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Memory sport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Memory sport, sometimes referred to as competitive memory or the mind sport of
memory, refers to competitions in which participants attempt to memorize then
recall different forms of information, under certain guidelines. The sport has been
formally developed since 1991 and features national and international
championships.

One common type of competition involves memorizing the order of randomized cards in
as little time as possible, after which the competitor is required to arrange new
decks of cards in the same order.

Mnemonic techniques are generally considered to be a necessary part of competition,

and are improved through extensive practice.[1] These can include the method of
loci, the use of mnemonic linking and chunking, or other techniques for storage and
retrieval of information.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Competitions
3 Designations
4 Techniques
5 Disciplines
6 Records
7 Well-known competitors
8 See also
9 References
10 Software
11 External links
History[edit]
Techniques for training memory are discussed as far back as ancient Greece, and
formal memory training was long considered an important part of basic education
known as the art of memory.[2] However, the development of trained memorization
into a sport is only a development of the late 20th century, and even then has
remained relatively limited in scope. The first worldwide competition was held as
the World Memory Championships in 1991, and has been held again in every year
since, with the exception of 1992.[3]

Competitions[edit]
Following the establishment of the World Memory Championships in 1991, national
competitions have been set up in numerous countries. These include the U.S.
Championships, which started in 1997,[4] the Indian National Memory Championships,
[5] the German Memory Championships,[6] the UK Open Memory Championships, and
others.[7] Other countries with national championships include South Africa,
Australia, Singapore, China, Japan and Mexico.[6][8] An up-to-date list of
competitions can be found at the International Association of Memory statistics
website.[9]

Designations[edit]
The highest designation set up by the World Memory Sports Council, which organizes
the World Memory Championships, is the Grand Master of Memory. Subclassifications
include international grandmaster (IGM), grandmaster (GMM), and international
master (IMM). As of Nov. 2016, there are approximately 200 grandmasters in the
world.[10]

Techniques[edit]
Competitors describe numerous methods and techniques for improving their
memorization skills, with some having published and named their specific methods.
These include, for instance, the Mnemonic dominic system, named after former World
Champion Dominic O'Brien, the Mnemonic major system, as well as the Person-Action-
Object System which involves encoding cards and numbers into sequences of persons,
actions, and objects.[11] These methods are sometimes referred to as
"mnemotechnics".

Joshua Foer has written, "Though every competitor has his own unique method of
memorization for each event, all mnemonic techniques are essentially based on the
concept of elaborative encoding, which holds that the more meaningful something is,
the easier it is to remember."[10]

Disciplines[edit]
While the potential subject matter for memory competitions could be limitless, the
World Memory Championships features ten specific tests as follows:

One Hours Numbers

5 Minute Numbers
Spoken Numbers, read out one per second
30 Minutes Binary Digits
One Hour Playing Cards
Random Lists of Words
Names and Faces (15 minutes)
5 Minute Historic/Future Dates (fictional events and historic years)
Abstract Images (black and white randomly generated spots)
Speed Cards: Memorize the order of one shuffled deck of 52 playing cards as fast as
possible. This is always the last discipline.
In addition to the traditional competitions organized by the World Memory Sports
Council or International Association of Memory, memory athletes often compete at
alternative-format competitions. These include the Memory League Championships
(formerly the Extreme Memory Tournament), Memoriad, and the Memo Games.[12][13][14]

Other types of memory competitions may not feature timed events. For instance,
records for the memorization of p (known as piphilology) have been recorded since
the 1970s, with the current record holder having produced from memory more than
70,000 digits.

Records[edit]
Memory sport continues to have its records broken rapidly.[15] A recent world speed
record for memorizing a deck of cards was 16.96 seconds, held by Alex Mullen of the
United States.[16] A recent world record for the most digits memorized in five
minutes was 520, shared by Marwin Wallonius of Sweden and Alex Mullen.[17] An up-
to-date list of world and national records can be found on the International
Association of Memory statistics website.[18]

Well-known competitors[edit]
Up-to-date world rankings can be found at the International Association of Memory
statistics website.[19]

World champions:[20]

Dominic O'Brien (UK): 8x world memory champion (1991, 1993, 199597, 199901)
Jonathan Hancock (UK): world memory champion (1994)
Andi Bell (UK): 3x world memory champion (1998, 200203)
Clemens Mayer (Germany): 2x world memory champion (200506)
Ben Pridmore (UK): 3x world memory champion (2004, 200809)
Gunther Karsten (Germany): world memory champion (2007)
Wang Feng (China): 2x world memory champion (201011)
Johannes Mallow (Germany): world memory champion (2012)
Jonas von Essen (Sweden): 2x world memory champion (201314)
Alex Mullen (US): 2x world memory champion (201516)
Other:

Joshua Foer (US): author and USA memory champion (2006).[21]

