Those That Can See 6+ Moves Ahead, What do You Actually See?

GMs can see what, 10 - 15  moves ahead?  Even those of you that can see 6 moves ahead.  What is it that you actually see?  Do you see the entire board with pieces in place?  Or do you just see little sections of the board with pieces?  And then move up to another section and see what's there, then put it all together.  Or do you just memorize that there are certain pieces on certain squares?  

   Like I can see only 3 or 4 moves ahead and sometimes forget after 2 moves that a piece has vacated their square or that there IS a certain piece on a square and thus don't see a block or that there's no longer protection.

  I would be interested in hearing from those that can see 6+ moves ahead and especially some IM, FM or GM that can explain to us what they actually see.  Anyone?  

How far ahead you need to see, is going to depend on the position.  

However far ahead you need to visualize, it needs to be the entire board, and not just part of the board.  

Any intelligent comments, no SA ones?  

Exactly. I've never kept track or counted how far ahead I'm calculating, that would be a waste of energy. It's however far ahead is needed. But I do see the whole board in my head.

Visualization and calculation take lots of practice to improve. The first thing is: always try solving puzzles without moving pieces before resorting to moving them.

So Slemmen, MuensterChess and @chuddog , you guys are actually visualizing the entire board, along with each and every piece on the board?  When you make moves, you are still memorizing/visualizing the entire board and pieces as you go?  

  (I estimate that I've played 1000 games of chess in my life, and that power is not with me yet.  Probably about 800 hours of chess)   I still lose track of where pieces are at this stage) 

The problem with these types of questions is that they are usually asked by low rated players that want to sound "chess smart"  

To make a blanket statement like "I see "X" moves ahead" is a ridiculous statement.  You DO NOT always look "X" amount of moves ahead.  Your calculation will depend on the position.  

If you seriously want to improve your board vision:

Work on tactics right from a book, without a board.

Do knight drills.

Learn the color of each square without looking at the board.

Mentally play over short games (25 moves and under) in your head.

Fantasy and slim possibilities when I was 40. Then, John Kurdow told me that 4 moves was as much as he saw ahead and intuition/skill filled in the blanks.

6 moves ahead would take so much time it's not worth the time exchange. I don't deny some, very few, can see 6 moves ahead. Just that even some of the best don't bother to and the rest of us just can't or we'd be pro.

In times when I have just the right situation that I can see ahead; it's a lovely dance of pieces and geometry of the evolving board. I operate more from faith than math then. Very visual and "seen" from various points of view.

Problem is, I'm an analog man in a digital world- geometric while those with algebraic skills sets are more precise and up-to-date and I have zero clue how things work in their heads.

After 2 or 3 moves ahead (maybe 4 on a good day) my visualization becomes more like a guesstimation. I can see the most obvious replies, but I don't see the board clearly in my head at all. My brain is pretty good at finding a decent immediate reply, but not the crucial in depth ones. I think this is why I always see my opponent's less obvious options instantly after I move, rather than before. Seeing ahead is tough for me, I just don't have the focus. I rely on playing the best one, two move ahead chess I can, along with pattern recognition and chess puzzle experience. It ain't pretty but I can't seem to shake the bad habit. Sorry I know this thread isn't about me lol, it just made me think about it. 

Heh that is a loaded question!

In endgame it isn't hard to see 15 moves ahead. 

In openings, I think most players ( including GMs ) just follow established openings, for maybe 7 or 8 moves.

Mid game is the tricky part... 

• You can think 10 moves ahead, but can you do it by considering all your opponent's options? Not a chance, unless it's forced.
• Computers can spot a forced mate 7 moves in advance (which honestly isn't saying much, as forced moves eliminate the exponential expansion of possibilities).
• If you set a trap 5 or 6 moves in advance, without forcing, that is awesome. Yet again, you are not looking at all of YOUR possibilities.
• In all the books I have read and games I have studied, ALL options were never considered (unless we are talking end game, but this is mid game) Most of the brilliant games were tactics thought up on the spot, but most entailed forced play, with gambits.

I thinks the best answer is IT DEPENDS

Remembering the moves already made is childs play compared to thinking ahead... ask any computer

And now the other SA trolls pipe in, re IMB and BT.  Amazing how they feed on each other and know not what they do.  Asperger's I suspect.  

   Thanks Wales, I'll keep it in mind.  I really did wonder about this and thought perhaps it was because of my mere 800 hours of chess that I don't yet can visualize the board exceptionally well.  

  Thanks also 42Rick, Hayabusa (how many BHP is that!? ^-^) , SlowPawn and Excal;  See, SlowPawn gets to 1800+ by just seeing 2 or 3 moves ahead.  I've often suspected that; so would be happy to make near perfect moves just out to 2 moves.   How many hours total do you guesstimate you've played Slow_Pawn and Hayabusa?   Any real  FM, IM or GMs care to contribute?  

6 moves ahead is just a bogeyman to scare players. Caution. Sometimes the bogeyman is real!

Seriously, what I'm seeing is that we all visualize in our various ways, and go with a strong inclination,

We need to "feel" it. That's why being able to play against people is more satisfying than a computer, it appears more normal to us than a mate in 6 slog of a computer.

We used to say playing speed chess hurts your regulation game. I wonder if playing computers hurts your people games; your opponent will make "wrong" moves that still somehow mess up everything for your opponent.

I wonder if A.I. players will be able to resign?

ha

if you REALLY want quality high level answers, why be SO rude to people that are strong enough to basically answer your question?

I realize my own humble rating gives me no authority to speak on these matters but several strong chessplayers say there Isn't a "gms look X move ahead" and all you  do is insult them.

these reply give the feeling this is nothing but a troll thread; and I predict that No master level chessplayers will reply.  any ways carry on. rare is the position when I can "see" Every possible variation 6 moves ahead.  often there is just too many possibilities.

When I do chess puzzles I rarely see them through all the way to the end from the start. I have an idea of where it's going, and a lot of time my instincts take me in the right direction. When I get them right it's sort of like a process of elimination way of thinking, rather than really in depth thought. Just the way my brain works I guess. I play guitar the same way. My fingers just know where to go from experience. I think my subconscious is smarter than I am lol. 

I rarely look deeper than 3 moves per candidate move—especially if the position has several viable options.

Usually that's deep enough to figure out which candidate move is best.

Regarding visualization: I don't possess the gift of visualization that some players have. I just do it the boring, old-fashioned way: "If this, then that, then this, then that. Hmm... Okay, now if this, then that..."

Look at a few options. Look ahead a few moves in each option. Then choose the one that seems to improve my position the most.