Blindfold mode reset after each game

[mmixu]

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Start a game with the computer
2. Active blindfold mode from menu
3. Finish the game, start a new one
4. You can see pieces again, the blindfold mode is reset.

Operating system

Windows 11

Browser and version (or alternate access method)

Firefox 121.0, Chrome 120.0.6099.200

Additional information

Annoying for blindfold accounts where you have to enable the setting in each game. Zen mode from the same menu works normally and doesn't reset.

[schlawg]

what if you have 2 games ongoing and one is blindfold and one is not? Which status is remembered?

It is inconvenient for those used to the preference but on the whole, it's better this way.

[glbert-does]

what if you have 2 games ongoing and one is blindfold and one is not? Which status is remembered?

if possible, the one that was saved last.

by the way, afaik mods recommend to play blindfold only on a dedicated blindfold account. playing rated blindfold games on an account that is not dedicated would be considered sandbagging.

so as far as i can see, the way it is now makes it inconvenient for almost everyone. who even plays 2 games at the same time with only one of them blindfold? maybe some streamers do stunts like that.

[schlawg]

I'm not sure we have to worry about anyone mixing blindfold and non-blindfold rated games, but why is that sand-bagging if the intention to win remains? Going berserk isn't sandbagging is it?

[schlawg]

Look what it's possible to do now. You can stare at a puzzle for a bit and then hide the pieces and try to solve it without enduring 3 page reloads. It's a great way to dip your toe into blindfold play. We're not going back to the old way.

I could be arm-twisted to make an "always start new games in blindfold mode" preference if enough people make the case that the inconvenience of actively enabling it at the start of each game is too much to bear. Currently I think it's not worth it as everyone likes to point out to me that there's probably less than a 500 blindfolders on lichess tops

[glbert-does]

Going berserk isn't sandbagging is it?

no, but if you think all the mods are very happy about the berserk option in rated games, you haven't talked to many mods.

Look what it's possible to do now. You can stare at a puzzle for a bit and then hide the pieces and try to solve it without enduring 3 page reloads. It's a great way to dip your toe into blindfold play.

i do not understand why "a great way to dip your toe into blindfold" has to be more convenient than what i like to call "actual blindfold play".

Currently I think it's not worth it as everyone likes to point out to me that there's probably less than a 500 blindfolders on lichess tops

the lichess4545 slack has 103 players in the blindfold-channel (everyone of those btw has a dedicated blindfold account, because that is what we are told to do).
based on that i wager there are a lot more than 500 on lichess proper. additionally, i am certain there are more than people doing half-blind puzzles.

...

don't get me wrong. i am not mad about this. but it's not a decision i understand. it seems to me it was made by people who do not actually play blindfold themselves.

[schlawg]

Maybe you're talking about the removal of the preference. That was an afterthought I thought would appeal to thibault and get the change merged. Originally I had a "b" shortcut to toggle it as well but that was removed in the merge.

So you understand, the decision to store blindfold status as part of the game object was to fix issues such as seeing pieces in the mini-boards in lobby and activity views, and also to ease the burden of switching. I realize you guys have told our users to make a separate account to play blindfold but that is an unfortunate workaround for lack of separate blindfold ratings which we also refuse to implement.

When you say this decision was made by people who do not actually play blindfold themselves, you mean me of course. I can unmake this decision as well. Do we just want the preference back? Like "Start every game in blindfold mode"?

[adamstallard]

@schlawg Yes, we want the preference back, i.e. "Start every game in blindfold mode" and also the "b" shortcut key.

[ornicar]

We won't add a preference that starts all games in blindfold mode. It would be very niche, and it's not necessary now that games can be individually turned to blindfold from the board menu.

To get the extra convenience you look for, you could use a simple usercript that automates it.

[adamstallard]

Maybe you're talking about the removal of the preference. That was an afterthought I thought would appeal to thibault and get the change merged. Originally I had a "b" shortcut to toggle it as well but that was removed in the merge.

The shortcut could be related to this bug I found. #14477 . I've used blindfold mode + keyboard input with no issues in the past, but since the latest release, keyboard input with bishops ("B") is broken.

[adamstallard]

We won't add a preference that starts all games in blindfold mode. It would be very niche, and it's not necessary now that games can be individually turned to blindfold from the board menu.

To get the extra convenience you look for, you could use a simple usercript that automates it.

Who are the niche that you created blindfold for in the first place, though?

On chess.com, blindfold mode is just a piece set. That would work for me. On lichess, we have a checkers set, so that's a good first step. I would suggest adding the following piece sets for various stages of blindfold training.

• mono colored pieces (regular pieces, but all black)
• mono colored checkers (all black)
• invisible pieces

[adamstallard]

If anyone cares, I published a one-liner stylus script to hide the board. Then you can use the stylus extension to turn the whole board on or off (for the current or future games) with a key combination.

[AltriaChan]

If anyone cares, I published a one-liner stylus script to hide the board. Then you can use the stylus extension to turn the whole board on or off (for the current or future games) with a key combination.

If I remove a board, what do I click to move the piece?