You'll end up knowing the colors automatically after playing for a while.
I didn't think about it until I saw a video with Daniel Rensch
http://www.chess.com/video/player/achieving-full-board-awareness
I have been playing chess for 5 years in a club and never thought about that a1 to h8 is black.
...or you could just open your eyes and look...
However, on a more serious note, I'd be interested to learn how blindfold chess players visualize the board, and what sort of system they use.
again it is essentiel to learning blindfold play to look at this video, mentioned in my previous post.
I honestly think there is a serious reversal of cause and effect going on here. You don't get better at calculating and playing blindfolded by memorizing the colors of the squares. You instinctively know all the colors of the squares because you have practiced calculating and playing blindfolded so much.
Trying to get better at calculating by memorizing square colors is like learning to cook by practicing putting on an apron.
well if Daniel Rensch suggest it as nessesary it cannot be that wrong.
I wish you could see the video cause it is really good and explains it very good.
I'm quite certain I've seen the video.
it did not take long to learn 64 squares - it is a limited amount of squares.
if it doesn't help - it certainly doesn't hurt.
And, just to pile on: visualization is one of the two most important skills, along with pattern recognition, in all of chess. So yes, being able to visualise the board is an essential skill to improving.
Quickly now, what color is square aKrz{ps512343 ?
Wrong. Try again.
i.e. aKrz{ps is the file and 512343 is the rank.
Wrong. Try again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try Again.
And, just to pile on: visualization is one of the two most important skills, along with pattern recognition, in all of chess. So yes, being able to visualise the board is an essential skill to improving.
Could you explain why?
What does David Pruess have to say on the matter?
Wrong. Try again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try Again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try again.
Wrong. Try again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try Again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try again.
I'm going to try reaaaaalllllly hard this time.
Purple?
Wrong. Try again.
This e-book is good for board visualization
http://www.amazon.com/Visualization-Calculation-Trainer-Interactive-Exercises-ebook/dp/B00IPU462A/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0559JFGRTT8PGW7M3WMB
And, just to pile on: visualization is one of the two most important skills, along with pattern recognition, in all of chess. So yes, being able to visualise the board is an essential skill to improving.
Could you explain why?
What does David Pruess have to say on the matter?
Visualisation is important. How else can you be ready for the future?
David Pruess said, Visualize a world where capitalism has been abandoned.
I always wondered how could one play blind games. There must be more tricks of these kind to remember positions
Wrong. Try again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try Again.
Purple.
Wrong. Try again.
I'm going to try reaaaaalllllly hard this time.
Purple?
Wrong. Try again.
Pretty sure I got it this time.
NOT Purple
Congrats! You win!
How to remember which squares are black and which are white. Divide the letters into two groups: the low - aceg - and high - bdfh. The high all extend higher. Divide the numbers in to two groups: those with hollows (fat?) - 2 (you have to imagine it is a two with a loop at the bottom) 4 6 8 and those without (thin?) - 1 3 5 7. A high letter with a hollow is black. Imagine filling in the hollow with black ink. If you see h8 you immediately know that it is high and can receive black ink - therefore it is black. Same for f4 or b6 or d2. If it is tall and can't be filled in - e.g. h5 - it is white. Low letters work vice versa. Tall and fat - black. Tall and thin - white. Short and thin - black. Short and fat - white. 
...or you could just open your eyes and look...
However, on a more serious note, I'd be interested to learn how blindfold chess players visualize the board, and what sort of system they use.
I cannot claim to have trained or to be even halfway decent at blindfold, but blindfold abilities "just happen" to come to you when you play regular chess. The "system" is most probably that you do not remember single pieces or square but some set of pieces defending each other or stuff like that.
Now, the guys who play >10 simultaneous games might have a mental trick... But playing one blindfold game without losing the count of the pieces is not too hard. Of course you will miss three-move deep tactics, but you won't hang a piece.