I have just been doing the Advanced tactical exercises, 3rd set for December,
and I find it amazing that anyone could see that far ahead in "Copie v Patrici" in order to play Ng6+. I kind of guessed that was the correct move, but had I realised how complicated it was I would never have played it in a real game. How much of this can a GM see, and how much does he rely on intuition that there will be something there ?

? How much of this can a GM see, and how much does he
? rely on intuition that there will be something there ?

Yes, in some ways it is a tough one, but Ng6+ is certainly the move you want to play, to open the h-file, and once you see that you can then play Nd5 to both attack the black queen and threaten a sacrifice on h6, well it won't take you long to convince yourself that it is winning.
So, a GM will 'see' the combinatorial possibilities almost instantly (or maybe even several moves before), and will then analyse enough to convince himself that it is winning.

? it won't take you long to convince yourself that it is winning.
It takes me a very long time to convince myself! For instance one line of my analysis runs Ng6+ fxg6 hxg6 h6 Nd5 Nxd5 Bxh6 gxh6 Rxh6+ Kg8, and now I think I'm 3 pieces down, 5 moves deep into the analysis, and he is going to play Nf6 next and how do I win. and then my brain gets tired, and I forget the position, and I have to go back to the start mentally moving the pieces in my head to get back to the position again. Of course when I set the position up on the board, I notice that if I play Qh4, then Nf6 takes away an escape square for the king, so there is a mate - but I can't see that in advance - and its only one line of analysis that is not even forced. I would probably loose on time if this position occured in a game!

A good method for analysing longer lines is the 'Stepping stones' technique: You make a couple of moves in your head, and then try to 'burn' the new position into your mind's eye: which bits have moved or been exchanged. Try to bring this new position as clearly into focus as the current position on the board. Once you've done that try to make a couple more moves, and then repeat the process.
OK, this is pretty advanced, but is a great way of improving your visualisation, after a while you should be able to make the moves and 'see' the position without stopping.

When calculating moves I frequently feel a burning in my head, but I don't think that is what you are talking about ;)

? A good method for analysing longer lines is the 'Stepping stones'
? technique:
I'll have to give that a try. I find it very difficult to think about a position that I can't see on the board, and I think that is something that stronger players are better at doing. I don't know if anyone has done any work on comparing the thought processes of weaker and stronger players to work out what it is that the weaker players don't do.

I suppose it is all a question of being able to visualise well, which definitely improves with practice.
I have a series on blindfold techniques over on chesspublishing.com (in the Gold Plus section), but I am retiscent about using it here as I think it is too advanced.

? I suppose it is all a question of being able to visualise well, which
? definitely improves with practice.
I'd better keep doing those exercises then ... Its certainly something I notice with stronger players is they can discuss the game without the board being there.
? I have a series on blindfold techniques over on chesspublishing.com (in
? the Gold Plus section), but I am retiscent about using it here as I think
? it is too advanced.
We don't want to burn our brains out

I also wonder if stronger players think about a position in a different way. Maybe there are some tricks that can be learnt. For example, there are techniques you can use to improve memory - one of the standard examples is being shown a tray with 20 objects on it for a minute then you try to remember as many as you can. I used to have a book which showed you a method of commiting them to memory in a more visual way, and you got an immediate improvement. Unfortunately I have forgotten where I put the book

? I suppose it is all a question of being able to visualise well, which
? definitely improves with practice.
? I have a series on blindfold techniques over on chesspublishing.com (in
? the Gold Plus section), but I am retiscent about using it here as I think
? it is too advanced.

I would be very interested in such "blindfold techniques".
Could you reconsider using it here?
Best Wishes.

You could just think of a random square, say e4 then ask yourself what colour it is...until you can answer anyone instantly?

Then you could try moving a knight around the board into the four corners in your head whilst doing the house work or some other mundane task. Followed by the same task but with a few strategic pawns placed on your imaginary board.

And this is quite fun too http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-visualization-trainer.php

? You could just think of a random square, say e4 then ask yourself what
? colour it is...until you can answer anyone instantly?
?
? Then you could try moving a knight around the board into the four corners
? in your head whilst doing the house work or some other mundane task.
? Followed by the same task but with a few strategic pawns placed on your
? imaginary board.
?
?
? And this is quite fun too
? http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-visualization-trainer.php

To see how far the best players need/try to see, have a read of Dvoretsky's School of Chess Excellence 2: Tactical Play. He's been coach to the best so you see what they've been through.

Duncan