Blindfold Chess - Turn out the lights

Blindfold chess is a form of chess played without a chess set. The players use neither a board nor pieces; instead, they must keep track of all the moves in their heads. Instead of physically moving a piece from one square to another, players must announce their moves in chess notation. Impressive though the feat may seem, the ability to play blindfold chess is not a rare skill restricted to the select few. 

On the contrary, most strong chess players are capable of playing a game blindfold. Blindfold chess tournaments are, in fact, quite frequent; the most important event is the Melody Amber Tournament, held annually in Monte Carlo. Perhaps more remarkable is the ability of some masters to play multiple blindfold games simultaneously. André Dancian Philidor, the best chess player of the eighteenth century, once played three blindfold games simultaneously. The world record was set in 1937 by George Koltanowski, who played 34 chess games simultaneously while blindfolded, winning 24 and losing ten. 

Concerned that such feats were hazardous to the player’s health, the Soviet Union actually banned simultaneous blindfold exhibitions in 1930. Blindfold chess is regarded as a means of strengthening one’s play. The ability to visualize the board without having sight of the pieces allows one to calculate far more deeply than otherwise, improving one’s analytical powers. 

Moreover, regularly playing blindfold chess forces the player to learn how to concentrate. Thus, many chess coaches have advised improving young players to take up blindfold play in order to improve. If an opponent is unavailable at the local chess club, then one can always practice blindfold chess online on an Internet chess server. 

Of course, there is always a danger that one’s opponent cheats by using a physical chess board to keep track of the moves even though the position is not displayed on his or her computer screen. Alternatively, one could even play blindfold chess against a chess program such as Fritz or Hiracs. Thus, anyone keen to improve his or her analysis or concentration can immediately take up blindfold play; one neither needs an opponent nor a chess set.