Kotov syndrome

Kotov syndrome describes a common failure of thought management: a player analyzes several options for a long time, reaches no satisfactory conclusion, notices the clock running down, and finally plays a move that was barely examined. The name comes from a situation described by Alexander Kotov in his writing on chess calculation.

It is not a medical diagnosis. It is a chess label for the combination of indecision, time pressure, and a broken verification process. The final move may be reasonable, but it often causes a miscalculation because it is chosen precisely when little time remains to check forcing replies.

The problem is not simply slow calculation. It also arises when move selection, the process of comparing options and choosing one, has no stopping rule: the same lines are revisited, or new candidates are added without comparison. An only move may even disappear from the final review after being considered earlier.

A practical safeguard is to reserve a fixed margin for the final decision. At that point, choose among the options already examined, perform a brief safety check, and avoid introducing a completely new option unless it answers an obvious omission.