Blindfold Chess

 

BLINDFOLD is a chess training simulator intended to improve chess player’s calculation of tactical variations and visualization.  The BLINDFOLD has two modes: Test and Game. The aim of the Test is to reveal the extent to which the above chess player’s skills has been developed. That is, how successful they can be in keeping track of the numerous chessboard situations which replace one another during the kaleidoscopic calculations.  The accuracy of visualization of pieces position and their movements in chess game affects a quality of positional evaluation and making a decision. Information about what practical benefit can be derived from the testing results and how to use them to improve your chess skills you can find in the article Blindfold Chess: Interpretation of Testing Results.

The Game mode, which is called Dinamic Pairs, is intended for maximum development of chess player’s calculation skills and visualization. This Game is a good tool to train memory and blind play (chess without a board) as well.

Blindfold Chess – Test and Game Rules

You set the number of chess pieces on the chessboard, the length of the sequence of moves you want to visualize, and the BLINDFOLD will place these pieces at random on the board. The chess program shows you the piece set-up, then erases the board. The program then shows you one piece, and where it moved to, and you should click on another piece which interacts with this one. Next move is done by the ‘clicked’ piece. 

For example, lets take a look at this diagram.

BLINDFOLD makes the move 1.Qh5-h7, your correct response is Re7 (the only piece that directly interacts with the Queen), and you click on the Re7. BLINDFOLD makes the next move by this Rook: 2.Re7-e8. Now you should click on the Nb8. BLINDFOLD moves: 3.Nb8-a6. Your response is Ra3. Program moves 4.Ra3-g3. You click on Bg4, and it is moved 5.Bg4-e6. Now you should click on Re8, and it will make its next move, etc. Each time there is only one interconnection between pieces, and your goal is to find it, and do it fast. But the challange is that you should do it in your mind without moving real chess pieces on the chess board, as you do it now by looking at the chess diagram above.

The playing rules for Dinamic Pairs game are almost the same as in testing mode, with the exception that:

• here you can play a non-blindfold game;
• time limit pertains to the whole game, not to each single move;
• if the time limit was overstepped or an incorrect move was made, the current position is not restored and the player loses;
• no hints are available.

Blindfold Chess Features

Test and Game have 6 difficulty levels depending on the number of pieces available on the board: the initial level deals with 2 pieces and the last one with 7. In the Test mode the BLINDFOLD gives you first a task with just a couple of pieces. If the accuracy of your responses is 95% or higher, you will go over to the next level and deal with a test featuring 3 pieces. For transition to the next level from levels 1-5 you always need to
reach the 95% accuracy target. In the Game mode you can set any difficulty level you like.

The game features two sub-modes – Visible (”seeing” play) and Invisible (”blind” play).

The Visible sub-mode ought to be regarded as an auxiliary training tool. It is intended primarily for beginning chess players as well as for children. In this mode the chessboard on the screen correctly displays the current position of the game; the pieces are always there and no operations are performed mentally. The Visible mode resembles the analysis of adjourned positions where the chess player can make each reviewed move on the board and never bother about calculating variations “in the head.” Play in this sub-mode serves primarily to develop chess player’s concentration and focus skills, to provide for an integral view of the interaction of pieces on the chessboard, and to speed up comprehension of that interaction.

In the Invisible sub-mode the chess “characters” stay invisible most of the time; a piece only appears for a brief moment to display the BLINDFOLD’s latest move. This sort of blind play resembles game analysis under real chess tourney conditions – when a chess player cannot move the pieces about and has to calculate possible lines of play in his/her mind only.

The Test has the Invisible sub-mode only.

System Requirements:
Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP/Vista/Windows7
(DosBox and DosShell is required for Windows7)