Staring at the board seems like a reasonable plan to me if you are playing chess.
Why do players always stare at the board whilst playing?
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Mar 29, 2018
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#3
Once after winning a blindfold game, Anand admitted that he'd forgotten where a rook was. He knew it was 1 of 2 squares though, so in the final combination, he had to find a way to win regardless of where it was! 
So even great players can forget.
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Even at my comparatively very low level, I'm not usually looking at the current position when I'm looking at the board... but still, it helps to have a board. Sure an empty board might be better (that way the pieces don't distract you) but a board is better than closing your eyes.
Although again, at my relatively low level, I find myself occasionally closing my eyes or looking away from the board to finish the end of a calculation before I lose track of it. I don't notice others my rating do this. I take it as a sign that I'm not as good... because I'm about to lose track and the current position is distracting me 
Mar 29, 2018
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#4
Oh, and some GMs have a reputation for looking away from the board during the game. Ivanchuk is one.
Mar 29, 2018
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#5
From the standpoint of how you want to allocate brain energy: The less energy you spend visualizing the board in your head, the more energy you’ll have to strategize during the game.
I observed the chess prodigy Danial Naroditzky playing in a local chess tournament went he was a young child. When it was his turn to move he turned his face away from the board. Not just once or twice but on every single move. I'd never seen anything like it.
There aren't any pretty ladies in the room?
May 12, 2018
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#8
Often they pretend they are looking at the board but actually they are looking at my breasts I think. Now it makes sense!
May 12, 2018
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#9
Good point. Men don't notice breasts when women are dressed. I guess they are just looking at the board then.
May 12, 2018
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#10
Yes you're absolutely right. Women only ever wear loose clothing. Good point. They must be looking at the game of chess they're playing, crazy as that seems.
May 12, 2018
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#11
Yeah I really feel it's not fair that the chess table covers the man's crotch, and yet I have my tightly bound breasts fully exposed during the game. I feel that equality demands that the chess table should be more around neck height.
May 12, 2018
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#12
I find it is easier to visualise ahead when looking at the board, but when not my move often wander about, and tend to spend lots of time away from the board as coming back to it allows fresh thinking.
Played quite a few games against Adams in his young days, he hardly looked at the board at all. Spent most his time staring out the window looking bored.
ROFL !
May 12, 2018
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#14
Maybe people stare at the board because it's just normal, and it's the direction your sitting in.
The Longest stare on a board I've notice in a tournament is about 30 minutes. The guy was hunched, never made a move beside blinking his eyes. Then he finally made his killer move, e4...for his first move.
Pete Cook: you certainly play like you don't look at the board.
This forum just got interesting...
Jul 20, 2018
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#19
this was me when i had hair , it was the firsty round in a tournie , i won 5 out of 6 , games and got first place , i still focus on the board but i miss my hair
This probably seems like a stupid question, but please bear with me!
In nearly every single picture of a player playing chess you see them staring at the board.
However, as far as I understand, the top players don't actually have to look at the board to know what the position of the pieces are. In fact, not only are they able to keep the entire state of the game in their minds, they can do this for several games simultaneously. This is the foundation of blindfold chess.
Given that players probably aren't thinking about the current state of the board, but what it might be like within the next few moves, instead of staring at the pieces in front of them, why don't they sit with their eyes closed so that they aren't distracted?
Perhaps some players do do this; perhaps such pictures don't look as good. I'd be interested to know!