  The study of cultural evolution benefits from detailed analysis of cultural
transmission in specific human domains. Chess provides a platform for
understanding the transmission of knowledge due to its active community of
players, precise behaviors, and long-term records of high-quality data. In this
paper, we perform an analysis of chess in the context of cultural evolution,
describing multiple cultural factors that affect move choice. We then build a
population-level statistical model of move choice in chess, based on the
Dirichlet-multinomial likelihood, to analyze cultural transmission over decades
of recorded games played by leading players. For moves made in specific
positions, we evaluate the relative effects of frequency-dependent bias,
success bias, and prestige bias on the dynamics of move frequencies. We observe
that negative frequency-dependent bias plays a role in the dynamics of certain
moves, and that other moves are compatible with transmission under prestige
bias or success bias. These apparent biases may reflect recent changes, namely
the introduction of computer chess engines and online tournament broadcasts.
Our analysis of chess provides insights into broader questions concerning how
social learning biases affect cultural evolution.
