Answers.Body: <p>As of <a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/8719/is-it-common-for-super-grandmasters-to-have-the-ability-to-play-simultaneous-bli">this post</a> all super grandmasters can play blindfold. For young GMs who are just starting out playing blindfold, they may not be super good at first but they should be able to pick it up quickly. Also, for old GM's it might be harder for them to play blindfold, as short term memory and spatial reasoning might be diminished. But most, if not all, GMs should be able to play blindfold chess.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-02-01T21:35:19.223Z
Answers.Text: Those answers are just like the comments to this question. Of course they can, but how to prove it...
Answers.UserDisplayName: RemcoGerlich
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-02-01T23:46:19.913Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for the linked question, didn't see that!
Answers.UserDisplayName: Steve Bennett
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-02-01T20:46:50.893Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-02-01T20:46:50.893Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: vegancheese
Answers.Body: <p>Yes, unless they are very very old. It's probably not an exaggeration to say that essentially everyone rated over 2200 FIDE can do it, and many people who are lower-rated than that as well.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-02-02T02:11:58.050Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-02-03T16:41:35.127Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-02-03T16:41:35.127Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: CognisMantis
Body: <p>There seems to be no shortage of stories about top rated players playing blindfold, either recreationally, or in tournaments. I'm curious whether <em>all</em> top players have this ability. Are there are GM-level players (current or former), for instance, known to <em>not</em> have any ability to play blindfold?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-01-19T01:44:33.047Z
Comments.Text: Not an answer as I don't have a source, but I can't imagine any GM not being able to play blindfold. Playing blindfold is not very difficult, and to get a GM you need to be excellent at calculating so that should pretty much automatically qualify you for that. But yes, I don't have a source (and in fact, lack of such a person may be hard to source).
Comments.UserDisplayName: koedem
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Comments.CreationDate: 2021-01-19T01:46:35.220Z
Comments.Text: I would love to see your source for "playing blindfold is not very difficult". :)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Steve Bennett
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-01-19T01:48:18.113Z
Comments.Text: Source: I can play blindfold and not even that much worse than seeing, so it can't be that hard. :P (and I don't even have any title, never mind GM)
Comments.UserDisplayName: koedem
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-01-19T01:49:05.540Z
Comments.Text: But also, all reasonably strong players I know and have ever asked about this can play blindfold.
Comments.UserDisplayName: koedem
Tags: <grandmaster><blindfold-chess>
Title: Are all grandmasters capable of playing blindfold?
ThreadText: # Are all grandmasters capable of playing blindfold?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-19)
  
  There seems to be no shortage of stories about top rated players playing blindfold, either recreationally, or in tournaments. I'm curious whether *all* top players have this ability. Are there are GM-level players (current or former), for instance, known to *not* have any ability to play blindfold?
  
  **Tags:** grandmaster, blindfold-chess
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Not an answer as I don't have a source, but I can't imagine any GM not being able to play blindfold. Playing blindfold is not very difficult, and to get a GM you need to be excellent at calculating so that should pretty much automatically qualify you for that. But yes, I don't have a source (and in fact, lack of such a person may be hard to source).  
  > **username_0**: I would love to see your source for "playing blindfold is not very difficult". :)  
  > **username_1**: Source: I can play blindfold and not even that much worse than seeing, so it can't be that hard. :P (and I don't even have any title, never mind GM)  
  > **username_1**: But also, all reasonably strong players I know and have ever asked about this can play blindfold.  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2021-02-01. Score: 2
  
  As of [this post](https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/8719/is-it-common-for-super-grandmasters-to-have-the-ability-to-play-simultaneous-bli) all super grandmasters can play blindfold. For young GMs who are just starting out playing blindfold, they may not be super good at first but they should be able to pick it up quickly. Also, for old GM's it might be harder for them to play blindfold, as short term memory and spatial reasoning might be diminished. But most, if not all, GMs should be able to play blindfold chess.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Those answers are just like the comments to this question. Of course they can, but how to prove it...  
  > **username_0**: Thanks for the linked question, didn't see that!  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2021-02-02. Score: 0
  
  Yes, unless they are very very old. It's probably not an exaggeration to say that essentially everyone rated over 2200 FIDE can do it, and many people who are lower-rated than that as well.
  
  
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