Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast EP 152 | Visualization and Aphantasia
May 15, 2025
The discussion dives into the intriguing intersection of visualization and chess through the lens of aphantasia. Personal experiences reveal how players adapt their thought processes without the ability to visualize. The complexities of blindfold chess offer insights into memory techniques and the cognitive challenges involved. The conversation also touches on the differences between 2D and 3D perceptions and the unique struggles of blitz chess, emphasizing how individual cognitive styles impact gameplay strategies.
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Aphantasia and Visualization Spectrum
- Aphantasia means an inability or reduced ability to visualize images mentally, and it exists on a spectrum.
- Visualization abilities vary hugely even among strong chess players, affecting how they perceive positions internally.
Partial Mental Board Visualization
- Kostya sees the chess board mentally as patches illuminated by a flashlight, not the full board at once.
- He scans sections to visualize moves, revealing a partial and selective mental image process.
Verbal Calculation Without Images
- David calculates chess moves using verbal strings and relations rather than pictures.
- He mentally tracks piece interactions through known terms instead of visualizing them.