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Is Playing Blindfold Chess Worth It?

Bro acting like he doesn't win all his games from blunders

Bro acting like he doesn't win all his games from blunders

@hellodajiahao said in #3:

Bro acting like he doesn't win all his games from blunders

no comment

@hellodajiahao said in #3: > Bro acting like he doesn't win all his games from blunders no comment

We can calculate and sit in the chair

We can calculate and sit in the chair

This is a much to pessimistic view about blindfold chess. It's a good training tool even for low class players. To imagine the position in your head and evaluate different lines is the most important part of chess. As so many the author overestimate knowledge for the progress in chess. But skill is the key to improvement and to develop this blindfold play can help.
I used it as a coach and it strengthened the confidence of the kids. They had never thought that the could play at least a big part of a game this way and it always worked out much better as they expected. "Burnout" through blindfold play is nonsense and an old but wrong view.

This is a much to pessimistic view about blindfold chess. It's a good training tool even for low class players. To imagine the position in your head and evaluate different lines is the most important part of chess. As so many the author overestimate knowledge for the progress in chess. But skill is the key to improvement and to develop this blindfold play can help. I used it as a coach and it strengthened the confidence of the kids. They had never thought that the could play at least a big part of a game this way and it always worked out much better as they expected. "Burnout" through blindfold play is nonsense and an old but wrong view.

Well as far as blindfold chess goes in the question "Is it dangerous?" you've actually missed one aspect.

While blindfold chess has been recommended in moderation by many sources as a method of increasing one's playing strength, simultaneous blindfold exhibitions were officially banned in the USSR in 1930 as they were deemed to be a significant health hazard.

I think the reason it was banned was some well known blindfold players died quite young. For example Pillsbury died at the age of 33 and his obituary in the New York Times stated he died from "an illness contracted through overexertion of his memory cells".

However, modern sources confirm that Pillsbury's cause of death was syphilis, which manifested as general paresis, a severe form of neurosyphilis so it's unlikely blindfold chess has massive health risks other than being more tiring.

Well as far as blindfold chess goes in the question "Is it dangerous?" you've actually missed one aspect. While blindfold chess has been recommended in moderation by many sources as a method of increasing one's playing strength, simultaneous blindfold exhibitions were officially banned in the USSR in 1930 as they were deemed to be a significant health hazard. I think the reason it was banned was some well known blindfold players died quite young. For example Pillsbury died at the age of 33 and his obituary in the New York Times stated he died from "an illness contracted through overexertion of his memory cells". However, modern sources confirm that Pillsbury's cause of death was syphilis, which manifested as general paresis, a severe form of neurosyphilis so it's unlikely blindfold chess has massive health risks other than being more tiring.

@HBT722 said in #6:

This is a much to pessimistic view about blindfold chess. It's a good training tool even for low class players. To imagine the position in your head and evaluate different lines is the most important part of chess. As so many the author overestimate knowledge for the progress in chess. But skill is the key to improvement and to develop this blindfold play can help.
I used it as a coach and it strengthened the confidence of the kids. They had never thought that the could play at least a big part of a game this way and it always worked out much better as they expected. "Burnout" through blindfold play is nonsense and an old but wrong view.

i agree that blindfold is a great tool for improvement and helps with calculating moves ahead, however i disagree that lower rated players should be encouraged to perform blindfold games without assistance by themselves. having players at such skill level play a whole game of chess blindfolded is too much to ask for- a better alternative would be solving puzzles without moving pieces on the board etc. simply booting up a blindfold chess game for lower rated players will undoubtedly lead them to guessing most of their moves, not knowing where pieces are, etc making this practice almost useless.

@HBT722 said in #6: > This is a much to pessimistic view about blindfold chess. It's a good training tool even for low class players. To imagine the position in your head and evaluate different lines is the most important part of chess. As so many the author overestimate knowledge for the progress in chess. But skill is the key to improvement and to develop this blindfold play can help. > I used it as a coach and it strengthened the confidence of the kids. They had never thought that the could play at least a big part of a game this way and it always worked out much better as they expected. "Burnout" through blindfold play is nonsense and an old but wrong view. i agree that blindfold is a great tool for improvement and helps with calculating moves ahead, however i disagree that lower rated players should be encouraged to perform blindfold games without assistance by themselves. having players at such skill level play a whole game of chess blindfolded is too much to ask for- a better alternative would be solving puzzles without moving pieces on the board etc. simply booting up a blindfold chess game for lower rated players will undoubtedly lead them to guessing most of their moves, not knowing where pieces are, etc making this practice almost useless.

As a blindfold chess player, I must respectfully disagree with several assertions in this post . I have seen concrete improvement on Lichess by playing blindfold (My current account for blindfolded chess: https://lichess.org/@/BlindfoldedEinstein), which in turn sharpened my over-the-board calculation: I visualize deeper tactics and strategic motifs than my opponents (1). I play without seeing the board—using a sleep mask over my eyes, listening for move sounds, and typing my replies—because it’s far more engaging, and I simply don’t have time for standard chess these days (1).

