I think it depends on what the core of the story is… what it’s a story about.
If it’s a story about chess, then never showing the reader the sequence of moves “feels empty and hollow,” as you say.
If it’s a story about something else for which chess functions as a setting, it won’t necessarily feel that way.
Of course, what I consider a story to be about is in part a result of what I care about. If I really really care about intelligence, then any story involving a supergenius will to a significant extent be about his or her superintelligence, and “not showing the moves” will always feel like a copout.
I think it depends on what the core of the story is… what it’s a story about.
If it’s a story about chess, then never showing the reader the sequence of moves “feels empty and hollow,” as you say.
If it’s a story about something else for which chess functions as a setting, it won’t necessarily feel that way.
Of course, what I consider a story to be about is in part a result of what I care about. If I really really care about intelligence, then any story involving a supergenius will to a significant extent be about his or her superintelligence, and “not showing the moves” will always feel like a copout.