I think that eventually you will have to learn to work through variations without it, however I believe that using it in the beginning is useful to work out different moves. As you become more experienced, you should find yourself relying on it less and less.
Analysis Board
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Sep 9, 2008
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#3
The analysis board is a tool that I believe is appropriate for the level you are at right now. I don't believe it is doing any "damage" to your reasoning/visualization skills at this point in your career. I was observing an infant several days ago and noticed how they would pick up a toy and use their various senses to learn about it. They would put it in their mouth (taste), look at it (visual), shake it or hit a button that would make a noise (hearing), try to move the moving parts(feeling), etc. They were totally experimenting with the toy to learn about its capabilities and the cause and effect relationships. As adults we still have the need to experiment (analyze) in order to learn. However we use more sophisticated methods. Must of us don't put toys in our mouths anymore. Therefore the analysis board is an critical means of learning/experimenting. As time goes by and you use more sophisticated methods of learning you'll rely less on this tool. I agree wholeheartedly with RyanMK's comment above.
First off, a great website team. I haven't been seriously playing for very long, but I'm learning a lot.
I have a question about the Analysis Board. I've read a previous discussion in this forum on its ethicality, but I'm no philosopher, so I have a different type of question: its potential damage to my overall game.
As a relative beginner (I can beat friends, but chess.com has a way of humbling you; and in chess more than any other game the road from beginner to intermediate seems very long), I really find it helpful to use the analysis board, and fully rely on it. Will this in the long run hurt my game because of my inability to "visualize" the board, and work through long strings of potentialities in my mind, such as would be necessary in a live, in-person game (i.e., tournament situation or at the local chess club)? Should I ditch the analysis board and instead just look at the board as it is? Will this give me the better "vision" that the master's have?
Best,
Salo