Kostya's Blueprint: Visualization 

Thanks so much for this trainer series. One of the most important things I learned from this was valuing each and every possible capture meaning not saying something isn't valuable just because it doesn't look valuable in dismissing it

As a practical matter, if one can see that after 1...Bxf2+ 2.Rx2 Rd1+ 3.Bf1 then 3...Bxh3 is likely winning but maybe 3...Rxf1+ is stronger but more complicated to calculate, he can confidently play to 3.Bf1 and then try to calculate 3...Rxf1+ to a conclusion.

This was a really insightful video, thank you for putting it together. I've come to realise that I'm not going over every capture by the opponent while visualising, and this has led me to blunders that I've just written off as oversights. A simple visual "map" of captures while exploring forceful lines will probably prove to be quite helpful.

As a chess composer I am able to visualize a position whilst I"m walking and trying not to solve, but to invent something new without looking on actual chess board. What is quite interesting, is that you are dealing with somewhat abstract representation of the chess pieces and their exact position on the board - you just know what you might see on the real chess board, while thinking blidfolded. Nobody will teach you that - only practice reveals your ability in this area of the game. Well, not exactly "nobody" - there are books written on this matter, with exercises with increasing dificulty... but the emphasys is on the practice, again, and again, and again. Reading chess books is also beneficial - at first you may move pieces on some chess board, but then the real fun begins - you actually can learn to read a chess book looking only on diagrams, text of the chess games and comentaries, all the lines included. You'll see that it's not a big deal, especially when at some point you will be able to analyze blindfolded any position with your fellow chess players.

Thank you for this video. You've given me a lot of new ideas to try out when solving puzzles to help improve my visualization.

That was a very good exercise and was well explained. You also gave good tips for improving visualization. I can usually visualize four or five moves ahead pretty well, but the part I find difficult with is keeping track of all the captures, and thus figuring out what the material balance is at the end of a combinative sequence.

Great video! I looked up many calculation videos and this said everything I needed. Very informative and going to put it to use on my tactics puzzles! Thanks Kostya

Finally got down to the video a sunday morning with coffee, all quiet. A bit disappointed of myself. Used some time trying to trap the white queen, then finally saw the Bxf2, Bxh3 and Rd1 motiv, but didnt get the following rook moves right - only later 🙄 Good vid with tips and trics, much appreciated! 👍

I don't know if it would be too much of a twist, but the trainee could be asked to rank the opponents threats by "magnitude", more or less the way chess engines stick to a certain order when going through variations, so captures yes, but also the Be3 move in this position that tickles the Queen, in other positions it would include mate threats and promotion threats.

Great visualization,other series more there are fabulous,sorry my english.

Guess there's bit of spoilers ahead so this is the warning haha This is awesome thank you Kostya. As a ~1300 player I saw all the key moves before you showed them but did not calculate deeply each time and surprised myself how things got clearer the more I looked. I immediately saw 1. Bxf2+ Rxf2 2. Rd1+ Kh2 3. Qxf2 I then saw 1. Bxf2 Rxf2 2. Rd1+ Bf1 3. Bxh3 and also saw the continuation of 3...Be3 4. Rxf1+ Rxf1 5. Qxe3 down that line When you said Bxh3 wasn't the best I ended up seeing the Rxf1+ idea and then Bxh3+ but was stumped after Kg1. I looked at it for a little bit and thought hm maybe Re2 works but maybe not.. I often find my intuition isn't bad but I spend too much time calculating and verifying on moves I shouldn't and then don't go deep enough on moves I should. This was one of the best vids on this topic I've seen which such a nice and clear yet not immediately obvious solution!

Sweet a new one! Love the series.

If you can see the board; that is not purely blindfold Chess. Most of the problem in blind fold Chess is moving pieces along the squares. Especially along the diagonals. But I guess visualizing the pieces only is enough.

Great video. I want to make 2 suggestions. 1. You should collaborate with some other chess RU-vidrs or streamers to get your channel more widely known. You put out quality content that’s about different from what the others are putting out, I think you could fill a unique niche in the expanding online chess arena. 2. This one is a bit more selfish. As an improving player, if you did a series just with guided visualization exercises like this it would be helpful. The videos could be much shorter and less detailed and they would still be helpful. It’s not really something anyone else is doing, so it could be your thing. To other viewers: The Stockfish app has an invisible pieces set. I haven’t done this in a while, but setting the computer on the lowest level and playing with the invisible pieces is a good exercise. I found keeping the pawn structure in my mind to be the toughest part.

About perfect level for me. I figured the puzzle properlyand knew the rook move was last but fuzzy,,,

Thank you for the series!

I kept looking for a way to trap the queen! After 1....Nd5 2.a) Nxd5 Bxd5 3. Ra3 (or b1) Bd7 4. Qc4 Bb5 skewers the rook on f1. Alternatively, 2.b) Ra3 (defending the pawn on c2) leads to a fork: ...Ne2+ 3. Kh1 (or h2) Nc3 forks the rook and queen! 2. a non-move (h4) Nxc2 and wins a pawn. The reason my mind went for this was that it seemed like Bxf2 was a lot of work for one pawn, at least to calculate! Threating to trap the queen seemed to leave black with less chance of loosing a piece.

