Real Chess Board vs Online Chess Board: Does It Make a Difference?
Because of the situation we are in right now, everyone is playing chess online. We all know the obvious differences between an OTB tournament and playing online chess. For instance, OTB tournaments have a certain amount of seriousness, and people tend to strive to do their best, while sometimes online chess allows for some more flexibility and relaxation. The tension in the atmosphere of a playing hall just can't be replaced. Additionally, OTB tournaments tend to have longer time controls, while online chess is mostly used for playing blitz/bullet. However, since no one is attending any OTB tournaments because of COVID, many classical online tournaments are now popping up. This leads to the main question of today's post: Does looking at an online chess board differ from looking at an actual chess board?
To start, we have to take into account that an online chess board is 2D, and a real chess board is 3D. This means that the way our brain perceives piece placement and the relationship between the pieces differently. Because it simply looks different, there are a couple of results of looking at an online chess board instead of a real one:
1. Tactics: Sometimes, tactics are harder to spot. Pattern recognition is distorted when viewing a 2D online chess board vs an actual one. The same could be said if you primarily played online chess, and then suddenly attended many OTB tournaments in a row.
2. Flipping the board: It's very easy to flip the board to see the opponent's point of view. This means that you have a better chance of spotting your opponent's idea.
3. Endgames: Endgames are typically studied in books. (Be sure to check out my list of recommendations for endgame books here: ) Because they are studied in books, looking at an online chess board means that it is potentially easier to spot the pattern or find the right idea just because they are both 2D.
Overall, it doesn't make a big difference whether you look at an online chess board or set up a real one by your side. I hope this article has helped you understand the differences between using the two types of boards. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments, have a great day!
