For years, I've been waiting and expecting Lichess to implement blindfold puzzles and other blindfold exercises, but they're still not here, and I don't understand why.
The apps out there have been really helpful to me, but I can't find ones with a lot of pieces, and I apparently need a rating system to keep practicing seriously.
It seems relatively easy for Lichess to implement this feature. The puzzles are already there; they just need to display the pieces in text form (and showing moves from the beginning would be fun). They could be rated differently for blindfold mode, but that's not necessary.
Does anyone have an idea why it hasn't been implemented, although it has been requested for at least 8 years by several people? Is it technically more difficult than I think or is it just not a priority?
lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/suggestion-allow-us-to-play-puzzles-blindfolded lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/lichess-blindfold-chess-puzzle-request-this-awesome-chess-calculation-visualization-tool lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/blindfold-puzzles-please lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/lichess-can-help-us-train-blindfold-chess lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/blindfolded-puzzle-solving lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/blindfold-puzzles chess.stackexchange.com/questions/34417/why-cant-i-play-puzzles-on-lichess lichess.org/forum/lichess-feedback/puzzle-blindI personally love blindfold puzzles too, but which type do you refer to?
Listudy has a version where after seeing the original position you have to visualize the lines of several moves and then try to calculate the solution from there. For example
listudy.org/en/blind-tactics/512But I feel there are many ways that this can be achieved through, so what process are you thinking of?
Having all the pieces in text like: "Black: queen on d8, pawn on d6, White: King on e2" etc.?
Or maybe a similar way to listudy blindfold tactics?
I do blindfold puzzles on lichess all the time. The normal site functions are already enough for it to be the best free blindfold puzzle training tool available anywhere.
Just do normal puzzle mode, turn on "speech" for the game sound, aka speech synthesis sound mode. Enable keyboard move entry in your settings page. Select the keyboard entry box so the cursor is there and you can type in it. Close your eyes (or whatever your preferred method, wear blindfold, cover the monitor with a cloth, turn the monitor away, or sit back in recliner not looking at screen, etc). Hit the back arrow on keyboard until you are the start of the game, and then go forward one move at a time by hitting the forward arrow on keyboard. It will vocally read out the moves for you until you are at the puzzle position. You may need to replay the game multiple times to get the position clearly in your head. You can select "puzzle themes: opening" to get shorter games, when starting out. Then type your solution moves with the keyboard entry.
Many low rated players think they can't do this, but I've done blindfold exercises with many friends and students, even rated around 500-1000 range. And they all find out they can do it if they have enough time to think it through, replay the moves multiple times, puzzle is easy to medium difficulty for their normal rating, etc.
For maximum training benefit, after you've solved the puzzle, go back through the game and briefly analyze it while actually seeing the board. You will notice certain things that you didn't while blindfolded, and it will help you visualize similar patterns and structures better in the future.
Also if you are wanting to read the moves yourself in text form, simply do regular puzzle mode, and put a cloth hanging over the monitor covering the board. The text moves are there visible on the right hand side.
Voice input is also useful if you prefer to close your eyes
Also that would mean linguistic chess.... I think one ought to be able to have stroboscopic vision mode.
You see it, now you don't, maybhe not as fast, as stroboscopic, my english is lacking in nuances, and that is the first exageration I could find, that would make it concise. Otherwise, I have to make this paragraph to desribe the idea.
I guess, it might seriously be about more of the "simultaneous" cognitiv experience, for the backbrain that still is doing something. But instead of blind it is another position on the retina.. But the alternance of retina vision and mind's eye vision might be the coginitive curiosity here. No need to have to voice and use the spreadsheet minded coordinate system, that is oblivious to the spatial symetries of the board.. . That was my initial ideas, but I put a lol instead. Now I spoiled why I was lolling it.
"Close your eyes (or whatever your preferred method, wear blindfold, cover the monitor with a cloth, turn the monitor away, or sit back in recliner not looking at screen, etc)."
... or click the blindfold toggle in the menu...
@th3rdeye said in #3:
> Just do normal puzzle mode, turn on "speech" for the game sound, aka speech synthesis sound mode. Enable keyboard move entry in your settings page. Select the keyboard entry box so the cursor is there and you can type in it. Close your eyes (or whatever your preferred method, wear blindfold, cover the monitor with a cloth, turn the monitor away, or sit back in recliner not looking at screen, etc). Hit the back arrow on keyboard until you are the start of the game, and then go forward one move at a time by hitting the forward arrow on keyboard. It will vocally read out the moves for you until you are at the puzzle position. You may need to replay the game multiple times to get the position clearly in your head. You can select "puzzle themes: opening" to get shorter games, when starting out. Then type your solution moves with the keyboard entry.
@th3rdeye said in #4:
> Also if you are wanting to read the moves yourself in text form, simply do regular puzzle mode, and put a cloth hanging over the monitor covering the board. The text moves are there visible on the right hand side.
Sounds all very convoluted to me, haven't you discovered the "Blindfold" button yet? It also provides the answer why the feature suggested by the OP has not been implemented, see
github.com/lichess-org/lila/issues/8516.
I didn't know about that. It's just another way to "blindfold" yourself out of many options. Also would allow for mouse input of moves without seeing the position. However, looking at the board (even without pieces) while reading the list of moves is a different nature of exercise compared to listening to the moves with eyes closed and relying on memory and visualization. Maybe that's what the OP is looking for. Personally if I can see the move list and look at a board, even without pieces, it is much easier than doing true blindfold.
Thanks for the answers and it indeed works to set it on blindfold mode and replay the entire game until the puzzles. It's a pretty cool option I hadn't thought of myself, I guess because I mostly play on my phone. It's an improvement, but there are a few issues:
- It's pretty convoluted. The first tactic I tried had 56 moves, some om which were pretty strange, to get to position. This is takes quite some energy and although it's doable for me but a pretty high bar to entry for beginners. If it select for openings the moves are short but there are still a lot of pieces on the board and vice versa.
- There isn't a different tactic mode. So the problems I get after ploughing through the 56 moves are too difficult for me blindfolded. I could set up a different account just for blindfold puzzles of course, but I think it's against the policy of lichess, so why wouldn't they make a different puzzle mode? [Oh I now realized I could select the easier puzzles online, but this doesn't work on my app and the problem remains that my blindfold abilities affect the rating of my normal puzzle mode. This motivates a little bit less].
- It doesn't work on my phone and I'd like to do it in bed.
I think it's helpful to visualize from the starting position, but why wouldn't add the option to display the moves in text like the first topic I linked to:
example of showing current position in text:
------
white to move:
white:
R: b1
K: h6
Black
K; h8
solution:
Rh8#
------
I still think it would be relatively straigh forward to add this feature and especially with an alternative blindfold rating and puzzle selection would be a definite benefit.
