Chess players...

when you write stuff like d5, Bb7 etc. it obviously represents moves.


my question is when people read the "chess histories" of the games do you have to set up the board or can you continually visualize all the pieces, etc.

well, i was rated in the top 10% (1901 uscf i think), not really that good, and i couldnt.


the best i could do was one time i played a computer (physical board with led lights) that was around 1800 (2150 or so if it played rated game so they said)(probably 1600 cause i had it set to play pretty fast) and i played without the pieces and got a draw as white. it takes a lot of concentration, and took me like 2 hours (computer played real quick).


so i would think almost all non masters (and maybe some (weaker)masters) would have to set up the pieces.


brad

It takes some practice. The best I ever managed was 6 games at once while playing blindfolded but I think I have above average visualization skills.


Generally, I'd say until you get over 2000, most players are not very good at following a game through without a board in front of them. Most masters can do it without too much difficulty.

I once sat in a 6-12 hold'em game with two of the worst players ever. The impressive thing was that they were playing out a game of chess, only verbalizing moves. I find it difficult to belive that two chessmasters came and sat in my hold-em game for 8 hours to play chess, but I guess you never know. With that kind of visual memory they should've been playing stud...

Depends on the player.


Most experienced chess players can play for a little while without a board. Some people excell at this skill, but a friend of mine used to play each other, say, on a train or something, just saying moves to each other, and we'd do okay up to about move 15. (Fewer if the position was really messy). Then when you lose it, it's gone.

It takes trememdous chess skill and experience to play an entire game without seeing the pieces. However, many masters can play many opponents while blindfolded and win the games.

The ability to play play a game blindfolded is not that difficult, if you are playing it. But to being able to analyze a game played by others, without a board is next to impossible unless you are extremely gifted.

Wow, I should come to this forum more often.


Did Dave O really play 6 simultaneous blindfold games?


Does JV really believe you need to be extremely gifted to analyze a game played by other blindfolded?


I think most reasonable players could play blindfolded if the speed was not too fast. (eg players rated over 1600).


I suspect most people should be able to beat players 600 points lower than them w.o sight of the board if their opponnent has sight of the board. I suspect 600 is even an over estimate.