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Sub:
About
blindfold Chess history
Date:
6/10/2005 10:12:41 AM Mountain Daylight
Time
From: Sumirlama
To:
service@Chess-poster.com
Dear sirs,
I am an immense
Chess lover from Nepal. So I want to know history about
blindfold Chess and its regulation.
If you will write
to me it will be thankful to you.
Thank you.
Surbir lama
Chess-poster.com
Dear viewer,
we found the following:
History of
blindfold Chess
(http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node=blindfold%20Chess)
Blindfold Chess
is a Chess variant in which one or
more of the players plays the game blindfolded, meaning that he
or she cannot use vision to aid in playing the game. Instead,
the player(s) must make moves with the help of an assistant, who
performs the moves on the board as each blindfolded player
requests. Except for this, the game is entirely the same as
traditional
Chess.
Blindfold Chess
originally developed as a way to help people move their hands
with precision without the use of vision. In pre-medieval India,
where it largely developed, blindfold Chess was played where one
player made his own moves on the board. The blindfolded player,
in those days, was allowed to feel all of the pieces on the
board to make a visual image in their mind of the situation
before making a move.
Around 700, Sa'id
bin Jubair (665-714), an African judge who lived in the Middle
East, became famous for his blindfold play of Chess. He became
the first blindfold player to turn his back on the board and
play without any direct knowledge of the contents of the board,
letting an assistant make his moves for him. Jubair's play
became renowned throughout the world, as top players tried to
emulate it, discovering that it was quite difficult.
Over time,
blindfold Chess became a popular Chess variant among masters,
which it still is to this day. It also has become a very popular
practice among people in training to become better Chess players
because it forces one to visualize the board in the mind,
encouraging a broadening of thinking in relation to the game.
In modern times,
the legendary player George Koltanowski (1903-2000) kept
blindfold Chess in the spotlight through many exhibitions of
blindfold Chess. His strong outgoing personality and amazing
talent for playing blindfold Chess has helped to revive the game
in the modern era.
Techniques for
learning blindfold
Chess
If you are
interested in learning to play blindfold Chess, the best way to
start is to find two other people equally interested in
learning. This way, two people can play at the same time while
the third member of the group moves the pieces on the board to
keep track of the game.
The next thing to
do is to make sure that you all understand the game and, more
importantly, that you all understand one particular Chess
notation scheme. I recommend learning algebraic notation, but
when I played this at first, I found that a more descriptive
style was more effective, eventually settling on simplified
algebraic notation. Make sure that all three players know this
system down cold, because it is how both players will
communicate their moves to the third person.
Play the first
ten or so games completely for fun, and expect to remove the
blindfolds at some point during the game when one player becomes
hopelessly lost. Continue this until every player can make it
through complete games without losing track of the pieces.
Essentially, you have to master the ability to keep all
thirty-two pieces and their locations in short term memory,
which is quite tricky at first.
Eventually,
you discover patterns for yourself for remembering the pieces,
but regardless, it remains a very vigorous exercise for your
mind. Most importantly, until you master remembering the board,
do not try to contemplate strategy! If you do so without
complete mastery of remembering the board, elements of the
position will almost assuredly slip your mind.
When you start to
play with some degree of competition, the first few games will
likely result in a number of flub-ups as players get nervous and
lose track of the board. Essentially, the skill you need now is
keeping facts straight under pressure.
After time,
playing blindfold Chess is almost like playing regular Chess. In
fact, I often find myself closing my eyes and visualizing things
unfolding during non-blindfold matches.
Why you
should give
blindfold Chess a
try
Blindfold Chess
is absolutely magnificent in helping to develop the ability to
visualize. Anyone that works with or studies intangible topics
can benefit greatly from this ability, and I have yet to find a
pastime better at developing the skill than blindfold Chess.
In particular, it
is useful for helping to develop the skill of visualizing
processes in action. Engineers and scientists in particular
might find that playing blindfold Chess increases their ability
to understand some of the processes they work with and study,
simply because they are exercising that capacity of their mind.
Blindfold Chess
is a fantastic mental exercise and an enjoyable game to boot. It
has vastly improved my thinking and concentration skills, and
I've had many great times playing the game.
Thank you for visiting us,
Chess-poster.com |
