use of analysis board considered harmful?

One of my regular sparring partners just said, "I wonder if routinely using an analysis board damages tournament play ability."

I use them quite a bit in our correspondence games, and have some general thoughts, but figured I'd see if there's any sort of consensus opinion on the subject.

I  belong to an on-line club that doesn't use the analysis board when playing each other, and I have stopped using it altogether. It seems to me it stretches the brain muscle to have to calculate without it and would improve OTB play. It is more fun to play the game without it, though I'm sure you miss out on some wins.

If u really want to find out how good u are u don't need to use an analysis board. Since joining chess.com i have never used the analysis board.  If my opponent uses it i have no problem with that it is within the site rule.

My experience, (and I've heard other players say similar) is that going from regular intensive use of the analysis board (as in playing a lot of CC chess and really attempting to find the best possible move, at times working out analysis for a single move for an hour or more) ... well, going from that to regular no analysis board at all OTB is really quite a shock. I don't think the analysis board is harmful if you have a balanced diet of OTB games too. But I definitely feel that if you use a lot of analysis board it takes at least a few games of OTB to reset your ability to calculate and visualize away from the board.  

I use it quite a bit, but I'd really like to wean myself off it.  I believe it does hurt OTB or live play, because you have to sit there and manually think through each move.  If you're not used to doing this  and instead rely on the analysis board, then you won't be as strong a player.

My current thought is that playing OTB and CC are almost like playing two different games. And even within the OTB realm games range from twitchy fast to very slow & deliberate.

Since I play CC-style games almost exclusively, use of an analysis board is pretty natural there. And I think that use of analysis boards have helped me slog through some of the hard work involved in making it from beginner to passable daily play.

But I also figure that their use has diminishing returns if not balanced out by play without them, forcing more disciplined cultivation of visualization skills.

So... moderation in all things?

a useful tool, of course, yet ultimately we are better off being able to calculate in our heads, no? i guess what i'm saying is to just be careful not to rob yourself of any experiences that would help you to grow. C:

Yeah, I'm pretty much in agreement.

calculate then check, that works for me, though Its more like intuitively find a good move, I actualy didn't even calculate a defensive queen sac I made recently, didn't check it either , just said, well its the only chance I have, oh well.

@--a No, but the tactics trainer here will.

I think that analysis board helps me instead of being harmful because with analysis board I always see one to three moves deeper than I am able to right now.
I force my self to look at more than one move.

Sums up my feelings about it.  Use the analysis board when you can, and picture it all in your head when playing OTB.  If you don't analyze at least some positions on a board for turn-based, then you're not really playing turn-based (it's just a skittles game with a long wait in between moves).

So true. If we don't calculate, how do we know which move to make? Sure it is fine to think in general terms in a strategic positions, but in tactical positions, where we have pieces are coming into contact with each other, we must calculate.

My problem is that I am not good at math and have a hard time making calculations as to whether I'd be a couple points ahead or even a piece working through positions in my mind.  Trying to think through several moves in advance is not real easy for me, so the analysis board helps.  But I don't want to get too used to using it and not being able to play without it.  I think this is why my online rating is so much higher than my live chess rating.

 did you think "oops, at least he wont we using that pawn anytime soon?"