Hi,
As a very keen, but very green beginner I would be interested to know where I should be focussing my attention, in terms of developing my memory for chess (other than playing it a lot, of course).
With this in mind, I would like to know how important it is to be able to play off the board, using memory only. Of course, I can see why it would be of great use. You could play through games at leisure whenever you like. When playing live games you would be able to use your mental scratchpad as if you were trying out variations off line on RHP. You could play against a similarly gifted individual without needing to set up a chessboard.
And it would become acceptable to play with yourself in public...
Some individual questions around this which would be very interesting to see the answers to:
- Is this ability essential to be an excellent chess player?
- Does it become more so as you play at a higher level. e.g., do all GMs have this ability?
- Can you do this? If so, have you always been able to or did you learn?
- If you did learn, then was there any specific technique you used?
- Can you recall lots of classic games at will, or just remember the one you are currently playing?
Any thoughts on this would be very much appreciated, and I apologise in advance if this is a well-worn topic already (I did search the forums but couldn't find anything).
Thanks
Holf
Playing "blindfold" is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done with chess. Alas, I can count the number of times I've done it on my hands :-(
Here's how you do it:
1) Find someone equally interested in learning.
2) Ok, now find someone who's nearby and interested. That's the part I have trouble with.
Sit at a board, pieces arranged in the opening configuration. In turn, just call out your move but don't touch the board.
When either of you has lost place of (or is in danger of doing so) the actual board position, pause the game, talk over the moves and update the board with the moves you just played. Now repeat it that process.
The first game you'll probably just go 4 or 5 moves at a time. The next game, perhaps 6 or 7 .... eventually, when you're able to play the entire game I can almost guarantee that BOTH of you will be able to grab a piece of paper and write down the entire move list from memory. It's one of the best feelings (even if you lost!).
Your thinking of the game will change a little. You won't think "queen is there" but will start to realize that the actual square isn't so prominent. Rather, you think in terms of it's attacking these squares; attacked by those; and in danger of attack if X, Y or Z happens.
Sounds like a fascinating experience and a good approach. I will certainly give it a try. But as you say, you first have to find somebody similarly obsessed. Although I can get ChessMaster to read out moves as they're played so perhaps I can have a go that way. Assuming I can find some way to type moves in directly. Of course, I think I know who will err first!
I found the following link which I can identify with already:
http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies/chess/Chess/Trivia/chessmemory.html
I have found that I have become familiar with some of the more common 'standard' openings and can visualise them. I am sure that as my understanding develops this will extend further into a game. But as for remembering something less structured, for example all the moves of a rook and pawns endgame, this seems way beyond me at the moment.
To have the confidence that you won't miss that special move or combination involving a forgotten piece on the other side of the imaginary board, a move that is obvious when under your nose... that seems unobtainable to me for now.
Thank goodness for correspondence chess, although I wonder if it is weakening my otb game.
I'm not ready to take that plunge, but an interesting side note here:The great ray Charles, recently passed away, although totally blind, kicked butt in chess. He obviously didn't need a board since the whole board was in his mind's eye!
And how about the guys who can play SEVERAL games simultaneously BLINDFOLDED! This has always awed me. It really blows you away when you think about it.
And, personally, I feel that Fischer didn't need the board. I've read enough about him to come to this conclusion, and I believe it is logical.
I imagine anyone somewhat familiar with the game can play for a while blindfolded, though eventually they'll lose track of the position. Their play will never be as good as if the board were in front of them.
I can do it a little, but not very well, and I can't play a game all the way through.
Its something that comes with time, if you play chess a lot each day say 4-5 + hours, in a few weeks you find that while you are saying cutting the grass, chess postions pop into your head and you play through them. Blindfolded chess is much easier down lines that you already know, most people have trouble playing strange postions or weird openings when they cant see the board. If you want to learn to play blinded folded stop using the analysis board option etc and work it all out in your head :-)