Memorizing Pro Games?

[Solomon]

I guess I should specify: what I mean to ask is if there's actually a benefit to memorizing the games rather than just playing through them, trying out variations and studying the positions?

If you play through the game thoroughly (ideally, with commentary) and study the variations and the positions, you should already have naturally memorized the game.

[OtakuViking]

For strong SDK game memorization I would recommend using the games of Shusaku in invincible, memorizing all the variations and the 'game story' of how things develop. This not only makes it easier to remember the game, but makes important points in invincible stick quite well. So games with variations and comments are very good to memorize.

If you want to just go old school and memorize some pro games from something like gokifu.com or old archives, then go ahead. But stay away from games with too much fighting and complicated Joseki. Japanese games from the period 1970-1990's is best cause the style is more simple and 'proper' compared to the modern hard fighting and complicated styles with attachments etc.



Now, I've tried the second part. The novelty soon wore off and I stopped, but it did help me a little. I imagine if you continued, gathering a large 'folder' of different games/moves in your mind, then it can be extremely useful. To truly benefit from this, you'd have to memorize alot of games, not just 5 or 10, althrough you'll still get some benefit from that. In other words, I think benefit grows exponentially here, so starting out and spending hours every single day memorizing pro games is the kind of thing insei would do to get an extra boost to their games. It is also something you can do if you don't have a teacher and want to learn proper form/shapes etc, but for many people memorizing 'raw' games is a waste of time. Doing tsumego and tesuji problems + playing and reviewing your games is the way to go until you reach atleast KGS 3d probably higher still as 3d KGS isn't that strong (Compared to insei who do it?)

But, the benefit and fun factor from memorizing the games in invincible while going through it can be great. So If you want to give this a shot I highly recommend going this route instead of going 'raw'



Having said that, here are the games I memorized before I stopped it. I might continue this experiment some other time when I have more time on my hands. I call it a partial success. One last thing I found as I repeated the games on my real board day after day. I began understanding moves that were previously quite hard for me to grasp. I began to get a deeper understanding of why someone played in a certain way. The flow of the game etc. So if initially you don't understand the whole game that isn't a big deal. If you replay it enough times, even a beginner will start to intuitively understand certain things and I think that can be very helpful.


Note: Contains 11 SGF files of games I selected for myself to memorize. I've memorized all of them.
Principles:
*Simple and easy to understand
*Short'ish
*No or very little ko
*Something interesting like a novel shape or fascinating proper move or reinforcement. Something eyecatching.

[sparky314]

I have a terrible memory. I can remember maybe the first 10 moves, and get an idea of what moves were played after that, or particular sequences, but I do enjoy playing out professional games and studying them.

I'm not sure about the value in just memorizing. I'm only a SDK, and I just started really looking at pro games, but isn't it more beneficial to study the moves - play a move, figure out why it was played, where to play next (as both players), etc, instead of just memorizing?

Useful advice:
http://senseis.xmp.net/?BenjaminTeuber%2FGuideToBecomeStrong#toc9

[xed_over]

One last thing I found as I repeated the games on my real board day after day. I began understanding moves that were previously quite hard for me to grasp. I began to get a deeper understanding of why someone played in a certain way. The flow of the game etc. So if initially you don't understand the whole game that isn't a big deal. If you replay it enough times, even a beginner will start to intuitively understand certain things and I think that can be very helpful.

I found this to be true for me as well

[xed_over]

I have a terrible memory. I can remember maybe the first 10 moves, and get an idea of what moves were played after that, or particular sequences, but I do enjoy playing out professional games and studying them.

Your memory will improve with practice.
I've been better able to remember my own games after doing this.

I'm not sure about the value in just memorizing. I'm only a SDK, and I just started really looking at pro games, but isn't it more beneficial to study the moves - play a move, figure out why it was played, where to play next (as both players), etc, instead of just memorizing?

Don't worry so much about actual memorization. It kind of just happens naturally with the practice of playing through the games.

Study the moves if you like, or don't. Eventually, the study is really the point, but initially, not so much (depending on your own level of understanding). I'll make up my own reasons for the moves, as it aids in the memorization -- when the moves have a reason and purpose, then you'll know why they were played and it becomes no effort to memorize them. Its okay if your reasons are wrong, as you'll revise and improve your reasoning as you go along and learn to study deeper.

[bombur]

In my opinion you can learn from any aspect of studying if you have an open mind....however pro games themselves can be hard to digest for inexperienced players. I would recommend looking at sites like gogameguru.com which has commentated pro games for free explaining their moves. I would also not shy away from looking at amateur games as well. Ive watched some extremely high level amateur games on the AGA channel and they usually have commentary as well. Youtube will also have players stream games and they will often discuss strategy and technique as they are making their moves

Memorizing is great, but if you are unable to apply what you memorize to your own games because you do not understand, you will be essentially making a house of cards that will at some point fall over when you have to "swim" on your own

[mumps]

I think there is value in playing through pro games even if you're a weak player.

Don't bother to try and understand too much, unless you're a Dan player. You will gradually get a feel for what is the right move and, more importantly, what are the good shapes you should try to emulate in your games.

[mumps]

BTW it's probably best to play them out on the board from a paper diagram because that will gradually teach you which part of the board is any time as you will initially be hunting round for the right area for the next move! Technology doesn't always help with learning...

[Bill Spight]

Memorizing is great, but if you are unable to apply what you memorize to your own games because you do not understand, you will be essentially making a house of cards that will at some point fall over when you have to "swim" on your own

Well, of course, if you are unable to apply what you memorize, why do it? But that is a big if. It is not easy to memorize something if it does not mean anything to you.

When I was first learning go, I avoided memorization, preferring to work things out if possible. But now I wonder if there is not a place for memorization. For one thing, the ancients in all cultures that I know about stressed memorization. Maybe they were on to something. For another, learning go is somewhat like learning a foreign language, and memorization plays an important role in that.

[Joelnelsonb]

I've come to think of memorizing games the same way I think of memorizing songs as musician. The only reason I would ever memorize a song that I didn't write is to help break it down and better understand all the working parts, ultimately for the sake of furthering my understanding of music in general. Nonetheless, you can't really apply something if you don't understand the concept behind it, as was said. But! I believe that with either a pro game or a piece of music, repetition and memorizing will help you put the whole thing into perspective and better understand how one part effects another. I think it particularly worth noting places where players seemingly break the "rules" or violate different theoretical principles but it ends up working out anyways.