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This Appendix lists one-, two-, three-, and four-syllable picture words for all 64 squares. This covers all possible moves with candidate pieces I-IV. It also lists five-syllable picture words for d2, d7, e2 and e7, which are the only target squares that ever need five-syllable picture words in practice (for an early knight retreat).1

You do not need to memorise this Appendix! This Appendix is a reference, for when you are sitting at home building your memory palaces. At the board, all you need to do is translate the picture words back into moves, as explained in Chapter 1.

For each target square and number of syllables, I have written my favourite picture word in bold. I encourage the reader to use the words in bold, in the hope of building a community where we can share ready-made memory palaces that use the same picture words. But if you prefer an alternative picture word to my suggestion, do not hesitate to use it instead. The best picture word will depend on the associations you already have in your mind (Chapter 3).

Some mnemonists like to use people, rather than animals and objects, as picture words in their memory palaces. If this is you, I suggest going through the people (and fictional characters) you know, and writing their names as your preferred picture words.

A small handful of picture “words" are actually two words, for example roller coaster as the four-syllable picture word for d5. The important thing is that these are one concept, one picture – even though they are made of two words.

There are seven reserved words you should not use as picture words. Pawn, king and queen are reserved for specified piece moves in the endgame (Chapter 6); rook, bishop and knight are reserved for both underpromotions and specified piece moves (Chapters 1 and 6); and ladder is reserved for special meanings in memory palace architecture (Chapters 5 and 6).

a1

  1. toast, stud, toad, tooth

  2. statue, dodo, tadpole, teapot

  3. stethoscope, detective, potato, stadium, tapestry, Titanic

  4. Tutankhamen, sitatunga, Tatiana (name)

a2

  1. tent, stone, tank, tin, ton

  2. tandem, dentist, donkey, headset, tanker, tuna

  3. tangerine, dynamite, tandoori, tanzanite, tinderbox

  4. dandelion, Estonia, Eswatini, Tanzania

a3

  1. thumb, dam, dime, dome, stump, tomb

  2. stomach, atom, diamond, dummy

  3. tambourine, domino, poppadom, steamroller, tomato

  4. tamarillo, automaton, automobile

a4

  1. tree, deer, dress, drill, drone, star, straw, string, torch, train

  2. dragon, cider, ostrich, otter, oyster, starfish, starship, tractor, trumpet

  3. astronaut, asteroid, butterfly, dragonfly, stroganoff, terrapin, tiara, tornado, trebuchet

  4. tarantula, motorcycle, oystercatcher, pterodactyl, thermometer, Triceratops, watermelon

a5

  1. doll, stool, tail, till

  2. tulip, bottle, dolphin, outlaw, saddle, toilet

  3. satellite, dalmatian, spatula, telephone, telescope

  4. Diplodocus, bodybuilder, television

a6

  1. dish, ditch, thatch

  2. stopwatch, dodgeball, teacher

  3. dishwasher, optician

  4. didgeridoo

a7

  1. dog, duck, stake, stag, stick, tongue

  2. tiger, digger, doctor, dugong, pudding, taco, taxi

  3. woodpecker, petticoat, sparrowhawk, Sudoku, toboggan

  4. stegosaurus, tapioca, taxidermist

a8

  1. dove, Dave (name)

  2. toffee, diver, tofu

  3. daffodil, DVD

  4. advertisement, audiophile, developer

b1

  1. ant, gnat, hand, net, newt, nut, sand, wand

  2. Santa, centaur, noodle, sandwich, snowdrop, sundae

  3. anteater, antelope, bandana, centipede, nightingale, scientist

  4. Cinderella, sanitiser

b2

  1. nun, (John) Nunn

  2. ninja, banyan, nanny, onion

  3. banana, nanobot, Nineveh, panini

  4. nanoneedle, peninsula

b3

  1. gnome, nymph

  2. snowman, Nemo, sunbeam

  3. snowmobile, cinnamon, Panama (hat)

  4. anemone, Namibia, (Ian) Nepomniachtchi

Gnome has a silent g.

b4

  1. nurse, nerve, snare

  2. narwhal, snorkel, spanner

  3. newspaper, anarchist, anorak, scenery

  4. (Daniel) Naroditsky, Herodotus, norovirus

b5

  1. snail, nail

  2. snowball, pencil, snowplough

  3. pineapple, Napoli

  4. Napoleon (Bonaparte), Honolulu, nobility, snallygaster, Penelope (name)

b6

  1. sponge, bench, hinge

  2. banjo, angel, engine, poncho, snowshoe, spinach

  3. anchovy, engineer

  4. Angelina (name), Angelica (name), Nigeria

b7

  1. snake, neck, snack, zinc

  2. beanbag, hanbok, insect, necklace, snooker

  3. unicorn, pancreas, sunglasses

  4. Pinocchio, anaconda, binoculars, (Hikaru) Nakamura

b8

  1. knife, nave

  2. anvil, snowflake

  3. sunflower, envelope

  4. invitation, environment, university

Knife has a silent k.

