the world and decide to act as a result of the change then
the order of the stages is shown beginning at the bottom of Figure 12 The ordered stages are:

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 1. Perceiving the State of the World: Observe and collect data about the effect of action in the
world
2. Interpreting the Perception: Analyze the perceptions of changes from relevant perspectives
3. Evaluation of the Interpretations: Evaluate the various interpretations compared to the goal;
to what degree the action realized the goal
4. Goal: Decide to act given the state of the world
5. Intention to Act: Plan strategy needed to realize, make real, the goal
6. Sequence of Actions: Order actions in the best way to realize the strategy
7. Execution of the Action Sequence: Act in the world according to the ordered actions

GULFS BETWEEN GOAL AND ACTION

The two distinct ‘gulfs’ as Norman calls them are shown at the top left and right in Figure 12 above:

1. Evaluation, left in Figure 12, preparation for or reaction to a new condition in the world
2. Execution, right in Figure 12, acting to affect the condition in the world

THE SEVEN STAGES OF ACTION IN TIME

Continuous interaction with the world is shown on a sine curve through all stages in Figure 13.

Figure 13 the seven stages of action over time

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 Figure 14 white move thinking and black move thinking over time

To chess players, the cycle becomes the player with the white pieces moves and then the player with
the black pieces moves as shown in Figure 14. This cycle repeats until the end of the game. You can
also see the degree of separation of the four levels of hierarchy increasing and decreasing on the sine
curve.

Relevant Hierarchies
The structure of the mind is projected in many unconscious and conscious ways. Our goal is to make
certain this chess architecture hierarchy is made conscious in the chess player so that you can
consciously apply it to chess. Table 4 shows the integration of the 7SA, the developing chess
architecture hierarchy (shown on a blue background) with three other parallel hierarchies:

1. English language interrogatives of questions asked

2. a commonly understood planning hierarchy
3. to the most useful for our purpose, the levels of understanding

7SA Question Asked Planning Understanding

Goal Why Goal Assimilated Knowledge
Evaluate/Intention What Strategic Knowledge
Interpret/Sequence How Tactical Information
Perceive/Execute Action Operational Data
Table 4 integration of four hierarchies

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SEVEN STAGES OF ACTION INTEGRATION WITH ENGLISH INTERROGATIVE HIERARCHY

Figure 15 general planning levels integrated with Norman's seven stages of action

The English language interrogatives are shown on the left in Figure 15 and the stages of action
on the right. The interrogatives are classified on a graph that shows relative degrees of
generality and scope and apply to the integration with the seven stages of action as well.

1. Goal explains, makes explicit why act

 High level of generality
 High level of scope
2. Evaluation/Intention explains, makes explicit what actions are interpreted or intended
 Medium high level of generality
 Medium high level of scope
3. Interpretation/Sequence explains, makes explicit how to act
 Medium low level of generality
 Medium low level of scope
4. Perceive/Execute explains, makes explicit action
 Lowest level of generality
 Lowest level of scope

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SEVEN STAGES OF ACTION INTEGRATION WITH A COMMON PLANNING HIERARCHY

Figure 16 general planning levels integrated with Norman' seven stages of action

The general planning levels are shown on the left in Figure 16 and the stages of action on the
right. The general planning levels are classified on a graph that shows relative degrees of
generality and scope and apply to the integration with the seven stages of action as well.

1. Goal is at the goal level

 High level of generality
 High level of scope
2. Evaluation and Intention are at the strategic level
 Medium high level of generality
 Medium high level of scope
3. Interpretation and Sequence are at the tactical level
 Medium low level of generality
 Medium low level of scope
4. Perception and Execution are at the operational level
 Low level of generality
 Low Level of scope

Planning helps a chess player chart a course for the achievement of goals. The process begins with
reviewing the current position and identifying what needs to be improved operationally on the next
move. Planning is absolutely necessary if a chess player wants to play chess at a high level. Plans are
the only means of communication between action stages.

1. Goal Level: Reason, aim or purpose for playing a chess game. A goal is an idea of the future
or desired result that a chess player envisions. A chess player endeavors to reach goals
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 within the finite time on the chess clock. The goal is a plan to guide and constrain strategic
level thinking.
2. Strategic Level: The goal guides and constrains actions necessary to realize the goal and
evaluate to what degree goal was realized. Strategic thinking is defined as a mental or
thinking process applied by a chess player in the context of achieving success in a chess
game. The strategic plan guides and constrains tactical level thinking.
3. Tactical Level: The strategic plan guides and constrains actions necessary to realize the
strategy. Tactics sequence or order moves and interpret perceived tactics of your opponent.
A tactic refers to a sequence of moves, also called a combination that limits the opponent's
options and may result in tangible gain. Strategy specifies the advantage to be achieved by a
combination while a tactic specifies the order of moves to execute a combination. The
tactical plan guides and constrains the operational plan.
4. Operational Level: The operational plan executes the best move and perceives a change in
a positon caused by a chess player’s opponent’s move.

