Life In 19x19

I think chess relatively easy to play without looking at the board, and in fact it is probably the recommended technique, however I have never heard of any blindfolded go players. Is there just to much information on the board, with to many variations?

There is "blind go" by using the sense of touch.

US Go Congress - Bottom Left Picture

Article from British Go Association

Sensei's Library on Blind Go

Hikaru no Go (Wikipedia)
Itō (伊藤 Itō?), Kojima (小島?), and *Okumura (奥村?) - three students who dislike Akira Toya's presence in the Kaio Middle School Go club, and try to humiliate him into quitting the club by making him play "blind go" (i.e. calling out the moves without looking at the go board, like blindfold chess). Yuri Hidaka catches them in the act and puts a stop to the bullying.

Pretty much. It's at the outer reaches of possibility: http://senseis.xmp.net/?BaoYun

As far as I know there is a blind French 4d player. I have seen him playing at EGC, but I have forgotten his name.

His name is Pierre Audouard.

Hmm, coordinate system. Interesting.

http://senseis.xmp.net/?AudouardCoordinates

Plays a role in go mythology/legends.

Can't remember who this was supposed to be. But out traveling got benighted and sheltering in what was supposedly a peasant house. Heard two women in the night saying they couldn't sleep, let's play go, but it's dark, so do it in our heads. He followed the game (they had to announce their moves to each other) until finally one said "darn, I'm going to lose by a point. I resign". He woke up to find the house deserted and in ruins, a night spent among the "fairies" (the Eastern equivalent; tend to be more animal spirit connected than ours). He could still remember the game, and going over it, studying it, became one of the great players of his day.

hyperpape wrote:Pretty much. It's at the outer reaches of possibility: http://senseis.xmp.net/?BaoYun

The article linked at that page is pretty interesting, thanks: http://www.gogod.co.uk/NewInGo/Blindfold_1.htm

Phelan wrote:

hyperpape wrote:Pretty much. It's at the outer reaches of possibility: http://senseis.xmp.net/?BaoYun

The article linked at that page is pretty interesting, thanks: http://www.gogod.co.uk/NewInGo/Blindfold_1.htm

That is interesting that sabaki/shape calculations were most impaired.

SmoothOper wrote:

Phelan wrote:

hyperpape wrote:Pretty much. It's at the outer reaches of possibility: http://senseis.xmp.net/?BaoYun

The article linked at that page is pretty interesting, thanks: http://www.gogod.co.uk/NewInGo/Blindfold_1.htm

That is interesting that sabaki/shape calculations were most impaired.

But only globally, if I understood correctly. He could still do that in local areas, but on large moyos, he had trouble.

I went to the 23rd International World Pair Go Championship at the beginning of November and got to see a blind go player. This is something i'd hoped to see sometime. Here are three pictures linked from my facebook album

Pairs and board
Close up of board
Figuring out where to play