Info on blindfolded chess

Gideon. Blindfold chess is a two fold thing. It is about memory and also the ability to visualize in

Your minds eye the board and pieces. I will admitt it helps tons to have a photographic memory. I will give you the exercises I used to teach myself as a child. I closed my eyes and visualized a chess board one square at a time. Until I built a whole 64 square chess board. Then I started putting one piece at a time on . Starting with the left hand corner. I put a rook there then moved it both ways on the board . Then another piece etc. Now this takes time it don't happen all in one night. I found out as I got older these exercises helped improve

Your concentration in a game of chess. This is what worked for me. I hope it helps you as well. Now as for a chess story; here is one about blindfold chess. In the late 80s I was in the Philadelphia chess club and I met grandmaster seirawan at the

Club. He actually addressed me . It was what l was

Doing that caught his eye. There was a guy that was

A member there. He was saying he plays in the world open every year and never wins any money.

So l told him let me look at your game. I see his game is blah. I told him you need to complicate the

Board with some serious combination play. Now as I am playing him a casual game I am playing a guy

A real game ony left, and also playing a guy behind me a blindfold game and winning all three games.

So seirawan sees this and says can I plat too.

He says he wants to practice because hes on his way to a big tournament. And I am no gm but I can play blindfold. I am also a very unorthodox player.

Example. I am getting ready to post a game I played yesterday the 7th my handle on other site I played it on. Is queenme the guy I played is highlander. It was a 10 minute game. I was white. I. Fiaenchettoed

Both my knights in the opening instead of my bishops. Then I double fiaenchettoed my bishops.

And I did a real no no I castled on the 25th move.

Then I traded down to a tight king pawn end game.

Then I ran up and got two queens and mated him on move 58. I had 1:42 he 1:40 left on his clock. 58 moves in a little over 8 minutes is pretty fast.especially in an off the wall opening like I played. I don't know if they mind you posting a game you played on another site. Anyway try those

Exercises and good chessing to you.

By the way Gideon that guy got 2nd place money in his section.

A year ago I got interested in strengthening my ability to visualize chess positions, to know the colors of the squares, know the diagonals, and follow move sequences in my mind's eye. I wasn't sure it would make me a better player but it seemed like an interesting challenge.

Memorizing chess games so I could play them over in my mind's eye blasted me past those goals. This memory exercise really burned the patterns of a chess board and pieces into my brain, to put it inelegantly.

I wouldn't say it makes me a better player per se. I'm better now than a year ago because I've studied and played more, but I do feel it helps me retain what I've learned better and thus speeds up my development.

I'd like to thank you all, Your tips are great. :)

Your welcome. Good chessing to you and everyone else.

My name is Michael and I'm a chessaholic. May science never discover a cure for this sublime addiction!

GideonDerTactician wrote:

I also admit I am a chess addict and proud of it. :)