Observe the following image:

Chess.com is the first website I’ve played on that has a record of the points tally for captured pieces, and I’ve been finding it very useful. Some of the books I’ve read advocate using a points system to work out a material advantage, but it’s not something I’ve ever done. It always seemed to me that I’ve got enough to think about in an OTB game without trying to calculate the relative points of each side. However (in another one of the innumerable subtle ways chess.com is improving my game) I’m finding myself referring to this points tally with growing regularity. I’m not sure why; the reassurance maybe, but it does seem to help complete the picture. (A rather handsome picture in the game I’m playing above!)

My question is, does anyone who plays regular OTB matches use this mental aid? Clearly, you’d have to work out the numbers in your head, but the amount of books I’ve read advocating it seems to indicate that it is a useful thing to do. Does anyone try, and do you find it helps? Or is the complexity of a game enough already without having the extra calculation?

ED.

Well I think almost everyone uses a version of it.  I don't think many people other than beginners tot up all the points though.  I think most people keep a tally of the relative material.  For example, "3 pieces 5 pawns and a rook, vs 3 pieces 5 pawns and a rook.  - ah, we're materially equal."  Also often it's easier to go the other way and look at captured material, "2 pawns and a piece vs 2 pawns and a piece - equal."  Then in more complicated positions, things like "ah I'm up an exchange for a pawn."

 This is precisely why I found the advice I got in books so strange. Why keep a points tally? Surely it just takes up valuable mental horsepower? I'm glad that it's a feature of CC chess here, but I can't understand why it would be good OTB.

ED. 

 Bit of advice I got once was never count the captured pieces. The opponant could be hiding one in his hand!

haha yeah, you have to be careful, but usually if something is amiss, you check the board.  You usually just know if you are +/- a piece.  Only once have I dropped a piece without realising, when I suddenly noticed after some early exchanges that the pieces next to the board didnt add up.  I put a lot of the blame for that into very poor lighting though. 

LOL! I often come out of a hard fought middle game, when to my great surprise I'm down a piece! I'm with you on the lighting though, they just can't get it right!