Unlike oTB chess, you cannot even see your opponent on here, and you cannot talk to them before/after the game (not easily, anyway). I hope this article has helped you understand the differences between using the two types of boards.I disagree on the 'disable chat' idea. Overall, it doesn't make a big difference whether you look at an online chess board or set up a real one by your side. (Be sure to check out my list of recommendations for endgame books here: ) Because they are studied in books, looking at an online chess board means that it is potentially easier to spot the pattern or find the right idea just because they are both 2D. Endgames: Endgames are typically studied in books. This means that you have a better chance of spotting your opponent's idea.ģ. Flipping the board: It's very easy to flip the board to see the opponent's point of view.

The same could be said if you primarily played online chess, and then suddenly attended many OTB tournaments in a row.Ģ. Pattern recognition is distorted when viewing a 2D online chess board vs an actual one. Tactics: Sometimes, tactics are harder to spot.

Because it simply looks different, there are a couple of results of looking at an online chess board instead of a real one:ġ. This means that the way our brain perceives piece placement and the relationship between the pieces differently. To start, we have to take into account that an online chess board is 2D, and a real chess board is 3D. This leads to the main question of today's post: Does looking at an online chess board differ from looking at an actual chess board? However, since no one is attending any OTB tournaments because of COVID, many classical online tournaments are now popping up. Additionally, OTB tournaments tend to have longer time controls, while online chess is mostly used for playing blitz/bullet. The tension in the atmosphere of a playing hall just can't be replaced. For instance, OTB tournaments have a certain amount of seriousness, and people tend to strive to do their best, while sometimes online chess allows for some more flexibility and relaxation. We all know the obvious differences between an OTB tournament and playing online chess. Because of the situation we are in right now, everyone is playing chess online.

Play chess online vs real