Schnapsen Log Archives

Columns for March, 2022

A New Scheme for Remembering Cards

Martin Tompa
March 23, 2022

I have made the case in the past for the importance of remembering which cards have been played and which still remain unseen. For novice Schnapsen players, I know this memory work seems like a daunting prospect. Yet it is also the most essential skill to master because, without knowing which cards remain unseen, it is impossible to plan the endgame.

Nine years ago, I laid out the details of two different schemes for remembering the cards that have been played. Neither scheme was terribly easy to use and mine sometimes interfered with the part of my brain that was planning the play. Because of this, a friend and I developed a new scheme for remembering the cards that I have been using for nearly two years. It has been quite successful for me. I will describe the new scheme here….

Read the full column — A New Scheme for Remembering Cards

About the Author

Martin Tompa (tompa@psellos.com)

I am a Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, where I teach discrete mathematics, probability and statistics, design and analysis of algorithms, and other related courses. I have always loved playing games. Games are great tools for learning to think logically and are a wonderful component of happy family or social life.