How to improve your "Board Vision"

Many beginner players who have watched a Grandmaster play have probably wondered to themselves, "How do they calculate so well, I can't even 'see' the board in my head!" 

You don't have to worry, I have set up some exercises for you to train your brain! None of this is easy, and nobody becomes a GM in a day, but reading this and doing the exercises here will surely help you on your way to chess success!

First of all, you need to memorize the pieces movements. This is key, and the first step in the visualization process. (using a real chess board here will be helpful)

Pawn

Let's start with the pawn. (en passant will be ignored here, it is a more advanced and hard to learn skill)

Put it on e2. Move it up one square, and trace that line of movement with your finger. (this helps to lock the pattern in your mind) 

Put it back on e2, then move it up 2 squares, and repeat the process with both types of movements until you feel ready to go on. (It is recommended to do this at least 8 times.)

Now we can practice visualizing captures. Place a pawn on e2 again, but this time we can put another piece, like a knight or bishop, on f3. Now, take that piece, and repeat as necessary. 

Bishop

The bishop is like the pawn, it attacks diagonally. But it can go as far as it wants, as long as it's a legal move. Place a bishop on d4, and a knight on h8. Now practice moving the bishop along its legal squares, tracing its path with your finger. Just make sure the moves you make are legal moves! 

Repeat this process with all of your pieces and you will have gotten better at board visualization!