Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Balas is an MIT-educated professor of psychology at North Dakota State University, where his research focuses on visual recognition. He’s also a passionate chess player who blogs frequently about the intersection of science and chess. On his popular LiChess blog, Ben (aka NDPatzer) has explored topics like whether streakiness exists in chess, the science of blunders, and how confirmation bias influences decision-making over the board. In our conversation, we touch on all of these topics and also delve into Ben’s personal chess journey. He shares the scientific studies he believes every chess player should know about — and, as with his writing, I learned alot from chatting with Ben.

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0:02- What got Ben back into chess during the pandemic after decades away?

Mentioned: Ben’s interview with Dr. Can Kabadayi on the Chess Cognition podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrzblptGNjw

0:07- What experience got Ben thinking about whether momentum exists in chess?

Mentioned:

https://lichess.org/@/NDpatzer/blog/science-of-chess-winning-streaks-losing-streaks-and-skill/K4NmnE6b

Also mentioned, FM Nate Solon’s post:

https://zwischenzug.substack.com/p/yes-theres-luck-in-chess

EP 444 – Dr. Benjamin Balas on Chess Streaks, Blunders, and Brain Science