Do you use a real chess set?

When you play online chess, do you think about your move only in front of the computer screen? Or do you set up the position on a real board, so that you can move real pieces, and do your analysis that way?

I am a newcomer to Chess.com, but I have played turn-based chess for several years on another website, usually playing about 20 games at a time. When I have plenty of time to devote to my games, I print them out, set up the position on a full-size board, and write down a batch of moves to put in next time I am at the computer. When I have less time, I just look at my position on the screen, or use the analysis screen (similar to the one here).

I reckon that taking the time to use a real board adds about 200 points to my rating.

I would be interested to know what others do.

I use the on-screen board.  Think about it if you play more than just a very few games you would have to set up a board each and every time and when you move for each and every game.

That would add to the workload of playing chess tremendously.  Instead of fun it will be a lot of work.

The beauty of web chess is they offer a board and they store the positions.

When I first started playing correspondence chess with the USCF in 1957 I had to set up a board each time.  I bought "Post-A-Log" kits that used stick on pieces to keep track of my games which still was way too much to do.  Every move needed to be correctly annotated on both a home kept "chess diary" and correctly noted on a post card to be sent out.

To add to all of that when I played in the ICCF I had to know and be prepared to use different types of notation such as short algebraic, long algerbraic and numerical. Numerical chess notation is akin to playing "battleship".    I lost a few games because of that notation but it was extensively used by European players for many years.

Web turn based chess is so simple to use it gives us the ability to play numerous games at one time and all the notation and record keeping is maintained by the server.  Great!! 

Chuck

According to Plato, who understand the notion of "real" better than anyone else, the real chess set is in your mind. Those made out of wood, plastic, glass, clay, or LED crystals are representations, or deritives of the real. Blindfold players, thus, always use a real chess set. Most highly skilled players do as well.

It's just a question of what you're used to. When I first started playing online, I got a bunch of cheap analysis boards, and had each game set up on a different board. These days I play more chess with an on screen board than a physical board. I've just gotten used to using the flat representation of the chess pieces.

Although I would disagree that Plato understood "real" better than anyone else.

I have played blindfold chess and lost every game. 

Kudos to those that can play chess blindfolded I know these people exist but I will never understand how they can do it. 

Ichabod801 hello!!  You will also find out that playing on a flat board is different than playing on screen.  Why?  You get used to a vertical board and the horizontal board simply does not look the same anymore.  At least that is how it is for me.

As I said above I still play weekly with firends at our local club but when I layed off OTB for a very long while the vertical board/horizontal board did look a lot different and affected my play.

The pieces move the same whether the board is 2D or 3D. With experience, and more play on "Plato's board," the differences vanish.

I like to keep the most interesting or difficult game on my board.  The rest I play from screen.

I've been playing only Online chess so far, but I intend to play Live games shortly. I assume from what I've read above that there is no Analysis Board on the Live site as there is on the Online. Am I mistaken?

At any rate, I personally find the 2D screenboard much easier to work with than a real set, since the dimension of depth somehow makes it more difficult for me to focus on the entire position.

I generally use the on-screen board and analysis board but in complex positions I will sometimes set up a board and play through some variations that way. I don't do it very often, but have done so with a few games.

I have aregular OTB opponent who has gone to live in India for a few months and joined chess.com just so that we can carry on playing. She has a physical board set up so that she can think about her move when she's not online but she says that every time she has anyone come to visit they always fiddle with it. She even had someone reset the board but with a black square in the bottom right corner - which took her a while to realise what was wrong!

For myself, I'd love to have a board set up but my cat likes to play too and usually loses the pieces under the furniture.

I taught my cat how to play, but she tried to move pawns like bishops and bishops like rooks. However, she also lost interest in the game and now leaves my pieces alone.

If the TC could permit it, I always have preferred to have a real board in front of me.

For myself, I find that I play much stronger when I have a board set-up in front of me.  I must admit that I haven't played an OTB game in many, many years.  There is no local chess club or people nearby to play OTB. 

When I play the computer, I use mostly the screen board to plan my tactics and strategy.  Whether I play White or Black, Black is at the top of the screen (and the pawns move down the screen toward the bottom.

The old chess books I use have descriptive notation while the computer has long algebraic.  I have no problem with either.  When the books show a position diagram Black is at the top of the page (like the computer screen) and the pawns move down the page.  ("How to Win in the Chess Openings", I.A. Horowitz; "1001 Checkmates", by Fred Reinfield.)

I have played online, at yahoo.  I have a problem when I play Black.  They put Black at the bottom of the screen diagram (meaning the pawns move up screen, kingside on the left instead of the right); much like if you were actually playing OTB.  There appears to be no way to flip the board on their site so that Black is at the top. I have lost my Queen, Rooks, and many games due to blunders because I am so used to Black being at the top. (White pawns being able to capture 'behind' themselves.)  I have yet to play here on chess.com, so I don't know if you can flip the board or not.  When I do have a physical board in front of me while I play online, (even as Black), I have the White side of the board near me.  I think it really helps me play a stronger game.  (I don't see that much of a difference when I play White online in my strength.)

As a side note, yahoo rates me at about 1100.  Just my $.02 on the topic.  :-)

Dee

 Likewise. I usually have two boards on the go, a pocket set and a full sized board, with the most difficult two games on them. The rest, like DMX21x1, I play from the screen.