Final answer:
Chess experts are better than novices at memorizing the board in terms of functional units and can reconstruct the board from memory if pieces are in valid game positions, indicating that the correct answer is (d) a and b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question poses a scenario about chess playing abilities, specifically concerning memory and pattern recognition among chess experts and novices. Chess experts are known to be better than novices at memorizing and reconstructing the chess board. This is because experts have developed the ability to recognize patterns and understand the relationships between pieces on the board through extensive practice and experience.
With this in mind, option (b) reconstructing the board from memory if pieces were in valid positions aligns with the ability of chess experts to recall and understand game-related patterns, as their expertise enables them to remember and reconstruct game situations with actual game positions. On the other hand, memorizing random configurations of chess pieces that do not resemble actual game situations is not aligned with the skills developed by chess experts.
Hence, chess experts are typically better at memorizing the board in terms of units and can effectively reconstruct the board from memory. However, their expertise is most apparent when the pieces are in valid positions that would occur in real games, suggesting that the correct answer is (d) a and b.