“Life is like a game of chess. To win you have to make a move. Knowing which move to make comes with insight and knowledge, and by learning the lessons that are accumulated along the way. We become every piece within the game called life!”
― Allan Rufus, The Master’s Sacred Knowledge

On the occasion of World Chess Day on 20 July, I feel proud to write about the hobby of playing chess. Chess is one of the oldest games that people still play. The beauty of this game is that though it was started in the 6th century in India, the whole world plays this indoor game today.

Previously known as chaturanga, chess is a great hobby because there are many different ways that one can enjoy this game. The most traditional way is by inviting our friends and family to play chess with us.

Chess has seen a surge in popularity, transcending language and culture. It is one of the most challenging and intellectually-stimulating hobbies out there. But playing chess can make you feel comfortable and relaxed. It is a civil game and is fun as well.

Just about anyone can play chess. It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old — it is a simply satisfying game that enhances your logic and reasoning skills.

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Dear Ashwin,

You sound discouraged that you cannot remember everything from your teacher’s lecture. But you know what? Thinking that you can remember — but then forgetting — is normal!

Do look up The Forgetting Curve on the Internet and you will realise that the biggest drop in remembering happens soon after learning. Not only this, but memory also becomes weaker with time, so even if you revise, you will remember only some of it after a week. Our nervous system works on the principle ‘Use it or lose it’. Hence, revise at regular intervals.

For good memory, you need to: 1) Take an interest in the topic — it is the key to remembering; 2) Make meaning: connect the topic to something you know. E.g. — Look for ways that you can use it in real life. 3) Organize your information — chunk or group the information into topics and sub-topics so that you remember one group together; also, transfer information from text form to diagrams, mind maps, concept maps, tables, etc.. 4) Make it fun — if you associate something funny with certain topics, you won’t forget them. Fun is also about connecting it to something you enjoy, e.g., a sport, or movies, etc. And fun is also about playing while you learn. 5) Solve practice papers – lots of them.

Finally, if you would like to, you can get the following books: Learning How to Learn by Barbara Oakley & Terence Sejnowski and Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential by Barbara Oakley; Improve your Memory, Study and Reading Skills Creatively by V. Tucker (Better Yourself Books, Mumbai).

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Dear Shraddha,

The tragic death of this boy whom you loved has shocked you. Looks like you feel numb inside and are unable to feel your grief. Please know that it is okay to give yourself some time to come to terms with his going.

While he may not be present in physical form, you do feel his presence. Perhaps this is his message to you: That there is no need for you to ‘move on’ but there is a need to acknowledge that he has gone and he will remain with you in your memory.

It is important to honour this connection that you feel and express it. Perhaps you can create a small space at home for a short period of time to honour his memory. You could draw something that reminds you of him or keep a picture or object that you connect with him — maybe a picture of the sunset? Then light a diya or a candle in memory of him every day for some time. Keep some flowers. If you prefer to express yourself in writing, you can keep a journal of your feelings. At the same time, if you feel you need more help, it would be good if you can meet a counsellor in person.

Remember that while you grieve for him right now, he would certainly want you to live your life and blossom over the years. Perhaps he wanted you to find your inner strength and has become your invisible guide.

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It is a matter of common concern for students, teachers and parents on how students can remember their lessons so that they can reproduce properly what they have learnt and score high marks in their exams. Many of us strongly believe that memory means learning by heart.

When I was a schoolboy, my mother took up my lessons. She insisted that I repeat everything from the textbook or notebook, word for word in a parrot-like fashion. If there was a slight mistake, she would squeeze my ears! My friends and I constantly grumbled about this way of learning.

As a judge at many school and college competitions in elocution and debating, I witnessed participants begin with a bang and then suddenly stop because they forgot their lines. You can see the embarrassment on their faces. The same thing can happen when writing exams and valuable time is lost. So if you want to build up a good memory, don’t memorize!

Chandrika is in Std. IX. She can sing old and the latest film songs and wins many antakshari competitions, yet her mother complains that she cannot remember her lessons. Kishore who is in Std. VIII can rattle out the batting statistics of his favourite cricketer to near perfection, but finds it difficult to remember the dates in his history lessons.

Memory depends upon two main factors:

1. Interest: We are determined to remember film songs and cricket statistics because these interest us. We also remember the hates, the hurts and the grudges that we have against people because we are interested in getting even with them in the future.

2. Practice: Chandrika remembers film songs because she sings them again and again. So does Kishore; he reads cricket statistics again and again. So practice does enable us to remember.

Together with interest and practice there is a strong desire to remember things that we like. That’s why we make it a point to remember only those things. So if you want to cultivate a strong memory to remember your lessons, build a positive attitude with the following tips:

• a. Feel confident about yourself. Trust yourself and your memory, so that you feel good about yourself and begin to read and learn with interest.
• b. Have a reason for remembering. Nothing happens by chance. There is a cause for every effect. When you want to remember anything, have a strong and genuine reason. This helps you to motivate yourself particularly when there is no support or backing from others.

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Benjamin Storm, assistant professor, University of California, says: “Saving acts as a form of offloading. By ensuring that certain information will be digitally accessible, we can re-allocate cognitive resources. We tend to think of forgetting as happening when memory fails, but research suggests that forgetting plays an essential role in supporting the adaptive functioning of memory and cognition.”

Students used computers to study pairs of PDF files. The students had 20 seconds to study File A before closing it, with half being told to save it. They then studied File B, and were tested on the details on both. Students remembered more from File B when they had saved File A than when they simply closed it

Professor Storm says: “By treating computers and other digital devices as extensions of memory, people may be protecting themselves from the costs of forgetting while taking advantage of the benefits.”

“Coming up with a new idea or solving a problem often requires that we think outside the box, so to speak, and forgetting previous information allows us to do that,” says Professor Storm. “By helping us to reduce the accessibility of old information, saving may facilitate our ability to think of new ideas and solve difficult problems.”

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Subjects played the memory game Concentration in which players memorize images on cards and try to identify them after the cards have been covered up. Half the subjects studied the cards before they were covered; the other half were allowed to take notes. The note-takers did significantly worse than the group that knew they had to concentrate on the images and position of the cards.

Researchers concluded that “participants adopted an intentional-forgetting strategy when using notes to store certain types of information.” Taking notes didn’t improve memory; it made recall worse because the brain was forgetting as fast as its owner was writing.

So the next time your teacher asks why you’re not taking notes, explain that you want to make sure you remember!

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