'Memory premium': Chess players stick to similar strategies even if the game changes

Players Rely on Memory

A new study has found that when people play Chess960 — a version of chess where the back-row pieces are scrambled — they still tend to make the same opening moves they’ve used in regular chess, even if those moves aren’t the smartest choices in the new format.

What Is Chess960?

Chess960 is a twist on the traditional game. The pawns stay in place, but the major pieces in the back row (rooks, bishops, knights, queen, and king) are shuffled randomly. Both players get the same layout, but memorized openings from standard chess often don’t work the same way in this version.

The Main Finding

Researchers found that when a player had used a particular move often in regular chess, they were twice as likely to use that same move in their first Chess960 game — even if it made no strategic sense in the new layout. That reliance on memory, called the “memory premium,” added about 4 percentage points to the odds of repeating an old move.

The Queen’s Pawn Move (D2 to D4)

This is one of the most common opening moves in standard chess. Even in Chess960, where the queen might not even be behind that pawn, players often opened with D2 to D4 simply because they were used to it. It was a case of muscle memory, not strategy.

Does It Work? Not Always

Using a top chess AI called Stockfish, researchers showed that many of these memory-based moves were actually worse than other possible options. Players sticking to old habits missed out on better openings because they weren’t adapting to the new layout.

Experience Matters

Players who had played Chess960 at least 50 times were more flexible. Their memory premium dropped from 4 per cent to 2.5 per cent, suggesting that experience helped them think more critically and less habitually.

Don’t Just Trust Your Gut

Behavioural scientists say this research has real-world meaning. When things around you change — at work, in relationships, or during crises — it’s smart to question your default choices. Past experience is useful, but it shouldn’t be the only guide.