I'm thinking about creating flashcards to help memorize situations but I'm still unsure on how to do it.
I would like to take advantage of an iPhone / iPad to go through them on a regular basis (but it's the same as physical flashcards or computer driven flashcards) but I'm unsure of what to put on those cards:
* situation which I failed from past games?
* Problems which I couldn't solve?
* Typical tesuji, life & death problems or whole board situation from Tesuji, Life & Death or Attack & Defense?

Should I look at generic situation or examples ?

Should I ask for selection of points among a list (label potential intersections to play)?
Should I ask for the vital points to play (as coordinates)?
Should I ask for the status of groups?

The point is that with a flashcard, you have 1 question and 1 answer (as an image), you cannot really go through variations.

Should I create 8 variations of the cards to have all situations in all orientations and colors (I guess 2 could do the trick)?

Any experience or insight about flashcards usage (and benefits obtained) would be most welcome.

Cheers,

My website will soon do this for you (I'm finishing up the last thing before public beta as we speak) with joseki. The method it uses is very similar to what anki or supermemo do, if you've heard of them before.

After that is working to my satisfaction I plan on letting subscribers upload their own sgfs, so they can use the memorization system I've developed to memorize anything you can represent with an sgf.

_________________
That which can be destroyed by the truth should be.
--
My (sadly neglected, but not forgotten) project: http://dailyjoseki.com

IMO, you should use flashcards only for patterns that you want to recognize instantly. That means patterns that arise regularly in different games.

So: No whole board positions.

Also: No positions where a slight variation in the pattern changes the play, unless the variations also are among the flash cards.

For example, I think that these would make good flash cards, because the patterns arise often enough, if not in play, in variations.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Black to play
$$ ----------------
$$ | . . . O X . . .
$$ | . . . O X . X .
$$ | O O O O X . . .
$$ | X X X X X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Black to play
$$ ----------------
$$ | . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . O X . X .
$$ | O O O O X . . .
$$ | X X X X X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Black to play
$$ ----------------
$$ | . . . O X . . .
$$ | . . . O X . X .
$$ | O O O O X . . .
$$ | . X X X X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Black to play
$$ ----------------
$$ | . . . O . . . .
$$ | . . . O X . X .
$$ | O O O O X . . .
$$ | . X X X X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .[/go]

I would include all four flash cards.

I have seen too many situations where someone quickly makes a memorized play without noticing that the position is slightly but significantly different.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

That's excellent news.
Please count me in for the beta !

This is great. Thanks a lot for the example.
That would probably mean that most of the situation from Life & Death would apply.

If I look at your examples, what should be the content of the back of the card : status or intersection to play?
Would you include various orientations or colors?

G.

I would put the main line of play on the back.

For instance,

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Black to play
$$ ----------------
$$ | 4 1 3 O . . . .
$$ | 5 2 6 O X . X .
$$ | O O O O X . . .
$$ | . X X X X . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . X . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .[/go]

I might also include a key term, such as oshitsubushi or squash.

Just to say that White is alive omits important information, IMO.

As for color and orientation, that's why we have computers.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

hi daniel, awesome news.

for long time i was loking for some app similar to supermemo that will handle SGFs.

even better thats web based.

when it will be possible to register?

thanks, d

I've been creating Flashcards through Anki Mobile for iPad. I can share the method I used for those who would like to try it (it works with iPad and iPhone):

1. Build up the problems you want to solve/memorize on Smartgo Kifu with base situation, correct answer and other playable variations (max 3)
2. Create snapshots of each of those using the snapshot feature of iPhone/iPad (press simultaneously the 2 buttons).
3. Download the pictures on your computer and use a software to reduce the picture size (with iPad or iPhone 4, 30% reduction works nicely (there are free softwares which do batch resizing of multiple images).
4. Sort the pictures in folders with 1 folder per problem to solve
5. Create Flashcards through Anki Desktop including the pictures in question / solution as appropriate (you may want to precise "black to play" or "white to play" on them
6. Sync your Flashcards database and associated images (in a zip file) to your device
7. Practice 10 or 20 a day until you feel confident.

It's a long process and requires a few software (PC : Anki (free), resizing program - iPad: Anki Mobile and Smartgo Kifu) but if you feel you do need to remember something, it seems like a method that works efficiently.