Is the ability to play blindfold in some way correlated to your general chess playing skills or is it a separate talent? Can all strong GMs play blindfold? Anyone knows?
наверное да
Yes, yes, and slmost certainly yes (I don't know all strong GMs, so I can't say for certain :) )
In general, the stronger the player the more reliably they can play blindfold (i.e., the position stays clear for longer, they forget about piece locations less, etc.).
In terms of causation, this is basically a side-effect of being a stronger player. If players haven't put in a lot of practice developing the specific skill of blindfold chess, then stronger players are the ones who are going to be better able to play blindfold (for similar reasons they also are able to remember non-random chess positions better)
If players try to develop the specific skill of playing blindfold, this correlation can vanish (to be clear, I'm not talking about objective playing strength while playing blindfold, since stronger players will always be better at that, but the ability to remember where the pieces are, play back through the game in the mind, etc.).
In that way it is very much like the skills of memorizing positions or games.
Without specific training for those skills, stronger players are better at those things, as a side-effect of the sort of knowledge that makes them stronger players.
However, weak players can get very good at those things if they train specifically for it.
In short, it's a separate skill, but some of the same things that make players good at chess help with that skill.
In general, the stronger the player the more reliably they can play blindfold (i.e., the position stays clear for longer, they forget about piece locations less, etc.).
In terms of causation, this is basically a side-effect of being a stronger player. If players haven't put in a lot of practice developing the specific skill of blindfold chess, then stronger players are the ones who are going to be better able to play blindfold (for similar reasons they also are able to remember non-random chess positions better)
If players try to develop the specific skill of playing blindfold, this correlation can vanish (to be clear, I'm not talking about objective playing strength while playing blindfold, since stronger players will always be better at that, but the ability to remember where the pieces are, play back through the game in the mind, etc.).
In that way it is very much like the skills of memorizing positions or games.
Without specific training for those skills, stronger players are better at those things, as a side-effect of the sort of knowledge that makes them stronger players.
However, weak players can get very good at those things if they train specifically for it.
In short, it's a separate skill, but some of the same things that make players good at chess help with that skill.
The better you are, the better you play blindfold, roughly speaking. As simple as that.
When I was 1300 rated beginner I had no clue of how to play blindfold. Now I still have no clue how to play blindfold. Does it apply only to stronger players? CM SargOn, Can you play blindfold?
Sure I can. Calculating variations equals blindfold play. Interestingly the position is "clear" in the opening, a bit unclear in the middlegame and becomes again "clear" in the endgame.
(Honestly I have to confess that playing >2 games simultaneously blindfold is tough, where as 10-20 games simultaneous "seeing" is no problem.)
(Honestly I have to confess that playing >2 games simultaneously blindfold is tough, where as 10-20 games simultaneous "seeing" is no problem.)
Can I play blindfold on this site somehow?
@VladimirTheGreat You can, but it's difficult :)
You can go in settings to activate blindfold mode if you would like to give it a try
You can go in settings to activate blindfold mode if you would like to give it a try
No. I can play blindfold and I am awful
I could play blindfold as like 1650-1700 after playing a few tactics puzzles I just was instantly able to, though I have to think alittle but I see it pretty easily in head
This topic has been archived and can no longer be replied to.