For centuries select chess masters have demonstrated their superior skill of playing chess games in an exhibition mode called Sans Voir or blindfolded chess. These events often pit one player blindfolded against another who could see and move his pieces with a referee conveying moves and moving the blindfolded player's pieces. Sa'id bin Jubair is thought to have been the first to have performed this feat.
Even more impressive is the multi-game sans voir exhibition. Some of the best chess players in history (Morphy, Pilsbury, and Alkehine) were able to play multiple blindfolded games simultaneously against other chess masters and dominate their opponents.
https://sites.google.com/site/caroluschess/modern-history/blindfold-chess\
While I have studied chess and practiced play for many years, I have no hope of ever becoming a chess master let alone playing chess sans voir and winning games against other chess masters. I have a great deal of respect for those who have honed their skills and mastered openings, middle game strategies, and end game techniques so much so that they can envision the board and keep track of the pieces as they move in their own minds without the use of the chess board itself.
Let me ask this question then, what does it take to practice faith sans voir? So many times I hear the term "blind faith" criticized as ridiculous, foolish, or uneducated. Let me say that when I practice blind faith trusting the God I serve, it is only because I have practiced faith with sight and have trained my senses to discern good from evil (Hebrews 5:13-14). Ridicule me if you will. Perhaps you have never played a chess game before so you do not understand the feat it is to play sans voir. Perhaps you don't appreciate what experiences have led me to the point where I can practice my faith sans voir.