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SEVEN STAGES OF ACTION INTEGRATION WITH LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING HIERARCHY

Figure 17 Ackoff's levels of understanding integrated with Norman's seven stages of action

Ackoff’s levels of understanding are shown on the left in Figure 17 and the stages of action on
the right. The levels of understanding are classified on a graph that shows relative degrees of
generality and scope and apply to the integration with the seven stages of action as well. Each
higher level stage absolutely requires a higher level and classification of understanding:

 Goal level requires assimilated knowledge, not just current knowledge of the positon
o High level of connectedness
o High Level of Understanding
 Evaluation/Intention requires knowledge, not just information
o Medium high level of connectedness
o Medium high level of understanding
 Interpretation/Sequence requires information, not just data
o Medium low level of connectedness
o Medium low level of understanding
 Perceive/Execute requires data, not just perception
o Low level of connectedness
o Low level of understanding

Dr. Russell Ackoff defined the levels of understanding that make it perfectly clear how each level in our
chess architecture is distinctly different from the next and that each higher level builds on the lower.
Here are the levels of understanding that clarify and amplify the chess architecture from the lowest
level to the highest: data, information, knowledge, and assimilated knowledge. Assimilation is the

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process by which we add new knowledge to our knowledge base, sometimes reinterpreting this new
knowledge experience so that it will fit into our previously existing knowledge base. Accommodation
changes old ideas or even replaces them based on new knowledge. Assimilation and accommodation
both work in tandem as part of the learning process; some knowledge is simply incorporated into our
existing schemas through the process of assimilation while other knowledge leads to the development
of new schemas or total transformations of existing ideas through the process of accommodation.

1. Data are facts about the chess position

2. Information is data interpreted with analytical techniques at the tactical level that look at
individual possibilities in a position
3. Knowledge is evaluated information using the relative numerical values of the elements of
chess with regard to the overall positon on the chess board
4. Assimilated Knowledge is the unification of pat and current knowledge transcending
various tactical analyses and strategic syntheses of elements of chess expressed with
positon descriptions and symbols

It is extremely important to understand that the levels of understanding are distinctly different:
 Data are individual facts about the chess board we perceive them.
 Information is interpreted data from a tactical analysis. More data is not information!
 Knowledge is evaluated information in relative values of the elements of chess. More
information is not knowledge!
 Assimilated knowledge is the unification of knowledge from past experience with current
position knowledge transcending tactical analyses and evaluation of the elements of chess.
More knowledge is not assimilated knowledge. More knowledge is not assimilated knowledge.

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PRINCIPLES AND RULES OF STRATEGY
Principles of Chess Strategy3 guide and constrain the selection of candidate moves. They will improve
your play dramatically, save you time in selecting from fewer and prioritized candidate moves and their
calculation, and point you toward only the best candidate moves. The best move will often be the first
or in the first few candidate moves based on these principles and their rules. Rules can be derived from
principles. Figure 18 shows Activity as the overarching strategic principle. Principles of capture
(winning force), attack (maintaining, attaining the initiative or stopping your opponent’s initiative) and
maximize (placing every one of your pieces and pawns on their best squares) are ordered in order of
importance from left to right and top to bottom below in figure 18.

Figure 18 Principles of Chess Strategy

3
Derived from GM Igor Smirnov and Yury Markushin

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Rules can be inferred from principles. Material has only one subordinate rule. Attack has seven
subordinate rules. Activity has three subordinate rules. An offensive rule also implies its defensive
corollary. Table 5 below shows offensive rules of action and their defensive corollaries.

Rules of Offensive Activity Rules of Defenesive

Activity Principle Reactivity
Capture attacked piece or pawn Material Avoid loss of material
Don't leave pieces or pawns in attack Material Capture a piece or pawn left in attack
but don’t release tension
Don’t leave pieces or pawns Material Double attack unguarded pieces or
unguarded pawns
Choose piece move over pawn moves Material Constrain piece moves first
Always create a threat with your Attack Don’t leave pieces or pawns unguarded
move
Exploit your opponent’s weaknesses Attack Don’t create weaknesses in your
position
Concentrate your pieces before an Attack Disrupt opponent’s attempt to
attack concentrate pieces
When you’re attacking: open files, Attack When you’re defending: keep lines
ranks and diagonals closed
Exchange off key defenders Attack Resist exchanges
If you have initiative avoid exchanges Attack Exchange pieces to weaken attack
Attack on both sides of the board Attack Avoid weaknesses on both sides of the
board
Attack when you have an advantage Attack Constrain attacks when you are in a
weaker positon
Maximize activity of pieces and pawns Action Constrain activity of pieces and pawns
Move pieces and pawns forward and Action Push pieces or pawns from the center
toward the center and your side of the board
Improve your least active piece Action Constrain your opponent’s most active
piece
Table 5 offensive action and defensive reaction rules derived from principles

