How professional chess players play blind

Can you play blindfold chess (the whole game from start to finish)?

Masters: Almost all said that they can confidently play at least 1 game blindfold – from start to finish. About 15% of respondents can't always play the entire game blindfold – but they can definitely play the first 20-25 moves (essentially a memorized theoretical opening).

Grandmasters: Without exception, all said that they can play at least 1 game blindfold – from start to finish.

What is the maximum number of games you can play blindfolded at the same time (making moves in turn in each game)?

Masters: Most can play 2-3 games at the same time. Some can play a little more, some can't play any.

Grandmasters: Most can play 6-8 games at the same time. Some said they can play 10 or more games.

How much (subjectively by feeling) is your blindfold play weaker than your play looking at the board (if you play 1 game)?

Masters: The average answer is that blindfold play accuracy and strength are 50-90% lower. There are those who said that blindfold play is 2 times worse, especially in rapid chess.

Grandmasters: The average answer is that blindfold play accuracy and strength are 30-40% lower.

What and how happens in your head when you play a game blindfolded: do you imagine the board and pieces visually (like on Lichess or in 3D), or maybe in the form of squares and letters, or in some other way?

It is difficult to divide the answers here into masters and grandmasters, due to the fact that everyone imagines the game the way they like best, the way they are more accustomed to. The answers were approximately as follows.

«I imagine the board as on Lichess, ChessBase or another familiar platform» (apparently the one where they play and analyze games more often).

«I imagine individual sections of the board and the general idea (strategy and the role of key pieces)».

«I imagine the general idea and the last move – and from this I can already remember the entire position in detail, where which pieces are located».

Some imagine pieces as images-pictures, some as letters (chess notation).

P.S. Do you play chess blindfolded? :)