can the analysis board be used during a live game

Can the analysis board be used during a live game to help you determine the best move or can it be only used after the game has finished.

I dont want to try it during a game in case it disconnects the game. it

No. If it were allowed during a live game they would offer a link as they do in turn based.

I hardly ever play Live, so I can't remember but is the current position FEN string available in Live games ?

What about using a real board to play through variations. Is that considered cheating?

Heck, even setting up a board next to the computer and moving the pieces around would be cheating.  Same concept as OTB; figure it out in your head or you're cheating.

romanochess, in Online/Turn-Based games there isn't a link exactly - the FEN string for the current position is always available in it's own, small pane to the right of the moves-list.  I wondered if there's one in Live as well?

If there isn't one, that does suggest we're not supposed to use the Analysis Board by any means.

If you were allowed to do that they would just allow the analysis board.

Live chess is meant to be comparable to OTB. If Carlsen cracked out a mini travel set at the Candidates and started playing through variations, I'm pretty sure they'd tell him to sort himself out.

That's what i figured, just curious.  Obviously it would make it easier to find the right move without having to visualize, but that takes away the challenge of being live.  Also why correspondence ratings are generally higher.

Computers are making us too lazy. Its much more fun to find a great combination in your head than to work it out on a computer. The purpose of  live chess on this site is to preserve that experience as much as possible.

Thanks for the replies.

what does Carlsen know about playing in Candidates, he is the world champ, and has only played 1 time. 

You can analyze the game by using the analysis board to see where you made your mistakes/blunders after a game, but not games in progress.