Are You Good at Both Talking and Playing Chess at the Same Time?

When I get an occasional chance I like to watch the chess.com streaming of good players commentating on their own games while they're playing their own games!

I'm invariably impressed by the quality of both their thought analysis expressed out loud (because they have to do it so quickly because it's usually a rapid or blitz game) and the quality of their play!  For example, I've watched Danny Rensch play, John Bartholomew, Simon Williams, and the fastest of them all, Hikaru Nakamura.  I'm like amazed.  How can you talk so fast while still trying to make time control?

On a related note, I'll watch Danny and ChessBrah Hansen comment during a Blitz match and it just boggles/fascinates me how fast, how truly rapid they see things.  How quickly they calculate lines!   And I'm still trying to get a feel for the position.  

Here's a couple of quick take-aways that I have:

(1)  There's NO systematic thinking process in Rapid/Blitz!!  None that I could detect anyway.  It all seems so helter-skelter.  They're just trying to go by intuition and pattern recognition.

(2)  Blunder-Checking is automatic.  Or semi-automatic, semi-conscious.  But they ALL still blunder under pressure.  I'll never forget Magnus getting checkmated by Alexander Grischuk in a simple one-move mate.  In fact, it was a self-mate, lol.

(3)  Really fast eye-scanning of the entire board.  Once you get fixated on a specific sector, then BAM! some piece will come out of nowhere to wreck your world.

(4)  These players doing stream-of-consciousness talking-out-loud play are pretty darn good!  I have not done this.  But I'm thinking about doing it the next time I play in a Rapid game or Blitz game.  

Should I?  

Why not? Personally, it doesn't detract from my game, because I am defining what I am playing... 

That's pretty good. 

For me, I can read faster silently than reading out loud.  I thought that maybe the same thing occurs in chess.  Particularly when playing rapid or blitz.  

Do you always talk out loud when you play rapid/blitz chess online?  Or on occasion?  

No, I never talk out loud because it seems weird. Unless I am explaining, in which case, I will talk.. That being said, it is like reading. When not much is going on, talking gets a plan; when calculation is required, talking is not as good because then you cannot calculate lines... Or at least, I cannot...

Ahhhh, exactly my point.  So when I see these excellent players talk out loud for the purposes of instructing their audiences about what they're seeing for their candidate moves and their plans, and yet they can still calculate to some degree at the same time, it's truly remarkable to me.

So then, I was thinking, should I emulate them?  Maybe I might play better if talk out loud?!?

My guess would be, not if there are many variations to calculate... They are commentating the lines because that's how they get views... I don't think that it actually helps their game...

Tamelava,

Thanks for dialoguing with me.  Upon reviewing this conversation, I do notice a shift by you.  In #2, you write, "Why not [talk out loud]? Personally, it doesn't detract from my game, because I am defining what I am playing... "

Then later you write, "when calculation is required, talking is not as good because then you cannot calculate lines... Or at least, I cannot..."

Just kidding!

Its true though.... 

I'll experiment. See if I can do what these top players are doing.  And if I play worse then I'll go back to being quiet.  

Sounds Good!

@TimeLava (comment #5) We're chess players, weird by definition.  

I generally talk to myself while playing chess to theorize.  Usually quiet.  People get used to it.  

OK, in all seriousness, putting your thoughts into words actually does help in chess (in my experience)

BTW, @SeniorPatzer, they aren't talking when they are in top tournaments, so I think they usually theorize in their heads.  I don't know if that improves a master's play, but it may for an amateur.  Of course, they may talk when allowed (one isn't OTB).

Sometimes, I will talk to my wife about what I am doing and thinking while playing chess. I find I always play better when doing so. Like someone doing advanced driver training giving a running commentary on their own driving, observation, hazards, other road users and so on.

SeniorPatzer, "I'll experiment. See if I can do what these top players are doing.  And if I play worse then I'll go back to being quiet. "

And why not? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If nothing else, it should provide a new experience. Good luck.

Personally, I need all the time I can get to figure out a position and a move . . .  and even then I miss threats and opportunities. Rapid chess is certainly not for me.

Trash talk in common in Speed Chess in various city parks.  Goes with the territory.

Double Exclam!!  When you talk aloud, do you tend to discuss more positional features of the position or do you usually calculate out loud the concrete variations?

Both. Even though she doesn't generally follow the details of a variation, she still gets the gist of it - the idea behind it, what threat I am concerned about or what tactic I am trying to steer towards.

Sometimes in talking it through like that, I will spot something I would otherwise have missed.

Talking to yourself is a way of streamlining thoughts. By going from chaotic all-out frenzied brain glitches to actually having to output it via a serial port can bring a clearer picture. However I also noticed that it can hurt you because what you say can seem quite convincing but be absolute garbage.
I play my best games when I can concentrate in a quiet environment, but this is just hard to come by.
What Hikaru is doing completely baffles me, if I even have to utter one word to somebody else about my game, my next move is a blunder.

Sure, I can talk and play pretty easily. For me it does decrease performance though. Maybe 50 rating points? I'm impressed Naka, Carlen, et al can beat strong GMs while chatting and reading chat.