How to train visualization - software / websites

Hello,

One of the main weakness of my play, as far as I can reckon, is visualization - it is pretty difficult for me to "see" a few moves ahead, especially if I check several different possibilities. Also I am unable to "hold" any but the simplest positions in my head.

Do you know any (preferably free) software and/or website I could use to improve this aspect of my plan

The most efficient form of visualization and calculation training (called analysis) is to work on a "gentle slope" of tactics drills that are curated and build up your analysis skills gradually.  

The biggest misconception/thought train for players at the lower levels is that "I have to see and calculate EVERYTHING ... my head hurts!!!!"

Nopes ... it is far more useful + efficient to ONLY see and calculate FORCING lines. Once you get that habit burned into your brain (through training drills), you can THEN worry about non-forcing lines.   Strong chess players have trained their brains to do BOTH ... they do it efficiently by pattern recognition and lots of experience/practice ... but when you're weaker, you have to crawl before you walk! :)

So if you find the right training set, you are all set. The trouble is ... there are far too many a##hat tactics collections online that present problems in a insane order (too difficult, too muddled and mixing advanced themes with basic 1-2 motif combos) so people working on drills like that end up getting low returns on their time investment (or worse => Demotivated!)

It is like trying to get better at basic algebra by working on advanced calculus problems. 

So avoid these muddled tactics collections like the plague and find something neat and clean to help build your visualization/analysis skills.

Examples of "well curated" collections of tactics that are excellent for basic "bootcamp training" are:

- Chess Tactics for Students  - Bain ==> HIGHLY recommended to begin with.
- Winning Chess Exercises - Jeff Coakley

- Bobby Fischer teaches chess.
- How to See Three moves ahead - Chernev

Here is a video which is one of the 4 forced mate mating net endgames.  It will explain to you better than any words the endgame technique known as corralling the K and the visulization pattern that you must commit to memory together with the understading explained that you must practice until you can do it in your sleep.  What will begin to happen to you at some point during the process of building these memory banks is:  When you are analyzing a position if there are any mating nets they will seem to jump up off the board and smack yo on the forehead in a flash!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3EqM17jvOc

One technique that you might find useful is to practice visualisation in isolation from calculation. This can be done by setting up a position  from a puzzle book or a game collection, and simply to follow the moves in your head without moving the pieces. Go three moves deep then try to 'fix' that new position, take a mental snapshot, then do a few more moves and gradually go further and further. You will probably be able to go much further than you think pretty quickly with practice.

I am learning to play blind to improve my visualization. In the chess.com settings I select the 'blindfold' chessboard, remove the coordinates and turn the 'highlight previous move' off. Then I try playing against the computer on level 1. I have made progress already! But don't forget to turn your chessboard to visible again when playing online, trust me, you'll have a tiny heart attack if you don't. :-)