Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ PhotoReading, Memory Optimizer Any Chess players here that did photoreading?

Today, I went to Borders bookstore and I am thinking I would go back to my interest in chess. You could say my interest in chess has been revived. I met a couple of guys into chess and played a few games. I learned that I could use a lot of learning and more practice. They showed me a few books that would help out a lot.

I was wondering if there is are any chess players here that I can talk to about photoreading and how it helped you. What methods you have used to learn chess?

I know there was a testimonial about someone. But I would love to speak to a chessplayer into photoreading. I am not saying that person in the testimonial is not real no. I just hope that I can speak to a chessplayer who has used photoreading.

I am thinking being able to absorb one chessbook in a day would dramatically improve my chess.

I tend to take to books slowly.

Parag

Parag,

I'm not a very good chess player, but I have used photoreading to activate books on chess to try to improve my game.

My experience was I was able to get through the book rather quickly, but you still need to play out the moves.

For example, in one chapter about forking, there is no way I'd be able to remember all the series of moves unless I physically had a chessboard in front of me and did them over and over again from similar situations.

I would suspect the results might differ a little bit if you were to try Direct Learning with some books that actually just listed the moves of champions in different games. It could work, though I haven't tried it.

I also do martial arts, and if it's one thing I learned from it, in order to get better you really just have to spar with someone. It's the same opinion I have with chess.

Basically, DLing some stuff on chess or PRing and activating chess material is probably beneficial, but I don't think it could replace spending a similar amount of time playing chess against someone else.

-Ramon

Have you ever tried playing most of a chess game while in PhotoFocus? I've noticed I play a lot better when doing this. Apparantly the other-than-conscious mind is able to recognize certain areas of defense, vulnerability, and weaknesses in the other player, too a lot easier if you're watching much of it in PhotoFocus.

-youngprer

I am a photoreader and an international rated Chess player with an elo of 2400+. Did photoreading improve my chess game? That I am not sure of, but as in I could not prove it scientificaly but I personally believe it did! Well, I had a good general knowlege of the openings, the italian, the spanish (Ruy Lopez), Pretrov's deffence (Russian game), Scandinavian deffence, Sicilian deffence ect. After I photo read several chess opening books (some 500 - 1000 pages in length) I had absolutly no results. I tried to access the information I was sure my brain had seen but it did not come to me. Well I totally forgot about it when one day, ( Nearly 3 months later) I started to play a game against a good friend of mine who happends to be a FIDE Chess master and I actually won! Well afterwards we anylized the game and he told me that all my opening moves were theoretical and by the book! I was shocked because my style of play is usually unorthodox by move 15! Here is the intersting part! I played a sicilian varation by book down to move 35. I went home and checked to see if that same varation was in any of my books. It turns out that it was one of the famous games annotated in my book by Eric Schiller!

I believe photoreading can help increase your understanding of what you already know but it wont give you certain skills I think you are looking for. You must master the basic skills on your own. PR a book on how to play better chess will not help you unless it is completely in text and it is something you could understand conscioucly.

So now to your question: Photoreading can help you but it really depends on what you would like to use it for.

If you have any questions about photorading or chess in general feel free to email me @ Shajjika@yahoo.com. yes that is two "js" no typo. Shajjika@yahoo.com or you can just post on the forum.

GL

- Fritz

Thanks, Fritz, youngpreper and ramon for answering my post.

Parag

Fritz:

You are saying that photoreading will not help you see pictures? I realize photoreading does not replace practice of the area you are trying to learn.

Parag

>There's no opening theory at move 35. You can re-play a game to book but not a single named variation up to move 35.
>elo 2400+ would make you atleast a FIDE Master.
>I have played games against many IM's and GM's and won not playing from any in-depth opening theory, not that it matters on an amateur or intermediate level anyway. Opening theory at these levels is almost irrevalent compared to the tactically blunders that occur.

>You can't photoread tactics puzzles or whole games really unless they are accompanied by good analysis and you have good board vision. Internal board vision is very helpful (if you can play blindfold chess well then this will help your other than conscious mind process the games more efficiently).
>You can't expect spontaneous activation of the material you read. However if you have read a book already instead of re-reading it (normally or in an accelerative learning state) photoreading it then SR and Dipping is best.
>I believe it is much better to syntopically read some books on a topic. For example. Pawn structure and pawn structures for the openings you play would be something great for syntopic reading. Most strategy would be good to photoread, but as i said you can't expect spontaneous activation. Though it can happen.
>At the beginning or just getting back into chess level however it would be much more beneficial for you to play alot of games with minimum of allegro timing (15mins each) and not play too much lightning (5mins each) chess. Also studying tactics will help alot, just basic tactics and basic checkmates alone will improve your game if you are just getting back into it.
>check out the site www.danheisman.com i think it is, he has some nice articles on there. www.chessclub.com www.worldchessnetwork.com www.chess21.com
These are all places you can play chess online, it is my opinion that the world chess network has the most friendly atmosphere and this month they will be having ex world-champion GM Boris Spassky (you might remember him playing Bobby Fischer) coming by as well as their regular FM's (FIDE Master), IM's (International Master) and GM's (Grand Master).

Goodluck.

Oh the paraliminal Memory Supercharger is a good one to get if you don't already have it!

G.