03 Aug '07 15:54

Originally posted by buddy2
I have a garage full of flashcards, just on the Ruy Lopez Breyer Line alone!

Seriously, flashcards can be a valuable asset to learning vocabulary or some kind of specific fact, but, again, i don't think they would be useful on openings.

Vocabulary I can see they'd be useful for, and in some other subjects used wisely. The general problem with these systems is that they encourage people to think that they're universally useful - like any tool you can't use them to do everything - a hammer is no good if what you have is a screw.

I think with openings it's hopeless - if you have some sort of system where you have a printout of a position and what "the right move" is on the back of the card then a) you'd need millions of the things 1 garage just wouldn't be enough (that made me laugh - have a rec.), and b) you could fall for the trap of thinking that because your opponent has made some move which isn't on one of your cards then it must be bad - at least that strikes me as the danger. Also there's the same problem as with databases in correspondence chess, you get to the end of the line and find yourself in a position you don't understand.

Only Chess Forum

Memorizing With Flashcards