The deeper strategic understanding of the principle of activity and the rules of actions and reactions,
the better and fewer candidate moves you need to consider and calculate to find the best move
reducing the number candidates and calculation time by as much as an order of magnitude of effort
and valuable time.

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ELEMENTS OF STRATEGY

1. Space - The number of squares controlled

2. Time - The number of pieces developed

3. Force - The total value of pieces and pawns

4. Harmony - How well all the elements work together

5. Position - Pawn structure and king safety

6. Dynamics - Potential for tactics

Each of these elements should be assessed to reach a conclusion about the position. The
conclusion is expressed in one of the descriptions and symbols to indicate the strategic balance of
the game position (see Positon Description and Symbols in the Appendix).

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ELEMENTS OF TACTICS
Most games of chess are contests to see who can find a way to use a tactical technique first. One
successful tactic or combination of tactical ideas often can decide a game by giving one player an
insurmountable advantage.

1. Mating patterns are ways of trapping the opponent’s king. Game over!

There too many mating patterns to show them all here. You can find them on Wikipedia or
chess websites.

2. Double Threats are much more difficult to defend than a single threat.
A. Fork, a move where one of your pieces attacks at least two enemy pieces at the same
time.
B. Discovered attack occurs when you move one of your pieces out of the way of another
so that both of them make separate attacks against your opponent.
C. Pin or skewer occurs when two of your opponent’s pieces are on the same file or
diagonal and you place an attacker so that it runs through both of them, one threat
against the piece in front and another against the piece behind it.
D. Removing the guard occurs when you capture or threaten a piece that guards
something else you want to take. Your opponent may not be able to defend both
threats so you are able to play one or the other.

There too many tactical ideas to show them all here. You can find them on Wikipedia or chess
websites.

FORCING MOVE ORDER

Forcing moves are moves that force your opponent to move from absolute to relatively low degrees of
force. The chess architecture actually saves you time and effort when applied properly.

1. Checkmate = Infinite force, game over

2. Double check = absolute force, king must move
3. Check = absolute force, king must move out of check, capture the attacking piece or interfere
with the check by putting another piece in between the checking piece and the king
4. Multiple attack = relatively strong force, two or more pieces are attacked simultaneously
5. Pins and skewers = relatively strong force, one piece is attacked in between it and a more
valuable piece or vice versa.
6. Attack more valuable piece = relatively medium force, attacker can itself be attacked or an
attacked piece can move.
7. Attack piece of equal value = relatively weak force, attacker can itself be attacked or attacked
piece can move or be protected again.

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POSITION DESCRIPTIONS AND SYMBOLS
These descriptions and symbols indicate the strategic balance of the game position. They ae used to
determine the overall assessment of the position by comparing and contrasting each players status
with one description or symbol. The description is used to determine if the goal should be revised or
continued.

Position Description Symbol

Even position: White and Black have more or less equal = (Equal)
chances.
Slight advantage: White has slightly better chances. +/= or ⩲ (Slight plus for White)
Slight advantage: Black has slightly better chances. =/+ or ⩱ (Slight plus for Black)
Clear advantage: White has much better chances. It is +/− or ± (Clear plus for White)
also written as ±; the other similar symbols can be
written in this style as we ll.
Clear advantage: Black has much better chances. It is −/+ or ∓ (Clear plus for Black)
also written as ∓; the other similar symbols can be
written in this style as we ll.
Decisive advantage: White has a winning advantage. + − (Decisive advantage for White)
Decisive advantage: Black has a winning advantage. − + (Decisive advantage for Black)
Unclear position: It is unclear who (if anyone) has an ∞ (Unclear)
advantage. Often used when a position is highly
asymmetrical, e.g. Black has a ruined pawn structure but
dangerous active piece-play.
With compensation: Whoever is down in material has =/∞ (Compensation)
compensation for it. Can also denote a position that is
unclear, but appears to the annotator to be
approximately equal.
Table 6 Chess position descriptions and symbols

These descriptions can be used to clarify the assimilation of knowledge from the Evaluation step and
input to the decision to revise the goal.

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