Chessboard Vision — Part 2
Points to Consider in Chessboard Vision
So much to think about BEFORE you make your move!
Unlike visualization, board vision doesn’t require moving pieces in your mind.
There are various definitions of “board sight” or “board vision” in chess, but fundamentally it means the ability to (mentally) see all of the various possibilities for moves by your pieces (and those of your opponent). –Path to Chess Mastery: Developing board sight
In his video Improve Your Chess Rating by Understanding Board Vision Skills & Visualization, Dan Heisman explains that this skill improves gradually. He suggests ways to strengthen it: play lots of games, review games, and solve puzzles. After explaining that the accuracy of your visualization depends on the clarity of your board vision, he provides a list of questions to consider when examining a chess position.
- What is the material count on both sides?
- Are there bad pawns: backward, isolated, or doubled pawns?
- Are there good pawns: passed or connected, pawns?
- How many pawn islands are there?
- How good are the bishops?
- Which king is safer?
- How many open files or semi-open files are there?