This is a great series :)

What a challenging visualisation stretch! I thought your tip of visualising all the captures of all the pieces was very interesting and valuable. Thank you! Now off to try out some blindfold chess. :-)

An obvious point missing from the conversation was why f2 is a focal point of the attack in the first place. You are probably assuming that the audience figures this out. There are players who would not recognize it as a target. This was not my problem. I could see all the moves except for Rxf1. I did look at Nh2 as a defense for the Bf1. You didn't mention that move. There may have been a good reason.

What's best to imagine the board in your head, in 2D or 3D?

Great exercise! Great series!

I understand that visualization is important. The problem I have is knowing when to make a move quickly, and knowing when to spend more time looking for a winning combination. For this reason I currently prefer closed positions, and just look maybe two moves ahead, looking for a better position or tactic. Of course a position might look good positionally - control of center, king safety, rooks on open files, etc., but be a terrible position tactically.

More than down a rook exch given the B sac to start things off. 'Kitchen sink' lines are notoriously fuzzy. Track them carefully. If you score over 90 percent, that's actually a bad stat. 100 percent is really bad. Perfect clarity isn't the standard. When it comes to human play, instincts and a developed intuition are important. If the only time you're pulling the trigger is when your certainty is through the roof, you're not availing yourself to enough opportunities. You need failures to further develop your instincts/intuition. That said, you don't want to fail at a high rate when it comes to high risk plays...else you'll take on emotional damage. Just shoot for something comfortably above 50 percent and welcome any/all fails as the opportunities they are.

Should you close your eyes when visualizing???

I think it is very important to not put arrows in a visualisation exercise video.

Very helpful video. I calculated Bxf2, Kh2, Bxg3, Kxg3, g5 going for an attack. I checked with engine, Kh2 is the best defence for white but I shouldn't sac the bishop on g3.

Great video, Kostya! You addressed visualization more concretely than most, actually talking about fuzziness, being sure that you see an empty square and not the piece that moved still sitting there in reality. Nobody seems to address these basics - what does it actually look like in your mind's eye? Is looking at the board a detriment because you mix up the future with the present position? You will actually see players like Naroditsky looking away from the board to calculate. But when you talk about blindfold chess, I am just confused how to get there. I bought Tisdall's "Improve your chess now" which is one of the few books to address this topic, but I haven't got to it yet.

Pls do more videos.. everything is top-notch..thanks for the stunning lecture

Thanks Kostya

very nice, thanks

I saw Re2 but I wasn't sure what to do after Nd4 interfering with the queen and unpinning the rook. I thought I couldn't just consider it solved before sorting out this defence.

The ultimate visualization challenge: Blindfold chess960.

I have a question, how to memorize the board...the whole board????

I thought you were Vishy Anand in the thumbnail. I was scrolling fast 💨 😆

Great work 😍 keep it going please

Very helpfull video. Does it matter if you practice calculation/visualisation with diagrams or a computer screen vs a real board? And do strong players who play blindfold chess generally have a 2d board in their mind or a physical one?

What do you think about people who advice memorizing the board by heart. Like what color is x square, what moves can x piece make on this square etc? Especially for total begginers like me, sure it might be something that helps down the line. But it's so boring.

another consideration after 1) .... Re2 2) Nd4 (unpinning R)Nxd4 3) Rxe2 Nf3+ 4) Kh1 Qg1# Is it correct ?

Thanks a lot fantastic video.

Thank you

Thank you. Kindly we need advice About visualisation any app?

If after 1..Rxf2 2Rd1, kh2 3 Qxf2 doesn’t 3.. Be3 win back the exchange and black is only up a pawn? Eg 3..Be3, 4Qe2 (protecting the rook on d1) then 4...knd4 certainly wins back material right?

Very good video with helpful tips. Thanks.

Couldn’t the white horse break the site of the queen with N E5?

9:00 I'd disagree, as white has Be3 attacking the queen and the rook. Qxe3 Rxd1 would probably leave Black better, but Qe2 seems to be the only solution to keep the exchange

How can you do if you have aphantasia?😢

Am I missing something? Bxf2 Kh2. Black up 1 pawn.

What about Nd4 play by white?

Hi these are the types of exercise I always look for but I found this great one recently so can you pls make a video on some tips for getting to such good positions in which you can search for tactics or candidate moves(I’m a coach less beginner and want to be tournament ready) but I was able to visualize this position before you gave the solution

Excellent vid thanks

Fascinating

Thanks for video.

14:50 Why not take the rook in the corner instead? Maintaining the pin on the bishop

May I suggest that you don't separate your conversation and examples for the same so far apart. If you have something important to say then follow it closely with an example to illustrate. If your conversation is greatly separated from the illustration, it is far less effective. If the listener has lost one element of what you are explaining (without the illustration) your conversation may be much less effective than you think it is. Dan Heisman -- a man who has great content -- suffered from verbosity as well. You're young. Don't fall into that trap. Speak only about the points you intend to illustrate. Then illustrate.

Kostya Kostenyvk

plse play out winning lines if kh2 and not rf2 to start. thank you.

But why is the white queen on a4? How did it even get there?

What are all these weird bonking sounds in your videos? It's annoying with headphones!

The first three minutes are a waste of time, cut to the chase!