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anyone playing a blindfold [simul] against computer opponents?
This option is possible with Fritz (at least 11). It is not true blindfold, as you see a board and the computer marks squares where pieces moved (maybe it is possible to turn off this I have not look for a multi-opponent option.
Just wondering, Hans, is there anything in the book (or any records elsewhere) about anyone playing a blindfold simul against computer opponents? This would change things considerably, since none of the computers would have to be replaced or would resign due to fatigue. Only thing needed is to make sure the power stays on! I guess when the turn comes to each board, an arbritator would have to force the computer to make it's best move found at that time.
Maybe have the computers play not at their optimal strength, but with settings such that they have no use of opening books and in the opening phase at least, have high randomness. But even this might not be optimal, for example, with no opening book, will a computer play a gambit opening?
Anyway, I'm pretty sure this has never be attempted. Hans, why don't you be the first? Get yourself in the next edition of the book! :)
Well first of all Paul, the authors spent 30 yrs researching - to me thats a lifetime work. This book is the only complete book of Blindfold Chess around. There would have to be a compelling reason for another edition - I dont see one. Also Koltanowski - the grand old showman - nobody else like him, Alekhine the legend, Najdorf the legend, - nobody's going to break those records and I'm happy about that. Thirdly doing a 30+ board exhibition takes at least 6 months to build up to and my thinking time is too slow these days - all for what - a Guiness World Record - thats just name display and ego gratification - there is really no public interest in that. However I am interested in keeping in practice and the computer option sounds like an interesting way of doing this. No, Im content with smaller displays and the enjoyment that comes from them - is there a way to run multi - chess games on one processor?
For my 2004, 12-board exhibition in Beckensdorf, Iowa, for Thinker's Press, I faced the opportunity of a trans-Atlantic flight combined with no practice of a 10-board or greater exhibition in 30 years. I had a laptop computer with a DOS version of Crafty (from an old Chess Assistant 4 install). To make the story short, I made batch files to run Crafty without displaying a board, ran them in four command-line windows, shrunk each window to a single line in height, and thus gave a 4-board blind simul at 35,000 feet. This improved my confidence level, though jet lag and insomnia in Iowa later proved detrimental to the same confidence! A psychological point was that the games had to be "winnable" so I set Crafty not to ponder while I was thinking and forced it to use just a tiny amount of thinking time.
My biggest fear in Iowa was total meltdown. However, I did complete the exhibition, in 8 hours (for 12 boards = very slow; 4-6 hours would be considered normal speed), thus tying (and setting because of my percentage result) the record for a blindfold exhibition given by a player aged 50 or above.
Hi Jonathan, I should have read your message before posting. Very interesting! I still have in mind to break your world record of 12 after age 50 if the opportunity presents itself. That I think I can manage. However it wont be this year (although hopefully I'll have plenty of time in the future)
Well first of all Paul, the authors spent 30 yrs researching - to me thats a lifetime work. This book is the only complete book of Blindfold Chess around. There would have to be a compelling reason for another edition - I dont see one. Also Koltanowski - the grand old showman - nobody else like him, Alekhine the legend, Najdorf the legend, - nobody's going to break those records and I'm happy about that. Thirdly doing a 30+ board exhibition takes at least 6 months to build up to and my thinking time is too slow these days - all for what - a Guiness World Record - thats just name display and ego gratification - there is really no public interest in that. However I am interested in keeping in practice and the computer option sounds like an interesting way of doing this. No, Im content with smaller displays and the enjoyment that comes from them - is there a way to run multi - chess games on one processor?
Sorry, Hans, I didn't mean that you should try for a record. I meant that you might be the first person to play an official arbitrated blindfold simul match against X number of computer opponents, with each computer opponent forced to make it's best move at the time it's turn comes up, and with each computer opponent not having an opening book. I'm sure you can play multiple games on one processor, so that everything could be done on one computer. Maybe make it a dual quad-core machine, you could play 6 opponents and each one would surely have it's own processor.
