How to remember color of the square? • page 2/2 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

I use the context of the position. For example, you should get it ingrained that the LSB is on c8. So, that means the DSB is on f8. If Nf6, that would be a dark square also, so when you read Bg5 in a book that should register dark square in your head. The opposite for Bb5 in say the Ruy Lopez.

Rookitiki edited

#12

"white is right" tells you all the starting row colors, they alternate when you go up. thats all you have to know in case you wanna backtrack.
i think its useful for visualization to know about colors and to train them. youll be better off working with the bishop diagonals to learn it quickly and conjure an image.*

using mathematical crutches without trying to imagine the board in your head seems pointless to me - learning each squares color by heart like this is at least inefficient. ofc you know the color, but its not like you can put it to use if you cant conjure a bigger portion of the board in your head, which is kinda what this kind of training is trying to achieve. its just another way to form connections in your brain that eventually help you keep a position in your mind and go through lines without missing too many moves.
if you try and calculate a line in your head you first have to imagine the resulting positions (it doesnt even matter whether you know the squares names imo - that, like colors is just a help not to get lost as quickly and to backtrace single steps using memory in case you are lost).

*if you want to focus on the most important squares colors, you can train your imagination by conjuring up a picture of a white corner (from blacks or whites position). now flip the board by 90 degree in whatever direction, imagine where the corner went, what the new square color is like. now flip the board back again in the correct position and imagine the largest white diagonal from bottom right to top left - if need be go through each square of the 8 squares by imagining the starting rows and how the sqares climb up and then try to imagine the diagonal vertically by tilting the board by 45º. now imagine the black counterpart. take special note of the 4 middle squares where the diagonals meet in the middle. now imagine the big black diagonal and imagine the shorter diagonals cutting through it at a 90 degree angle (you may name the two same colored squares next to the middle if you want for extra training) - try to imagine how you fill up ALL the black squares like that. same thing for white. now name the two black middle squares.

"white is right" tells you all the starting row colors, they alternate when you go up. thats all you have to know in case you wanna backtrack. i think its useful for visualization to know about colors and to train them. youll be better off working with the bishop diagonals to learn it quickly and conjure an image.* using mathematical crutches without trying to imagine the board in your head seems pointless to me - learning each squares color by heart like this is at least inefficient. ofc you know the color, but its not like you can put it to use if you cant conjure a bigger portion of the board in your head, which is kinda what this kind of training is trying to achieve. its just another way to form connections in your brain that eventually help you keep a position in your mind and go through lines without missing too many moves. if you try and calculate a line in your head you first have to imagine the resulting positions (it doesnt even matter whether you know the squares names imo - that, like colors is just a help not to get lost as quickly and to backtrace single steps using memory in case you are lost). *if you want to focus on the most important squares colors, you can train your imagination by conjuring up a picture of a white corner (from blacks or whites position). now flip the board by 90 degree in whatever direction, imagine where the corner went, what the new square color is like. now flip the board back again in the correct position and imagine the largest white diagonal from bottom right to top left - if need be go through each square of the 8 squares by imagining the starting rows and how the sqares climb up and then try to imagine the diagonal vertically by tilting the board by 45º. now imagine the black counterpart. take special note of the 4 middle squares where the diagonals meet in the middle. now imagine the big black diagonal and imagine the shorter diagonals cutting through it at a 90 degree angle (you may name the two same colored squares next to the middle if you want for extra training) - try to imagine how you fill up ALL the black squares like that. same thing for white. now name the two black middle squares.

CM Sarg0n

#13

You are lucky - there are just 2 possibilities^^

Abigail-III

#14

For the black squares, memorize all the squares the White King's Bishop can reach. The squares it cannot reach are all dark.
Then memorize all the squares the Black King's Bishop can reach. The squares it cannot reach are all light.

Alternatively, take the old chess piece the Wazir. All the squares it can reach from a1 in an even number of steps are dark. All the squares it can reach in an odd number are light.

For the black squares, memorize all the squares the White King's Bishop can reach. The squares it cannot reach are all dark. Then memorize all the squares the Black King's Bishop can reach. The squares it cannot reach are all light. Alternatively, take the old chess piece the Wazir. All the squares it can reach from a1 in an even number of steps are dark. All the squares it can reach in an odd number are light.