2D vs. 3D

I was very disappoined after a recent loss in a won position. This is one of the most embarassing losses ever. 

See it for yourself: http://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=482070534

A bad blunder considering I had around 35 minutes on my clock. I was trying to find a way to stop the perpetual but missed the more obvious threat.

Now, I've spent basically my whole life playing with a 3D board. I've learned how the pieces moved and etc. until I started to play on chess.com a little bit, which uses a 2D board. Even for online chess I can't really get myself to think for longer than 5 minutes because my mind doesn't really function. I end up getting into losing positions with 1300's on a regular basis. I tend to see all the complex stuff but I somehow overlook basic mates and tactics. The tactics help is NOT the problem, it's the board online. If this game were a real OTB tournament I would see it in literally 5 seconds (that's why my OTB is quite high). That's why I'm quite easy to beat online, OTB I could give people I would get crushed by online a really hard time. Sure I might still lose but it would be harder than before. 

On the other hand the majority of people on this site don't play OTB, only the titled players don't have the same problem as me. The people online are used to 2D but have trouble OTB. That's why I'm REALLY bad online. I just wasn't raised that way. Does anyone sympathize with me?

When I first switched to 3d boards I had just the sort of trouble you're talking about.  But after playing regularly 2d and 3d it went away and now I don't notice a difference.  I see you've played a few thousand games on chess.com, so it's odd to me you still have that problem.

yes it's still somehow staying with me. I don't really care about my rating's online, it's not like you get anything for it. but OTB you get titles and all.

Haha, yeah, it would be a lot worse if you couldn't see moves on the 3d board.

Anyway if you're playing such long games online, you could always set it up on a real board.

i have it worse, im trying to figure out whats wrong with my OTB awareness. Online, i do much better for some reason, the pieces speak to me more fluently online than when i meet then in person.

One thing to consider is is your online rating could be staying low because the 'rating pool' for live standard on chess.com is smaller and the titled players don't play standard time control games on here. Just look at the bullet chess highest rating and standard chess, there's a 500 point difference! Even Danny Rensch who is an IM only has a live standard rating of 1750 or so. Just something to think about.

Daniel Rensch also plays simuls though (and blindfold), he crashed in one of them for example and lost a dozen games or so.

I sympathize fully. 2D is just one level too abstract; symbols of symbols of symbols. I only play blitz online without a board, all other games I use my trusty Staunton No 5 set and play it properly. I've tried tons of times, but I invariably lose a at least 150ish rating points when I only play 2D.

That's my point, even if you win against D. Rensch you only get a increased based on beating a 1750 instead of a 2400. And just look at most of the other high rated players, there is a large difference between there bullet rating(which has a large pool of high rated players) vs standard (small pool of higher rated player). Also more on the subject, since I started playing mainly online I can see things better in 2d. I play slow games with a board but not because it helps me see, I do it to get use to visualizing moves on a real board and not in 2d. It has seemed to help.

I can so totally relate!

To me it's all the same. An h file is still an h file, even if it's on a scale of one third the size of a real board, etc. I guess this is how it is for me because I think of chess ideas sort of like math, a universal language -- you can play it in any country, any type of board, but the ideas used remain the same; as long as the thing represents what it's supposed to represent, and I can distinguish what is supposed to be a bishop, knight, etc, I'm good

Although I will say that 3d boards on a computer screen can be very distracting.

Strange thing. I don't have any trouble from the board I use.

But I admit I am using a really crappy magnetic board for analysis (pieces are painted round magnets of diameter ~1cm), so I'm immune !

(for the game : the best I can see for you is 42.Bxf6+ Kh6 43.Bxh4+ Kxg7 44.Bxg3 and I firmly believe White should win this)

for me , i learned chess from 2d board , and when i play in otb board i get troubles of visualization .. now im member in some chess club , realy this trouble bother's me

I've often wondered about this very issue. Recently, Magnus Carlsen posted a picture on Twitter of himself in a hotel room studying his chess, and he had an actual board and pieces set up. It seems that even the pros have to keep their 3d awareness in tune for their tournament games.

I don't think they're bothered by the 2D vs 3D in terms of looks

I am a little , but it doesn't really make much difference when you already practiced with both tons of times.

It's probably to get a feel for holding the pieces (the weight of the pieces, how much energy you need to put in your arm/hands/fingers to move etc)

Holding a piece and moving it is a different feeling then moving pieces by mouse clicks you know.

The fact that you can touch move in 2D but in 3D you obviously can't is a big factor too you know.

I fall into the OTB to 2d category. 2D is very frustrating for me. Looking online it seems this is common and even more common the other way. Thank you for this post; I feel better about it now.