Chess players’ memory

Famous Armenian chess player and writer Ashot Nadanian once mentioned that he can easily recall chess games played some 20 years ago, but cannot remember his mobile phone number. We decided to ask the World Championship participants whether their memory plays jokes with them.

Is good memory important to succeed in chess? Does it help in everyday life?

– A good question. Recently I began to complain about my memory. I have to remember too much information, so I try to forget the least useful stuff. My head is like a computer that must be cleaned from time to time. I remember the games I played, but sometimes forget conversations with my friends, which makes them feel offended sometimes.

– I know some people remember hundreds and thousands of games, but I don’t have such talents unfortunately. I do remember my games from this championship, but I’ll forget them in a few days. I only remember a general shape, a pattern of every game, but not the details. I am much better with historical dates and facts. My trainer, on the other hand, does not remember any dates, but has a very good memory for variations. I’d like to have this ability myself!

– Well, I used to have a very good memory. Now it is not as good as some years ago, but still it’s okay. Surely, I can remember 6 out of 10 games! Can’t say it helps me much in everyday life, for example I cannot remember all the birthdays of my friends, but definitely the brain becomes more exercised.

– Can’t say I remember all my games, but I surely remember what I played yesterday. I think it is different for everybody, and a strong player does not necessarily need phenomenal memory. The theory is developed very deeply these days, and even a person with fantastic memory cannot remember everything. My everyday memory is nothing special.

Human memory is selective, otherwise life would become a nightmare. We need to be able to forget unfortunate things and move on to new heights. We wish all the best to our players and hope good memory helps them to create some exciting games.