As long as you remember to take it off before popping out to the shops you're okay.

I'm not sure how they play blindfold chess know, but this is how Tal played it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEObwChS2O4

It's all a bit BDSM for me.  Why do you have to be blindfolded?  What's next?  Handcuffs?  Making moves with your teeth?  How about just sitting with your back to the board?  Visualise it, decide on your move, turn around and make that move.    

What's the point of blindfold chess anyway?

It can be quite dangerous. Ensure that there are no sharp objects around.

Better still, eradicate this blindfold chess whatever thing. I see no point in it. One will be concentrating on walking and feeling his way around the room rather than on the game.

depends how tight the blindfold is.

Umm, this is only a few months late :p

But at least in the amber blind tourneys they get to stare at a blank chess board (no pieces) with the excuse that instead of calling out the moves each player highlights a to and from square that shows up on the other's screen.  Even though they're 2700+ players and 1 blindfold game is basically the same as a sighted game, having a blank board in front of you unnecessarily makes it that much easier.

I've never heard that you get to keep score... looking at the previous moves would be like cheating :).  At least when morphy and alekhine did theirs it was just turned around staring at a wall, no board, no score sheet.  But to someone with a photographic memory who cares about that crap anyway :p

I can play a whole game blindfolded, and do alright as long as my opponent is a beginner heh.  I'm poor with tactics so a 1300-1400 tournament player could probably beat me due to some oversight.  Of course early endgames or otherwise positional games are easiest for the blindfolded player, IMO this would be across the board... er... i.e. apply to everyone.  So if someone challenges you definitely play an offbeat opening, and try to keep it tactical.  A closed position or endgame are easiest.  Of course if you're up against a GM those tactics would be laughable, but against mortals who play blindfold you'll really be testing their ability

I feel that blindfold chess is an exstreemly useful skill!!!   I started to take an intrest in it as I wanted to be able to pick up a chess book and start reading it, without the hassle of taking out and setting up a chess set.     But what I was not exspecting to happen was, I was able to remember key positions and idea's from games I studied and analised blindfolded -  When I had something similar on the board facing my real life opponent - the relevant game came floding back and I could use the idea's of the top grandmasters that I studied in my own game.     I have also found it useful when i am doing the house work - for exsample, while I am doing the washing up - I am playing blitz chess against myself in my head - it kills boardom and I can work on my chess at the same time - win win :D     I can also recal games - so I can analise them in my head as well, all while doiung the house work.      For me Blindfild chess is the ultimate form of the game.   Playing blindfold means you can take the game with you where ever you go, and never be board again - also in a full time control game - you will be able to calculate to unlimited number of moves and analise future posistions very acuratly.   

As for the health concerns - there is a story of a chess master (cannot remeber the name)  who was skilled at blindfold chess.   He was taken as a prisoner of war in WWII.   He spent months in solotery confinement.    When he was freed - he was one of very few who had not gone insane - he was asked how he had manage to save his mind form consuming him.  His answer was "simple - I played blindfold chess against myself - recalled and analised my favorte games  - and created chess puzzles."   

In my view, if you love the game and want to be a top level player - learn blindfold.    These days, I never get out a chess set unless I am actually playing OTB chess against an opponent - if I want to do any studying, I do it blindfolded - and I remember far more as a result, and its faster.   

Hope that helps ;) 

Blindfold chess is a great tool for memorization. I hate memorization because it is such a long word, and requires very little actual skills required in real life. It's about as useful as building a box of poop.

I play a lot of blindfold chess. The space aliens from the planet Zob tell me to do it. They send me messages through the aether telling me to play more blindfold chess or  they will invade planet Earth. It's also good for

my chess visualisation.

r

I think the studies suggesitng some harmfulness pertain mostly to extreme use of blindfold.  Trust me, it's difficult enough for someone who is new to it, that there is very little danger involved.  It is very energy consuming at first, but you'll want to read Hearst's book and more recent studies when you start doing multiple boards, so you are informed.  For me, I've been able to do 3 simultaneous blindfold boards against players 1000 or lower, and I'm not experiencing anything strange.

LOL  All of those scientific studies suggesting that there could be some reason for concern, and then there you are with your comment.  You must be a long-time blindfold player.  

This myth may stem from Stefan Zweig's "Schachnovelle", a great novella. (Click the link to google it and know more about the story. Definitely worth it.)