Can you play blindfold chess?

Once in my local chess club some kids wanted to play against me without me looking at the board. We got to about 7 moves in when I had to leave unfortunately 

In my youth (back in the Late Bronze Age), I played a blindfold simultaneous against the three best players on the Mount Allison University chess team, winning all three games.

I've still got the game scores!

Impressive.

never tried it

I can if I’m familiar with the opening. Namely Spanish, Italian, KID, KIA and Modern

yup, basically same. Although mine are Vienna, Italian, Pirc, Alekhine's, Budapest.

hello

Hello. Can you play blindfold

Exactly how I started. Visualizing opening moves was my first step into blindfolded chess.

I used to hold a watch to my ear to focus my thoughts for blindfold chess.

*note to kids: back in those days, watches went "tick-tock"*

chk, chk, chk, chk

Yes, but is really hard 

For me, knowing I could play blindfold came as a revelation after a particularly bitter defeat.  Our club had an Expert in it at the time, whom I had yet to beat, but I had him on the ropes with strong attacks on both king & queenside, but under time pressure I baited a sacrifice which I didn't know how to defend properly.

The key position was in my head for four days, until, in the middle of a workday, I realized the winning move from that position, and cursed out loud.  When the next club meeting came, and our Expert returned, I simply said "h5 and wins" to which he replied "that's right" having put the game through Stockfish as he always did.  This position had 27 pieces still on the board, and I remembered where each one was and why it was there.

The moral of the story - the best way to learn blindfold is to play someone much better than you over and over again until you start to give them trouble.  Eventually, those bitter losses will stick in your mind, and you'll be able to play them out along any line at will.

Playing blindfold definitely improves your tactical depth.  The better your visual memory gets, the further into future positions you can effectively see.

"For me, knowing I could play blindfold came as a revelation after a particularly bitter defeat. ...  Eventually, those bitter losses will stick in your mind, and you'll be able to play them out along any line at will."

I seriously like how you bounced back and turned the bitterness of the defeat into the sweetness of significant improvement.  Well done, sir!

My visualization either sucks or I'm just extremely lazy, I get lost after thinking 3 moves deep

Doesn’t everyone?

I don't, but I want to start after reading this.

True 4 meee too

I know a guy who beat 3 people at once blindfolded, all of which were rated over 1400