do tactics puzzles in your head. I think on chessbase they have ninja puzzles or something like that and they are tactical puzzles but you have to visualize the position a couple of moves after before solving the tactic. So basically you take a tactic puzzles, take back 2 moves for each side and then solve it.
Originally posted by SamdoggPlaying 12 moves into a blindfold game is not necessarily the same thing as seeing ahead 12 moves from a middlegame position. You're used to your opening moves and have seen them a thousand times. I'd recon sombody who normally can play 12 moves into a blindfold game wouldn't normally do so well if their opponent played some bizzare opening.
how much visualization does one need any way? Planning 12 moves ahead seems like its long enough to se ahead anyways.
I'd suggest the CVT (Chess Visualization Training) website. There are online excercises and now a downloadable version as well.
http://www.janmatthies.info/chess/cvt/cvt.htm
There's a book that specializes in improving a person's visualization skills called "Chess Visualization Course, Book 1: General Tactics". It has like 800 exercises in it, all taken from real games. The website (www.chessvisualization.com) has some sample exercises taken from the book that show you what the book's about.