Only the rushing is heard...
Onward flies the bird.
Ok, I think I get it. However check Jonathan's post above - looks like he's already done that and interesting story too. I'd like to do that - maybe somebody knowledgable at this end could set that up for me. The other thing is maybe I can "dumb" the computer programs down so that I dont lose with a perfect score (like 0-5 - nobody wants to read about that) LOL!
Ok, I think I get it. However check Jonathan's post above - looks like he's already done that and interesting story too. I'd like to do that - maybe somebody knowledgable at this end could set that up for me. The other thing is maybe I can "dumb" the computer programs down so that I dont lose with a perfect score (like 0-5 - nobody wants to read about that) LOL!
Hans, as long as you can play INTERESTING moves (remember our emails about this several months ago?) I think you could lose all the games and still make it worth the time for those who just love good chess. Since it is well known that humans can't beat computers tactically, the best thing you could do is set out to create positional quandries that the computer would have no understanding of. Maybe this is better accomplished blindfold than non-blindfold? You keep mentioning how you don't really see the board and pieces, there's some other mechanism involved. Maybe you could discover this as a new insight (excuse the pun) into how to best play against computers.
Sounds like a research project to me!
Only the rushing is heard...
Onward flies the bird.
Jonathan Berry's world blindfold record of 12 boards at age 50+ at the Thinkers Press Chess Festival in Bettendorf Iowa USA in November 2004 was described in good detail by Jonathan in the February 2005 issue of Chess Canada Echecs (#190). Jonathan gives quite detailed description of various aspects of blindfold chess and his thinking during the display. Unfortunately I dont think there is a copy of the article online anywhere although it might be on Jonathan's excellent webpage on blindfold chess listed earlier in this thread.
Ive been asked if I could give annotations for the games. Simplest answer is: I am not worthy. Besides Im afraid my annotations would spoil "Morphy's perfections". The reader could try Fritzifying the games. (actually any strong computer program would reveal amazing tactical insights in all the above Morphy games) Another idea is to take copies of the games to your local club and have good discussions and analysis with surrounding players.
I am not worthy. Besides Im afraid my annotations would spoil "Morphy's perfections". The reader could try Fritzifying the games
Do you enjoy Chess Informants? Personally I see them more like a tool, than a pleasure reading. Thus, human comments stand out above all kind of fish variants. Negative side, writing commentaries are really time consuming action.
Do you enjoy Chess Informants? Personally I see them more like a tool, than a pleasure reading. Thus, human comments stand out above all kind of fish variants. Negative side, writing commentaries are really time consuming action.
Yes I agree - the older I get the more I like written commentary and definitely writing commentaries really take time. However ask young players this question. When I was younger I couldnt get enough variations with !, (hopefully!! or !?) or even spicier unclear (my computer wont make that symbol) Then I think my brain reached saturation point!?! or ?!? (maybe) Two of my first books were Informants and I exhausted them cover to cover and enjoyed grandmaster positions but just a bit later I enjoyed Tal commentary and Alekhine annotations (so who knows?)
I think the fundamental ability for people to play blindfold chess well is much easier now considering the use of computers and pattern recognition. For instance, if I am playing 10-15 blindfold games at the same time, I am usually able to minimize each board in my head. Also, for the most part the diagrams in my head are either from the ICC interface or chessbase.
Hi Hikaru - thanks for posting. So what you are saying is that you are visualising entire board positions in the form of diagrams - is that right? I'm only asking because on the next page is a thread called "Blindfold Chess - what do you see?" and apparently there are many different ways of "seeing" or retaining positions in one's mind. Can you give a description of your largest exhibition for us here? The book doesnt go into much detail - just said you gave your first exhibition on 6 boards at the Noguchi Museum in New York and won all your games easily and would like to try 12 next.
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I have not look for a multi-opponent option.
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