Spaced repetition
Spaced repetition is a study method that revisits material at growing intervals, such as tactics, opening lines or endgame positions, so that knowledge moves into long-term memory instead of fading after one session.
Also called: spaced review
People forget most of what they study unless they see it again at the right moments. Spaced repetition takes advantage of that: you review an item soon after learning it, then after a longer gap, then a longer one again, and each successful recall strengthens the memory.
In chess it suits anything you want to recall quickly and accurately. Opening lines, key endgame positions, tactical patterns and your own past mistakes all fit well. A simple version needs only a notebook or a set of digital cards. Add each position with the correct idea on the back, and review the ones you got wrong more often than the ones you found easy.
A common mistake is reviewing by rereading, which feels productive but tests nothing. Try to produce the answer before you look: name the plan, play the line from memory, or find the winning move. Another mistake is collecting thousands of cards and then never doing the reviews. Keep the set small and meaningful.
A short daily session of ten or fifteen minutes does more than a long weekly one. Combine it with game review so that your cards come from positions you actually met.
Compare it with Study plan. A study plan is a written, realistic schedule that divides your chess training time among tactics, endgames, openings, game review and playing, aimed at the specific weaknesses your own games reveal.
A neighboring idea is Chess training. Chess training is the organized, repeated practice of specific skills such as tactics, endgames, openings and calculation, designed to raise playing strength steadily rather than relying on playing games alone.
A neighboring idea is Endgame study. Endgame study is the focused practice of reduced-material positions, learning the basic checkmates, pawn endings and rook endings that decide many games and sharpen your sense of what each piece is worth.
Training ideas such as "Spaced repetition" work best with a plan built for you, and the first lesson with George Li produces one from your own games.
Related terms
A study plan is a written, realistic schedule that divides your chess training time among tactics, endgames, openings, game review and playing, aimed at the specific weaknesses your own games reveal.
Pattern recognition is the ability to see familiar arrangements of pieces and pawns, such as tactical motifs and typical structures, and to recall what they usually mean without calculating from scratch.
A puzzle theme is a label for the tactical idea a puzzle teaches, such as a fork, a pin or a back rank mate, so that training can be grouped by pattern and weaknesses can be targeted directly.
An opening repertoire is the personal menu of opening lines a player has decided to rely on, so that with either color they know where they are heading and have answers ready for the opponent's most likely choices.
Tactics training is deliberate practice at spotting and calculating short forcing sequences, such as forks, pins and mating attacks, usually through puzzles, so that these opportunities are found quickly in real games.
Deliberate practice is focused training aimed at a specific weakness, done slightly beyond your comfort level with clear goals and immediate feedback, as opposed to simply playing or reading about chess for enjoyment.
Guides that go further
What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid.
How much does chess coaching cost?
Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each.
A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li.
Want to spot this in your own games?
A first lesson starts with your games: George reviews them and builds a study plan around what he finds.