Robbins et al 1996 chess players study concluded that selecting chess moves involves which WM components?

• A. Selecting chess moves involves the executive and visuospatial sketchpad but not the phonological loop.
• B. Selecting chess moves involves the phonological loop and central executive but not visuospatial sketchpad.
• C. Selecting chess moves involves only the phonological loop.
• D. Selecting chess moves involves all three slave systems.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested here is which working memory components are recruited when a chess player selects moves. In the working memory model, the central executive provides attention and coordinates processing, the visuospatial sketchpad holds and manipulates visual-spatial information, and the phonological loop handles verbal or auditory information.

Choosing a chess move is a visually driven planning task. Players must hold the current board configuration in mind, imagine potential sequences of moves, and evaluate spatial relationships between pieces. This relies on the visuospatial sketchpad to maintain and manipulate those board visuals. At the same time, the central executive directs the planning process, decides which move to pursue, and suppresses irrelevant alternatives. The task doesn’t depend on talking or rehearsing information verbally, so the phonological loop isn’t essential here.

Robbins and colleagues showed that chess performance was affected by tasks that load the visuospatial sketchpad and the central executive but not by tasks that load the phonological loop, aligning with the idea that these two components are key for move selection. That makes the combination of executive control and visuospatial sketchpad the best fit, while the phonological loop isn’t necessary for this specific cognitive demand.