Moreover, blindfold chess feels more rewarding than normal play. Even when I blunder, I laugh at myself during the analysis after the game, knowing the mistakes stem from the challenge of blindness, not from a lack of potential. This lightens the emotional burden of defeat and reduces stress, which in my experience accelerates learning (2). Visualization truly is the key to success: “a student’s knowledge of the chessboard should be perfect... Knowledge of the chessboard ... is to aspiring players what mastery of the multiplication tables is to children studying arithmetic” (3). Before embracing blindfold, I spent hours on tactics and rapid games hoping to improve quickly, but anxiety slowed my progress (3).

Playing blindfold relies purely on memory, visualization, and logical assessment of piece forces, which deepens positional awareness rather than reinforcing bad habits (4). On Chess.com, my ratings are 1478 blitz and 1703 rapid (https://www.chess.com/member/alberteinstein_an), yet I prefer Lichess because it allows solo blindfold games when no partner is available (5).

Today, I mentally “see” complex positions so vividly that I can move pieces in my head while waiting in a bank line—turning unproductive moments into training sessions and steadily enhancing my visualization skill without extra effort (6). Each blindfold game feels cohesive: I never need to guess where a piece sits because it’s firmly imprinted in my mind. My only remaining challenge is improving my move speed, which I trust will come naturally with continued practice (7). Finally, I don’t blindfold to show off, but because the challenge itself is deeply rewarding—winning or losing in this format is infinitely more satisfying than in a regular game (8).

References
(1) “blindfold chess should 100% not be involved in your training.”
(2) “trying to play blindfold can lead to frustration, discouragement, and wasted time.”
(3) “For intermediate players, you will see much more benefit in your game by practicing tactical training, positional understanding, endgame practice, etc.”
(4) “In some cases, blindfold chess won’t fix your bad habits; it can even reinforce them if you’re not careful.”
(5) “A recommendation on when to play blindfold is during free time and after tactical training. For example, when your bored, don't just spam 1+0 games with no reason behind it. Instead you could try and play a 10+5 / 15+10 blindfold game with a training partner.”
(6) “blindfold chess should never be your first priority.”
(7) “Is it dangerous? For lower rated players, yes. Blindfold can interfere with proper chess development as it prioritizes guessing over calculation, creates mental frustration and burnout, builds sloppiness instead of precision, and wastes valuable improvement time.”
(8) “Will it impress family and friends? Without a doubt, yes!”

As a blindfold chess player, I must respectfully disagree with several assertions in this post . I have seen concrete improvement on Lichess by playing blindfold (My current account for blindfolded chess: https://lichess.org/@/BlindfoldedEinstein), which in turn sharpened my over-the-board calculation: I visualize deeper tactics and strategic motifs than my opponents (1). I play without seeing the board—using a sleep mask over my eyes, listening for move sounds, and typing my replies—because it’s far more engaging, and I simply don’t have time for standard chess these days (1). Moreover, blindfold chess feels more rewarding than normal play. Even when I blunder, I laugh at myself during the analysis after the game, knowing the mistakes stem from the challenge of blindness, not from a lack of potential. This lightens the emotional burden of defeat and reduces stress, which in my experience accelerates learning (2). Visualization truly is the key to success: “a student’s knowledge of the chessboard should be perfect... Knowledge of the chessboard ... is to aspiring players what mastery of the multiplication tables is to children studying arithmetic” (3). Before embracing blindfold, I spent hours on tactics and rapid games hoping to improve quickly, but anxiety slowed my progress (3). Playing blindfold relies purely on memory, visualization, and logical assessment of piece forces, which deepens positional awareness rather than reinforcing bad habits (4). On Chess.com, my ratings are 1478 blitz and 1703 rapid (https://www.chess.com/member/alberteinstein_an), yet I prefer Lichess because it allows solo blindfold games when no partner is available (5). Today, I mentally “see” complex positions so vividly that I can move pieces in my head while waiting in a bank line—turning unproductive moments into training sessions and steadily enhancing my visualization skill without extra effort (6). Each blindfold game feels cohesive: I never need to guess where a piece sits because it’s firmly imprinted in my mind. My only remaining challenge is improving my move speed, which I trust will come naturally with continued practice (7). Finally, I don’t blindfold to show off, but because the challenge itself is deeply rewarding—winning or losing in this format is infinitely more satisfying than in a regular game (8). References (1) “blindfold chess should 100% not be involved in your training.” (2) “trying to play blindfold can lead to frustration, discouragement, and wasted time.” (3) “For intermediate players, you will see much more benefit in your game by practicing tactical training, positional understanding, endgame practice, etc.” (4) “In some cases, blindfold chess won’t fix your bad habits; it can even reinforce them if you’re not careful.” (5) “A recommendation on when to play blindfold is during free time and after tactical training. For example, when your bored, don't just spam 1+0 games with no reason behind it. Instead you could try and play a 10+5 / 15+10 blindfold game with a training partner.” (6) “blindfold chess should never be your first priority.” (7) “Is it dangerous? For lower rated players, yes. Blindfold can interfere with proper chess development as it prioritizes guessing over calculation, creates mental frustration and burnout, builds sloppiness instead of precision, and wastes valuable improvement time.” (8) “Will it impress family and friends? Without a doubt, yes!”