Chess Lab › The words and memory room
盲棋角
- 工作记忆
- Ages 8 and up
- About 6 minutes
The story behind it
Strong players can follow a whole game without looking at the board. The Polgár sisters of Budapest practised this as children. It is not magic; it is a muscle. It starts with one piece and two moves.
Read the full story: Three sisters and an experiment →How to play
- See where the piece starts.
- Read the moves. “Up” means towards rank 8.
- Tap the square where it ends — the piece will not move for you.
Levels
For teachers and coaches
Blindfold corner — Working memory
Ages 8 and up · about 6 minutes · 8by8verse Chess Lab
What it teaches
Holding and updating a picture in the mind; following multi-step directions.
The story to tell first
Strong players can follow a whole game without looking at the board. The Polgár sisters of Budapest practised this as children. It is not magic; it is a muscle. It starts with one piece and two moves.
Three questions to ask
- What did you picture — the whole board, or only the piece?
- Which was harder to follow, the rook or the knight? Why?
- What trick helped you keep track?
Without a screen
No equipment needed. Say: “A rook on a1 goes four up, then three right.” The class writes the square. Works in a corridor.
Next
Finish
Hint
Step back
Start again
Play again
Next level
Back to the lab
Right.
Not quite.
Not yet — have another go.
Question {n} of {total}
{right} out of {total} right.
Three stars. Clean work.
Two stars. Well played.
One star. Level done.
king
queen
rook
bishop
knight
pawn
A {piece} stands on {sq}. Follow these moves in your head, then tap the square where it ends up.
A {piece} stands on {sq}. There is no board this time. Where does it end up?
{n} up
{n} down
{n} left
{n} right
{n} diagonally up and right
{n} diagonally up and left
{n} diagonally down and right
{n} diagonally down and left
{a} and {b}
Yes — {sq}.
It ended on {sq}.
Five journeys followed without moving a piece.