ChessOpeningSmith
How spaced repetition for openings works
Spaced repetition means reviewing a line just before you are likely to forget it. Lines you recall well come back less and less often; lines that cause trouble come back quickly. Here is, without jargon, what ChessOpeningSmith actually does.
The default schedule
Each line in your repertoire has its own schedule. When you play it without a mistake for the first time, it comes back the next day. After a second success, it comes back three days later. After that, the previous interval is multiplied by an ease factor, and the result stays between 7 and 180 days.
The ease factor starts at 2.2. If your average answer takes less than 8 seconds per move, it rises slightly, by 0.05, up to 2.8 at most. A line you know well and quickly therefore spreads out a little faster.
When a line is missed
If you make a mistake in a line, it is due again straight away: its interval goes back to zero. The ease factor drops by 0.2, never below 1.5. This keeps a fragile line from disappearing from your reviews for too long.
A success recorded before the planned date is kept in your history, but it does not move the schedule. You can replay a line whenever you like without upsetting the planning.
Choosing your method
Spaced repetition is the recommended method, but not the only one. Regular training lets you set a rhythm, for example every few days. Free mode sets no schedule at all: you start a session whenever you want.
You can also define your own intervals and apply a different rule to one colour or to a specific repertoire. The general setting applies everywhere except where you have added a rule.
What it does not do
Spaced repetition helps organise reviews. It does not replace understanding the ideas of an opening and it does not guarantee any game result. Reviewing a little, regularly, is often more comfortable than reviewing a lot at once.
Questions before you start
Can I review a line before its date?
Yes. The session is saved in your history, but the line's schedule does not change.
How long can an interval be?
With the default settings, 180 days at most. You can define your own intervals.
What happens after a mistake?
The line is due again immediately, and its future spacing grows a little more slowly.
