[Michel Lamote]

Easy : filming the match and afterwards transcribing it into XG is best.

I tried writing down the moves while playing, but found this detrimental to my game. It uses up valuable seconds and distracts from the game itself.

Thing is : transcribing into XG is not just a time-consuming chore, but a first review of the match. I do not just mechanically enter the moves into the computer, but mentally re-play the match. When I arrive at a position which caused me concern, I pause the video and rethink the position at leasure before checking what XG would do. That way I can find out whether a mistake was made because I did not sufficiently think it through or because I simply lacked the tools to find the right play. Then, when the match is completely transcribed, I move through it again, mostly move by move.

Not wanting to make time for this is a short-sighted approach. I see the transcription process as an essential part of studying the game. Luc Palmans even goes further in this by noting down during live play how much time he spends on a crucial decision. Replaying the video can show whether you snatched the cube without thinking or whether you thought for 2 minutes … and still got it wrong. As you transcribe from the video, you also get an idea of how your time management was. I always make sure the clock is visible on the video. All this information is not available if you transcribe live.

In short, filming your matches and transcribing them at home is not just a way to obtain a record of your matches and be able to see where you went wrong. It is above all an invaluable learning tool which will certainly improve your live performance.

Michel

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