I can't "calculate"

I can predict the moves, I can't see clearly what the position will look like after the moves. I lose track of things.

We visualise in different ways depending on what's happening in our minds at the time. Sometimes the part of the mind that does optical visualisation is much closer to conscious perception than at others. It's a bit like memories, in fact. Sometimes we can visualise memories and at others we can't and might think we're losing our earliest memories. What we then experience is a kind of "memory of a memory". We know that the memory is there but we can't summon it up in a direct way. Then maybe it will come back. I have memories from a very early age ... from well before my first birthday. Over the years, some of them have stopped being so clear and are more like "memories of memories" and then one will come back. In any case, "inner" visualisation of the board isn't necessary to play chess.

cute girl asks a question, gets more answers from more guys than she ever bargained for.  That's the way of men.

I usually assume these pics were taken 50 years ago ... I mean do I really look like a Nepalese Hindu puja idol with a cow's yed?

Yes?
Oh

I wasn't alive 20 years ago

During rapid games I like to walk away from phone but and play out the position in my head and analyze that way.

If you can't visualize that's ok having a good understanding of a position goes a long way

You don't need to visualise when you have the board.

I knew two very strong blind players. The one I knew best was the blind world champion at the time. He didn't visualise at all but uses memory and also of course, constantly touching the chess board .... constantly running his fingers over the pieces, which are plugged into holes on his board, so there are two boards. Three if two blind players are playing one-another. The other one didn't use memory in the same way. He could visualise a whole game and he was nearly as strong. Both came from my local area within 20 miles ... the North West of England, which was exceptionally strong regarding chess.

I’m a real NM

I'm the queen of Denmark

LOL

For what it's worth, I can't visualize well either - worse than any other master I know. If I try looking more than 3-5 moves ahead, everything dissolves into fog. I've said repeatedly that if I could visualize well enough to play blindfold chess, my rating would instantly go up 200 points. But if I tried playing blindfolded, I'd be hanging pieces left & right before we even got out of the opening.

This still didn't keep me from making master.

If you can calculate 10 moves ahead looking at the board I don't think it benefits you to be able to calculate 5 moves blindfolded. I don't think it matters at all

I calculate 3-5 moves ahead looking at the board.
Without the board, that goes down to zero.

Only 3-5? Then after couple of trades here, one  check there you wouldn't know what kind of end game you're getting. Sounds unbelievable to me that you're playing at such high level like that but I guess it works somehow lol

Of course it depends on the positions but as you said, with forcing lines you often have to calculate till the "end" in a classical game.

Well obviously we're talking about forcing lines and tactics...

To help with this I take the notation from old games. Do 2 or 3 moves in my head. Then make the same moves on an actual board.