Blindfold Chess

Playing chess without seeing the board: how to train it, who mastered it, and what the research actually shows. Blindfold chess is the practice of holding an entire position in your head while moves are announced in notation, and it is far more learnable than its reputation suggests. The articles here cover three things. First, the training path, from square colours and coordinates through piece paths and position recall to full games played from memory, with the daily routines that make it stick. Second, the history and the people, from Philidor's three boards in 1783 London through Alekhine, Koltanowski and Najdorf to Timur Gareyev's 48 simultaneous games in 2016. Third, the evidence, including what cognitive science says about chunking, why masters recall real positions far better than random ones, and why the old fears about blindfold play damaging your mind do not hold up. If you are starting from zero, begin with the beginner plan and the essential exercises. If you already play, the puzzle and endgame pieces will be more useful.