[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: When is the same position not the same position?

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
When is the same position not the same position?
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1216356746.shtml


   Here are two positions I've presented in recent posts ([1]here and
   [2]here):
   [chernikov_isolani_example.jpg]
   Position 1: White to move
   [baburin_fox_irishchamps2008.jpg]
   Position 2: Black to move
   Notice anything suspicious here? Since it's White to move in the first
   position and Black to move in the second, the two positions are
   essentially one. A player on the black side of position one and his
   counterpart on the white side of position two differ only by the paint
   on their pieces and left-right inversion. Objectively, there is no
   difference.
   Subjectively, however, there is a difference. Most players think White
   is better in both positions, which is obviously impossible as an
   objective evaluation of the position. The reason for this is, I think,
   clear: we start with a default assumption that White is equal or
   better, and so it's very easy to go from there, see White's bishop
   pair and Black's isolani, and confirm our pre-White bias. (Even a
   solid master like Jon Jacobs, who did end up concluding that Black was
   better in position 1, admitted starting with the opposite evaluation
   as his default. I doubt, though of course I don't know, that he had
   any similar doubts about White's standing in position 2 - assuming he
   didn't immediately recognize it as position 1.) I even suspect that
   White would win a 10-board match not only from position 2 but position
   1 as well - not at the GM level, but probably for the majority of club
   players. (And maybe even a bit higher?)
   This perceptual puzzle, as I mentioned in the [3]position 1 post, came
   from an issue of [4]Chess Today, wherein GM Baburin revealed that his
   former trainer, GM (then IM) Oleg Chernikov, had sprung it on him and
   asked for his reaction. Baburin fell for it hook, line, and sinker
   (alas, he didn't say how strong he was at the time), but neither he
   nor Chernikov supply the cure for our color-bias. Is there a cure?
   I doubt it, but there are some things we can do to mitigate the
   "disease". Here are some offhand suggestions: (1) Read Adorjan's
   "Black is OK" materials daily, until you believe it. (Mostly kidding.)
   (2) Replay games from Black's perspective on a regular basis. (3)
   Replay games with Black as White. (Thus a game that starts 1.e4 e5
   2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 will be replayed like this: 1...e5 2.e4 Nf6 3.Nc3
   Bb4.) You'll probably find it jarring, but for that reason it might
   prove the most effective technique. (4) Experiment with reversed
   openings. (5) Not care at all - just play chess!

References

   1. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1215927387.shtml
   2. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1216234208.shtml
   3. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1215927387.shtml
   4. http://www.chesstoday.net/