Chess Visualization - Improving

All, 

Most of us know that in order to get better at chess we need solid calculation skills.  We also know that part of calculation skills is visualization skills.  The question is how to increase this skill...

I have read numbers of ways to do this but i have yet to come across a verified and/or consensus on how to exactly do this.  Some say play blindfold chess where others say to use specific programs such as Visualwise Software (which I think would be great if it had more problems for the price).  Still others say using Fritz for example is good.... as I had read in the following

".....Best way to learn visualisation is to use a good chess program. I found Fritz 12 to be excellent for that. It has a calculating section that prevents the pieces from moving but records the moves as you make them out. The idea of verbally saying the moves and visualising in your minds eye is greatly strengthened. After three weeks my visualising skills improved remarkedly."

My question is simply put... what is recommended and what is tried and true that gave results?   I would assume the above thoughts on Fritz 12 is a good one but has anyone tried it?  I am open to whatever resource you know to have worked but PLEASE, no conjecture, and detail what it was and/or the procedure you used and how long it tooks to produce result.   And Please please please, stick to the topic.  This is, in my hope, no offense to anyone here but it seems that when a question is asked in these forums, invariably the focus sways to endless grobbles on pride and intellect

Thank you and Happy Chess

-TheKnightOne

My son is a good calculator and here's how he trains his visualization skills.  What I can't tell you is which of these practices has benefited him the most and what might be of most use to you.

1.  Do tactics and studies without moving the pieces.  This usually means doing them out of a book.

2.  Do tactics and studies blindfolded.  In other words, look at a position for about 30s to get it into your head and then solve the position without looking at it again.

3.  Play blindfolded games.  My son plays some of his blitz games on chess.com in blindfold mode.  In settings, you can choose the "blindfold" pieces.  He also plays slow, untimed games against the Play Magnus app.  I move his pieces for him and tell him the moves that Magnus makes.

He went from losing the plot of a blindfold game in about 15-20 moves about a year ago to beating 11 yr/6 mo-old Magnus in a 46-move blindfold game recently.  He has also beaten a GM in a blindfold game, both blindfolded but with 5 vs. 15 minute time odds.  He'll be working soon on playing two or more blindfold games simultaneously to improve both visualization and memory.

It's impossible to attribute the improved visualization skills to any one thing however.  And, of course, what works for a kid may well not work as well for an adult.

Doin tactics is good way to impove  visualization . Even just playing games will improve it a lot also !! Dont worry bout it too much really the more puzzles u do and more games that u play the easier its gonna get !! 

I agree that simply solving puzzles and playing chess will improve your visualization skills.  I understand many strong players acquire blindfold skills without really working at them.  Virtually all masters can play blindfolded, regardless of whether they've specifically trained in blindfold or not.  Grandmasters can usually play multiple games blindfolded.  A GM has told me that most GMs should be able to play 8-10 blindfold games simultaneously with a little preparation.

Playing blindfold certainly helps.  I recommend playing against Fritz on handicap mode, and adjust the setting so it punishes your basic mistakes, and increase difficulty over time as you improve.  It's really not that hard but it does take practice.  In addition to solving tactics, endgame studies are very useful since there are fewer pieces to worry about but they can have very rich tactical ideas.  

Doirse,  I like your idea.... which Fritz are you talking about?  I have heard some good things about Fritz 12 unless you're talking about something else? 

I use Fritz 13 but I imagine the blindfold board settings and handicap training mode are in Fritz 12 as well.

Try the stepping stone tecqnique by GM Tishdall. Solve tactics problems everyday.

http://www.braillechess.com/rreid.html

The best advice (I can't take credit for it) would be getting a tactic book and using it.  That forces you to visualize the moves and over time you would grow in that skill.

I just posted a new topic about Blindfold Chess Practice vs Computer.

I found the old, legally-free and available at various sites Fritz 5.32 engine plus GUI (Fritz532.zip) allowed keyboard or mouse input of moves, so you can cover-up the board on your monitor and still see the algebraic notation and any pop-up menus and input through the keyboard.

I don't have a newer Fritz - I have Chess King 2016, Lucas Chess, and Arena and they require mouse-on-board input, destroying the no-peeking requirement.