I’ve been working on improving at chess for a few years now, and early on in the process I was introduced to a very interesting technique for learning and memorization called Spaced Repetition.
The idea of spaced repetition is that after we learn something, we immediately start to forget it. Let’s say we’re trying to learn a bunch of vocabulary words in a foreign language. After each day, our memory of any given word we learned fades a little bit.
However, if at some point we review or actively recall the word from memory, refreshing it in our minds, then our knowledge becomes whole again. This is why learning a language tends to be more effective when it’s done by immersion. We are forced to recall and use what we’ve learned often.
There’s an additional benefit to this active recall: after we’ve done it, we start to gradually forget the word again, BUT the memory fades more slowly this time. Then, if we let a bit more time pass, and once again actively recall the word, then our memory will start to fade even more slowly the next time.
This is called the Forgetting Curve, and it’s the key to spaced repetition.
Spaced Repetition is an algorithm which takes advantage of the forgetting curve to optimize how we learn and memorize information. The algorithm, roughly, is as follows:
- Learn a piece of information, let’s say it’s a vocabulary word on a flash card.
- Schedule a time in the future (perhaps in one day) to quiz yourself on the card.
- At the scheduled time, quiz yourself to see if you can recall the word.
- If you recall it correctly, reschedule the card for double the amount of time that you had scheduled it for previously (if it was one day, schedule it for two days. If it was two, schedule it for four. And so on).
- If you did not recall it correctly, reschedule the card for one day in the future, and restart the process.
Several of the “specifics” of the algorithm’s timing can be tweaked (and there are several software tools that can help) but this is the general idea. It optimizes the forgetting curve by having you recall the information just as you’re about to forget it, such that you remember it for longer and longer after each review.
I’ve been using this a LOT for chess, and I use it for two distinct things:
- General learning. Things like best moves in positions, endgame practice, and so on. I use a general-purpose spaced repetition tool for this.
- Opening training. Chess openings are tricky, and require spaced repetition for a large number of positions, so I use a tool specifically designed for opening training for this part of my study.
For general spaced repetition training, I recommend Anki. It’s an app that you can install on your computer or phone, and there is also a web version of it. At its core, it simply allows you to create flashcards, and it will present them to you using a spaced repetition algorithm. But if you want to dig deeper, it has a lot of power. You can create custom card fields and templates, tweak the spaced repetition settings, create multiple “decks” and customize them separately, and even add plugins for additional functionality.
Currently, my “Chess” deck in Anki contains 322 cards which I have learned. That’s a lot of stuff that I would otherwise probably be forgetting without it.
There is no “one size fits all” tip for learning new things, and spaced repetition is not a silver bullet. But for memorization and solidifying concepts or mind skills, spaced repetition is something I’ve been having a good bit of success with. I hope you find that it helps you in some way as well!
