Playing Blindfold Chess With Your Mind Wide Open

Samantha212 

| Mar 13, 2015 at 10:00 AM 

| Posted in: Samantha212's Blog 

| 8480 reads 

| 10 comments

Through the ages we've been awed by the brilliance of chess players who could play an opponent, or several at at time, without seeing the pieces.... "All In Their Mind's Eye"!  Early legends such as Philidor, Morphy, Najdorf, Alekhine, Capablanca and more currentlyCarlsen, Nakamura, Polgar, Anand and Lang to name a few, have dazzled us with their brilliant focused concentration and memory retention.The media

has even fueled our fascination by broadcasting a blindfold-simul with Carlsen on the TV Investigative Show 60 Minutes, which left the impression that Carlsen's abilities were "Super Human" and above the reach of what most of us could ever achieve as chess players.

This article will show you that Blindfold Chess is a skill that can be learned by amateurs.  It's not only an anomaly of skilled chess masters, but instead a skill that requires training and developing of your "Chess Memory Muscles".  How you go about doing that is the basis of this article.  Read on to learn the techniques that will "Open Your Chess Board Visualization and Memory".You may ask why Blindfold Chess Training is important? The answer is to establish strong visualization skills and long-line calculating abilities to name a few.   Impressing your friends is an added bonus.  Blindfold chess training will "Open Your Mind's Eye" as you exercise your brain to "Really Know" the chess board, see

the squares and understand their relationships to one another with piece movement.  It can't help but improve your overall game. 

     Remember, that a decent level of chess strength is required to play both sighted games as well as blind games.  If you play sighted chess badly, your top priority is to improve your playing with opening, endgame and tactical study.   On the otherhand, if you've already put in the study time and have a relatively "decent game", blindfold chess training will help your game leap frog. One player was quoted as saying, "From my personal experience playing Blindfold is absolutely beneficial. I tried it pretty consistently for several weeks many years back and suddenly, despite being rated around 1800, I was mowing through 2100 players at my local club at blitz. Blindfold can only help your visualization ability since you not only have to visualize future moves but also the current position."

Without any further ado, let's introduce you to the techniques of Blindfold Training:

FIRST:  Have a Clear Vision of the Board by Knowing the Board by HeartVISUALIZATION OF THE CHESS BOARD is defined as – Being able to keep track of all the moves and details of the board in your head, especially when they're always changing.  This requires you to strengthen your Spatial Thinking in order toMentally See variations.  Practicing Spatial Awareness of the board is associated with more creative move ideas and a deeper depth of  combinations, but it all starts with knowing the board INSIDE & OUT.  The next several exercises will sharpen and hone your Board Vision.1. Know the Coordinates of Each Square(Bare with me if you already know this.  I would be remiss if I didn't review the basics.  I can't assume that all good chess players "Know" the square

names.  Several in my chess club do not but they know how the pieces move very well.)Each square of the chessboard is identified by a coordinate pair of a letter and a number. The vertical columns of squares (called files) contribute to the letters a to h.  The horizontal rows of squares (called ranks) are numbered 1 to 8, each starting from White's side of the board. For example, White's king starts on the e1 square; Black's knight on b8 and so on.  I've included a blank board that you can transfer to the desktop of your computer for practice.

       2.Know the colors of each square.Next, you need to know which squares are light/white and which ones are dark/black.  There's an easy trick to remember the square color.a) Convert the file letters into numbers. For example, a=1, b=2, c=3 and so on. The c3 square would be transposed  to 33,  g7 to 77, d5 to 45. b) Whenever the 2 numbers are the SAME - either both odd or both even, then the square is black.  This means that the f4 square (64) is black, the g5 square (75) is black, the c3 square (33) is black.  I use the nemonic ED, (OK, so it's my brother's name, but it does the trick.) Equal is Dark.c) Whenever the 2 numbers are DIFFERENT  - one is even and the other odd, then the square is white. This means that the e4 square (54) is white, the b3 square (23)

is white, the f7 square (67) is white.  I use the nemonic OWL (No relation, just a picture in my head.) Odd is White/Light.3. Know the Corresponding Square for Both Sides.This one's a little tricky - We want to know the opposite corresponding square of every square diagonally across.  For example b6=g3, a1=h8, f7=c2, b4=g5, e4=e5, a4=h5.  Test yourself with a blank chess board (With No Coordinates - that's why I included one for you to use). This exercise will start to expand your spatial knowledge of the board.4. Know the Color of Every DiagonalThink of a square - Let's say c2 - We already know that it's a white square. Then mentally think of the squares in that diagonal - d3, e4, f5, g6, h7.  Then going in the opposite diagonal b3, a4.  Then choose another random square and continue with the exercise.  Identify the color of the initial square then mentally recite (or verbally recite if you're alone) the square names in both directions starting from that square.  Are you feeling your MIND opening yet?5. Know the Intersecting Square of a Diagonal and a Rank or File.For example, what's the intersecting square with the d2 diagonal and the 4th rank? (f4) The intersecting square of the g7 diagonal and the c-file? (c3).  This is more challenging but by practicing and going through the mental process of visualizing the diagonals and squares you will dramatically improve your spatial board awareness.  Practice this until it becomes easier and easier.

