committing games to memory

i was on a site, which said that unless you can remember 43 games you don't get in the their club, ok i did not want to join the club anyway, but i do want to commit to memory certain games. therefore i needed a hook, so what i did was limit the games to under twenty moves, (some are just a little over, some are under) and starting with the alphabet pick two games each of masters beginning in alphabetical order, so for A, i chose Alekhine, for B, i chose Bird, for C i chose Capablanca, and for D i chose Diemer, so far i have committed to memory eight games of chess, each of about twenty moves duration, all ending in mate. this was fairly easy, because the moves are remembered via opening principles and most of the sequences are very sharp and forcing, what i want to know is, will this make me a better chess player or will it have a detrimental effect, or make no difference whatsoever

any thoughts appreciated

regards Robbie.

Well, for a start, you are practicing your memory. Isn't that a good thing..?

Hi,

A.J. Goldsby recommends on one of his webpages memorising chess games. He even provided a "success story" - a few of his students who memorised X games (I don't remember the exact number) in their early stage of chess study becames masters/very strong players.

jarrasch

Originally posted by jarrasch
Hi,

A.J. Goldsby recommends on one of his webpages memorising chess games. He even provided a "success story" - a few of his students who memorised X games (I don't remember the exact number) in their early stage of chess study becames masters/very strong players.

jarrasch

Hi, do you happen to know the site address - regards Robbie.

its ok, i think i found it

http://www.geocities.com/lifemasteraj/

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
i was on a site, which said that unless you can remember 43 games you don't get in the their club, ok i did not want to join the club anyway, but i do want to commit to memory certain games. therefore i needed a hook, so what i did was limit the games to under twenty moves, (some are just a little over, some are under) and starting with the alphabet ...[text shortened]... mental effect, or make no difference whatsoever

any thoughts appreciated

regards Robbie.

I doubt that memorizing 20 games will make a big difference in your playing strength. It may help a little, but without understanding the logic or reasons for these moves, the only thing you'll accomplish is being able to join that club. 😏

I think the key is to memorize the games with the ideas and analysis in mind. Example: if you like the particular themes of a game, or how a master closed the deal on a win, it may even be easier to memorize because you will remember what the analysis said and then be able to remember the move(s) in that position that led to the conclusion. I've been trying this with some Kasparov games. What I like about some of his games that I've been playing over is how he is aggressive, but also very patient in order to convert the win. Even though he builds up a strong attack he knows when to simplify or when to make a quiet preperation move instead going all out on an attack. There is also a particular game where Tal did this, basically he got a better position and material advantage of a piece, simplified to an endgame, and then sac'd his piece, the position resulting was a textbook king vs king and pawn winning endgame. It shows that master's don't try to hang on to material or try for a flashy win when they know they can secure a win by simplyfing.

The point is that these few games I've been playing over I have been able to memorize (or at least getting there) AND I now realize why each move is played. When I get stuck I think: What was he trying to accomplish, and when I remember the idea the move jumps out. I think in the long run your brain stores this info and can apply it to games you play in the future.

Originally posted by passedpawn22
I think the key is to memorize the games with the ideas and analysis in mind. Example: if you like the particular themes of a game, or how a master closed the deal on a win, it may even be easier to memorize because you will remember what the analysis said and then be able to remember the move(s) in that position that led to the conclusion. I've been ...[text shortened]... the long run your brain stores this info and can apply it to games you play in the future.

yes this is the key i think, infact, the only practical way to try to remember games is to remember the ideas behind the moves, the principles that were involved or indeed the violation of principles or even the violation of principles that led to an advantage! thus not only are we learning why a move was played, but we are able to avoid scenarios when the principle was violated and even further than that once we know the principles we can violate them if we think it will lead to an advantage! its interesting is it not?

I might be able to memorize 43 fool's mate games... I wonder if they'd let me into the club based on that. 😏

Idk, my guess is that trying to memorize entire games is too inefficient. Probably better to just go over annotated master games and hope that certain patterns, positions, and ideas stick with you. Just my two cents worth.

Memorizing games will do nothing except make you an enormous geek.

Originally posted by Sam The Sham
Memorizing games will do nothing except make you an enormous geek.

but i am already a chess geek, plus i have an anorak! in fact i love my anorak, Geeks are now cool my friend, cool dudes got nuthin! plus chicks dig Geeks! just ask my rather beautiful wife!

Every 20 memorized games will improve your Elo by fifty points.

Originally posted by Wulebgr
Every 20 memorized games will improve your Elo by fifty points.

Splendid, if I can memorise 1120 games I'll be world number 1.

I'd better get cracking then...

I remembered... Oh, I forgot.

Remembering the key ideas is the main thing.

The more games you play over the more ideas you get.

You will find you will do very little original thinking - 99% of what
you play you will have seen before. (even the one move blunders).

No harm in knowing off by heart loads of short sharp wins.
It's good to have a bucket load of games to show on tap to
students of the game.

Agree - Geeks are cool.

its really difficult to get a chess player whose surname begins with E, all i can find is Max Ewue, who will never the less suffice!