Ed Cooke (UK): author, grandmaster, founder and CEO of Memrise.[22]
Simon Reinhard (Germany): international grandmaster, 4x German champion, 2x vice-
world champion, 2x Extreme Memory Tournament champion.[22][23][24][25]
Marwin Wallonius (Sweden): international grandmaster, 2x Swedish champion, vice-
world champion, world record holder.[26][27][28]
Yanjaa Wintersoul (Mongolia, previously Sweden): international grandmaster,
Gothenburg Open champion, world record achiever.[26][29][30]
Nelson Dellis (US): 4x USA memory champion (201112, 201415), grandmaster.[21][22]
Ron White (US): 2x USA memory champion (200910).[21]
Lance Tschirhart (US): international grandmaster, world record holder in spoken
numbers.[31][28]
Huang Shenghua (China): international grandmaster, vice-world champion.[26][32][33]
Shi Binbin (China): international grandmaster, 2x Chinese champion, world record
achiever.[26][34][35]
Prateek Yadav (India): international grandmaster, 4x Indian champion.[36]
Ola Kare Risa (Norway): international grandmaster, Norwegian No. 1, world record
achiever.[26][37][38]
Boris Konrad (Germany): international grandmaster, world record achiever.[26][39]
[40]
Christian Schafer (Germany): international grandmaster.[26][41]
Katie Kermode (UK): world record holder in words, names and faces.[28][42]
Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag (Mongolia): international grandmaster.[26][43]
Purevjav Erdenesaikhan (Mongolia): international grandmaster, Mongolian champion,
2015 junior world champion.[26][44][45]
Daniel Tammet (UK): writer and autistic savant.
See also[edit]
Anamonic
Chunking (psychology)
Eidetic memory
Exceptional memory
Haraguchi's mnemonic system
Interference theory
Linkword
Memory
Memoriad
Mentalism
Method of loci
Mnemonic dominic system
Mnemonic goroawase system
Mnemonic link system
Mnemonic major system
Mnemonic peg system
Mnemonist
Piphilology
Serial position effect
Spacing effect
The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two
Von Restorff effect
Zeigarnik effect
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "Contact Us - The World Memory Championships".
worldmemorychampionships.com. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ Foer, Joshua (February 15, 2011). "Secrets of a Mind-Gamer". NYTimes.com.
Retrieved July 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ "World Memory Championships | World Memory Statistics". www.iam-
stats.com. Retrieved 2017-01-02.
Jump up ^ "FAQs | USA Memory Championship". USAMemoryChampionship.com. Retrieved
July 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Grandmaster of memory stays on top". The Hindu. November 12, 2010.
Retrieved July 6, 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b Gemma Luz Corotan (August 31, 2010). "Filipino nurse, 'kristo'
excel in UK memory tilt". INQUIRER.net. Archived from the original on September 1,
2010. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Memory champs meet for UK contest". BBC News. August 15, 2009. Retrieved
July 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ "List of Memory Competitions". Memory Techniques Wiki. Retrieved July 6,
2016.
Jump up ^ "Competition | International Association of Memory Statistics". www.iam-
stats.com. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
^ Jump up to: a b "Special Titles | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
Jump up ^ "Person-Action-Object (PAO) System". Memory Techniques Wiki. Retrieved
July 6, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Championship | Memory League". www.memoryleague.com. Retrieved 2016-12-
29.
Jump up ^ "Home | Memoriad". www.memoriad.com/. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Home | Memo Games". www.memogames.org/. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "World Records | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
Jump up ^ "5 minute "Speed" Cards Record | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
Jump up ^ "5 Minute Numbers Record | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
Jump up ^ "World Records | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "World Ranking | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
Jump up ^ "World Memory Championships | World Memory Statistics". www.world-memory-
statistics.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
^ Jump up to: a b c "List of USA Memory Champions - Memory Techniques Wiki".
^ Jump up to: a b c "Special Titles | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
Jump up ^ "Simon Reinhard | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "2014 Extreme Memory Tournament | Memory League". www.memoryleague.com.
Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "2016 Extreme Memory Tournament | Memory League". www.memoryleague.com.
Retrieved 2016-12-29.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Special Titles | International Association of
Memory Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Marwin Wallonius | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
^ Jump up to: a b c "World Records | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
Jump up ^ "15 minute Names & Faces Record | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Yanjindulam Altansuh | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Lance Tschirhart | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Huang Shenghua | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "WMC 2016 | World Memory Championships".
www.worldmemorychampionships.com. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
Jump up ^ "Shi Binbin | International Association of Memory Statistics". www.iam-
stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "60 minute/Hour Cards Record | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Prateek Yadav | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Ola Kare Risa | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "5 Minute Binary Record | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Boris Konrad | International Association of Memory Statistics". www.iam-
stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Memoriad World Records | Memoriad". www.memoriad.com. Retrieved 2016-12-
29.
Jump up ^ "Christian Schafer | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Katie Kermode | International Association of Memory Statistics".
www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Sengesamdan Ulziikhutag | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "Purevjav Erdenesaikhan | International Association of Memory
Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Jump up ^ "World Memory Championships 2015 Junior | International Association of
Memory Statistics". www.iam-stats.com. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
Software[edit]
RNG v1.0 Random Number Generator for training Working Memory
External links[edit]
World Memory Championships website
World Memory Olympics website
USA National Memory Championships
[show] v t e
Human memory
Categories: MnemonicsMemory games
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