SECOND: Practice Mental Piece Movement1. Knight Movementa) Starting from it's original position, mentally move the knight to the opposite side of the board, for example c3, d5, f6, g8.b) Then return back to the opposite side using different squares -  e7, c6, d4, e2, c1.c) Next, place the knight in a random square and attemp to reach another square of your choosing.  Let's place your knight on d5.  Now, mentally move the knight to the f7 square - b6, c8, f7.  This one is challenging at first and you may need to look at the board initially to get your barrings - that's OK - but in time you'll be able to move the knight from one square to another designated square all in your mind.d) Practice this exercise with all 4 knights.  You can work with other chess club members or friends and go back and forth as your mentally practice your spatial awareness of knight moves.

                                                 2. Knight Movement with an Attacking Piece on the BoardWhen you feel comfortable with the above exercises, it's time to place other pieces on the board.a) Place the queen in the center of the board - Let's put her on d5 for this example. b) Then Mentally Identify all the squares she's guarding.  She guards the d-file and the 5th rank as well as the light square diagonals from d5 that's c4, b3, a2, e6, f7, g8. In the other direction it's e4, f3, g2, h1, c6, b7, a8.  

b) Now move the knight to the opposite side of the board without stepping on a square that's attacked by the queen.c) Repeat the process with the other 3 knights. d) Repeat the process with the queen in a different location.

Daunting isn't it??  It takes a while to get to this stage.  Continue practicing the first exercises daily.  In the car, on a bus, waiting in line at the post office, in the bathroom.  You get the point, or you could set aside 30 minutes a day to practice these techniques in a quiet space with no distractions.3. Knight Movement with Two Attacking Pieces on the board.Once and only once you've practiced and feel comfortable with the above exercises is it time to add a second attacker. Let's say a rook.  It's OK to have a blank board in front of you as you start practicing this exercise.

a) First, identify all the squares that are guarded by both pieces.b) Then mentally move the knight through the board without stepping on an attacked square to the opposite side of the board.

c) Repeat with the other three knights.d) Then change the position of the pieces and repeat the process.e) You can do this exercise with another player or a coach.  When you've made a mental picture of the move, say it outloud. The other person will say, "OK or Try Again" until you've successfully navigated the knight to the opposite side of the board or to a designated square of your choosing.THIRD: Practice Positional ReconstructionThis exercise will train your memory to see pieces on the board and recreate their position afterwards. Hang in there. We're in the home stretch.  This is a crucial skill to develop before playing blindfold chess. To make it easier to memorize the piece's position, break up the board into four quadrants or 6 main sections as shown in the images below.  Then visualize the first quadrant, then the next and the next until you can see the entire board.

               a) Now, look at a postion of pieces on the board for up to one minute. Start with a familiar position from a favorite opening.

b) Turn away and wait for 30 seconds to pass.c) Then reconstruct the position on a board from memory. 

d) Continue to do this with gradually more and more complex and random positions until it's easy for you to "Hold The Piece's Positions in Your Mind's Eye" then recreate them on a board.FORTH: Game Visualization1. Start With a Game That's Familiar to Youa) We all have games and openings we've played many times when we started playing chess.  Games that are easier for us to visualize in our mind.  Choose one that's familiar to you.

b) Place an empty board in front of you and begin to see the moves: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+.  Do you see it? Can you place all the pieces on the board? c) Keep repeating the first 5 moves until you really see the pieces before moving to the next 5 moves.

d) Continue visualizing the moves until you can mentally place the pieces on the board 20 moves deep. e) This isn't a contest.  If you can't hold the pieces in your mind, take the board out and move the pieces.  Then, after you've seen the moves, remove the pieces and begin again.  It's persistent practice that will gradually Open Your Mind's Eye to Seeing the Board Blindfold.

