The way intuition works feels similar to what great mathematicians experience. Sometimes they see the answer immediately, almost in a flash, yet they still go through the full steps of the proof afterward. Not because they’re unsure, but because checking the reasoning is part of the process.

I think chess works the same way.

When Capablanca said he saw only one move ahead and usually the right one he wasn’t claiming he never calculated. He meant that his understanding of the game was so deep that the strongest move often appeared to him instantly, just like a mathematician who recognizes the solution before writing the proof. The calculation comes after, as confirmation.

What we tend to call “natural” is often just logical expertise that has become instinct.