Visual Memory Test on a Chessboard: Board Memory
Remember where the pawns stand, then tap every square they stood on.
Visual memory test on a chessboard
Board Memory is a visual memory test played on a real chessboard. White pawns flash on the board, then vanish, and you tap every square they stood on. Level 1 is one pawn and every level adds one. A wrong square costs a heart and replays the level; the third ends the run.
The pawns appear in a lit window that grows from 3 by 3 squares to most of the board, and once it holds 24 pawns the look gets shorter instead.
What is a good score?
Your score is the last level you cleared. A typical first run ends around level 10. Level 12 puts you in the top quarter (Club), 14 in the top tenth (Expert) and 18 in the top 1% (GM).
Why chess players train it
Strong players remember positions as groups of pieces rather than one square at a time, and the same picture is what you calculate on when the pieces stay still. Unlike most memorization games, this one is played on the board you think on. To remember an order rather than a picture, try the sequence memory test, or look for what moved in Spot the Change.
Questions
What is the average score on this visual memory test?
A typical first run ends around level 10, that is 10 pawns remembered at once. The top quarter of players reaches level 12.
Is this like Human Benchmark's visual memory test?
The idea is the same: squares light up, you recreate them, and you have three lives. Here the grid is a chessboard, the squares hold pawns, and your result is placed against chess strength tiers.
How can I improve my visual memory?
Group the pawns into shapes, a line, a triangle, a pair, instead of learning squares one by one, and name the shapes to yourself. Play a few runs often rather than many at once.
Does a visual memory test help at chess?
It trains holding a picture of the board, which you need to calculate without moving the pieces. It is a warm-up, not a replacement for playing and reviewing your games.