2. Visualize Games Less Familiar to Youa) Choose a game from a chess book or magazine.  Something you're not as familiar with.b) While sitting in front of an empty board begin to visualize the moves.c) Like the above exercise, keep repeating the first 5 moves until you can place all the pieces on the board.d) Then proceed to the next 5 moves. Repeat the move order until you can "See" the pieces on the board.e) Work your way through the game until you can hold up to 20 moves deep in your mind, knowing spatially where all the pieces are on the board.3. Play a Mental Chess Game with Another Opponent a) At first, it's best to start with a blank board in front of you.b) Use score sheets to record your games.c) Continue playing until there's a checkmate or one or both players can't keep the piece positions clear in their mind's eye. That's when the board gets fuzzy.d) Go over the game with the pieces on the board and analyze your moves.e) Play another mental game. 5. Congratulations!! If you've successfully accomplished all the above exercises you're now ready to play Blindfold Chess

Here's what one coach had to say about blindfold chess, "Quite a few of my students have learned to play blindfold chess merely by practicing it.  I'm not saying it's easy, but every single player I've known who made a serious effort to learn to play blindfold chess has succeeded."You can do it! Just don't expect to learn it overnight. It's like any new skill, it takes practice to master.  Patience and persistent practice is all you need -

one step at a time. 30 minutes a day will do it but  JUST DO IT!  In time you'll gradually be able to "see" deeper and deeper without the board.  Then in a month's time you'll amaze yourself at your new found ability and how far you've come. 

Well, I've given you a plan of strategy, a treasure map if you like,  to develop your spatial awareness and mental visualization.  Start with the first exercise and practice it until it's easier and easier.  Don't even think of moving to the next exercise until you can "easily" accomplish the one before it.  They all build upon one another.  Patiently work on one exercise at a time.  Become good at it, then move onto the next.  Easy Peasy.

FIFTH: Resources

Before concluding this article I want to provide you with websites and access to free software programs that will reinforce and help you with above lessons.1. IM Daniel Rensch from chess.com has created two wonderful videos that were instrumental in filling in the gaps to my research on playing blindfold chess.  In his usual enthusiastic manner he explains the steps of achieving "Full Board Awareness" in part 1 and “Board Nirvana” in part 2.2. Check out http://www.blindfoldchesstrainer.com for board awareness exercises. They also let you play

blindfolded.  3. Chess.com also has an option for hiding your pieces and allowing you to play blindfold with an online opponent.  You can play against a friend or another opponent who’s unaware that you can’t see the pieces.4. Play blindfold chess against the computer on chess.com.  Turn the settings to their lowest and choose the “Blindfold” Option. The pieces will disappear from the board.  The computer’s moves will be recorded in notation and you'll record your moves in the same way.5. An “Amazing Online tool” is Chess Visualization Training, created by Jan Matthies and Alexander Fleischer. You can access their website by clicking on Chess Eye.6. For a “Really Amazing CVT Tool” download the CVT onto your hard drive (I have a Mac and had no problem downloading it –I’m sure you’ll be able to access it with a PC.)  They go through the above exercises in a way that’s easy and fun. You’ll begin to see progress fast by using their features daily.  If you’re as impressed as I was then send these guys a thank you email for their contribution to the chess community and for offering it For Free.  In a world of profits and margins, it’s a blessing to have such generous individuals as these two who gain nothing more than knowing you benefited from their work.  An Attitude of Gratitude.  I came across their program in a random blog I found.  Here's what one of the creators said, " I’m releasing the Chess Trainer 1.6.4 (Accessible here). It has a new concept for training blindfold that divides the board into sectors. The basic idea is that the board is easier to remember and visualize if divided into small chunks."  And now you have access to it too.7. If you’reinterested in delving into the historic and psychological aspects of blindfold chess you should read the book:  Blindfold ChessHistory, Psychology, Techniques, Champions, World Records, and Important Games  by Eliot Hearst and John Knott  - Winner of the Fred Cramer Award for the Best Chess Book of 2009. 

Check out their wonderful website where you can access many articles on the subject at http://www.blindfoldchess.net/

Commit to doing these exercises a little every day.  They will slowly push the ceiling of your Mind's Eye Out a move or 2 at a time. Take baby steps.  The brain needs time to adjust.  Then after 6 months time look at your ceiling and compare it to where you started.  I guarantee you'll notice it has moved a long way and subsequently you'll be playing better chess and making better decisions at the board.I have a Priest friend, Father Tom who's friendly with Phil Jackson the coach of the Colorado Broncos during the years of Michael Jordon and Scotty Pippen. "The Golden Years" I like to refer to them as.  One night he attended a banquet dinner with Jackson when he asked him what he attributed his team's tremendous success to.  Phil put a hand on Father's shoulder, looked him in the eye and said, "You're not going to believe me Tom when I tell you this secret ...... I have them Mentally Visualize themselves playing the game.  Every practice includes 30 minutes of mentally vizualizing successful layups, successful pass shots and swishing foul shots. Then we conclude the session by hearing in our mind the crowd cheering us after winning the game."  I think that story applies here too.

I hope this article has shed some light on Playing Blindfold Chess with Your Mind Wide Open.  Look for the next in the series. If you like this article feel free to "Friend Me" on chess.com to be sent updates and future articles. Until then...Cheers.