Yes, setting up your games can help a lot. In general I feel like I learn much faster, and the information sticks better, when I use a real board. That is not to say it is for everyone, but from my experience almost everyone learns better with a real board. Definitly use it when going through books
Chess Board and Pieces
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I agree that with book examples the real board is fine. I just find rearranging the pieces each time is tedious and distracting.
Online chess training has renewed my interest in the game. A few times I examined a chess position with both the real board and the computer.
<nods head in agreement>
When studying tactics I don't use an actual board, but when I go over games (myself, masters, or others in general) I will most likely use an actual board. However if I'm reading a book of master games with diagrams I will usually attempt to not use any board and follow along in my head. It's good practice I find for visualization and then seeing if you've followed along correctly by checking the next diagram position.
I also use a board when studying end games (like Silman's end game book for example).
I don't even have a physical chess set (yet) and I've been learning fine. I guess it's just a case of whatever you're used to being 'best'.
BorgQueen wrote:
If you go to a club, Raz, you might struggle with the "real" nature of it.
I have noticed that... I think it's more to do with the size of a physical board, there's a lot more for your eyes to keep track of.
I have to have some kind of visual aid to see the moves when studying chess books or whatever at this point, since it's still very hard for me to visualize a game in my mind. I started using an actual chess set, but then decided to use Chessmaster in training mode on my laptop since it took less time to set up and was easier to move through the moves.
Dec 13, 2012
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#10
I now use Game Editor for practically all my analysis of my own games, other people's games & solving chess puzzles. For sheer ease of use & what it can do, there's nothing to equal it in my opinion. For example, if you find an interesting position, how long does it take to transcribe it from a physical board(?) because it can be copied & pasted from the editor into a text file in no time (& vice-versa).
I recently worked through a book on chess strategy & tried, at first, to follow the games on a physical board but with all the variations, I soon gave that up. I find it much easier with a virtual one.
Can the physical chess board and pieces be a learnig tool as we learn chess on the computer?
With all the tools available online, it would seem the actual chess set has limited potential for learning. Most of the time is spent endlessly rearranging the pieces.