c1

  1. maid, mast, mat, moth, mouth, mud

  2. swimsuit, mittens, mother, moped, moustache

  3. scimitar, amethyst, behemoth, mastodon

  4. meteorite, Madagascar, mathematics, Mitsubishi

The c in scimitar is silent.

c2

  1. moon, man, mink, mint

  2. monster, manger, miner, money, salmon

  3. Minotaur, ammonite, manatee, mayonnaise, omnibus

  4. mahonia, Minnesota, monopoly, Montenegro

c3

  1. mime, meme, mumps

  2. mammoth, memo, mummy

  3. museum, Mombasa, mummichog

  4. (Shakhriyar) Mamedyarov

c4

  1. Mir (Soviet/Russian space station), moor

  2. meerkat, hammer, marble, mirror

  3. samurai, boomerang, emerald, maraca, marmalade, marshmallow, mercury, sombrero, submarine, umbrella

  4. marionette, embroidery, (Diego) Maradona, merry-go-round

c5

  1. mole, mail, milk, mule

  2. cymbal, mallet, milkshake, muscle, mussel

  3. bumblebee, millipede, mulberry, pomelo

  4. melodica, semolina, Somalia

c6

  1. match, mash, midge

  2. machine, mushroom

  3. magician, machete

  4. majority

For majority I imagine a baying crowd in a group (so that it forms one “object"). Be careful to distinguish it from family (h3).

c7

  1. mask, muck, mug

  2. magpie, hammock, magnet, smokestack

  3. hummingbird, magazine, mechanic, microphone, mosaic, mosquito

  4. pomegranate, macaroni, Makemake, magnesium, magnolia, mascarpone

c8

  1. (ear)muff, mauve

  2. muffin, movie

  3. amphora, maverick

  4. amphetamine, amphibian

d1

  1. heart, broth, Earth, rat

  2. robot, parrot, pirate, rabbit, rooster, warthog, wizard

  3. president, barrister, hairdryer, protester, radio, risotto, sourdough

  4. rhododendron, artillery, paparazzi, radiator, ratatouille

d2

  1. brain, horn, prawn, wren

  2. heron, orange, parsnip, rainbow, ribbon, robin, siren

  3. piranha, barnacle, raisin, roundabout, soprano, Uranus

  4. rhinoceros, Esperanto, pepperoni, uranium

  5. serendipity

Although not technically accurate, for serendipity I imagine a four-leaf clover. Never led pedantry get in the way of a good image.

d3

  1. ram, arm, broom, pram, rum, worm

  2. Roman, army, bromine, primrose

  3. pyramid, ceramic, ramekin

  4. armadillo, barometer, harmonica, supermodel

For Roman I imagine a Roman soldier. Don’t be tempted to treat it as an adjective, for example if you are remembering Roman ram, don’t memorise a ram pretending to be a Roman soldier. Always have two separate (but interacting) pictures: a Roman soldier and a ram.

d4

  1. roar, rear, Ruhr

  2. robber, briar, harbour, razor, wrapper

  3. warrior, horseradish

  4. barbarian, arboretum, respirator

For roar I imagine a lion.

d5

  1. pearl, rail, roll

  2. barrel, barbell, barley, bracelet, parsley, spiral

  3. cereal, porcelain

  4. roller coaster, paralegal

d6

  1. brush, birch, broach, bridge, porch

  2. airship, archer, porridge, warship

  3. projector, archerfish

  4. Argentina, Azerbaijan

d7

  1. rake, ark, brick, orc, ring

  2. sparkler, iceberg, orca, organ, raccoon, racket, rocket

  3. harpsichord, architect, broccoli, parakeet, porcupine, recorder

  4. orangutan, architecture, asparagus, hieroglyphics, oregano, origami, paraglider

  5. Brachiosaurus, archaeology

Be careful to distinguish Brachiosaurus from Diplodocus (a5).

d8

  1. raft, reef, surf

  2. perfume, earphones, prefect, prophet, raven, rifle

  3. referee, privateer

  4. ravioli, Orvieto (wine), profiterole, supervisor

e1

  1. sloth, belt, lathe, light, lute, salt

  2. lobster, ladder, laptop, lettuce, lipstick, pilot, wallet

  3. bulldozer, albatross, Hollywood, ocelot, wildebeest

  4. lederhosen, Elizabeth (name), politician, polyester, solicitor

Be careful to distinguish lobster from crab (g4).

e2

  1. plane, lynx

  2. balloon, blanket, lantern, linnet

  3. alien, Bologna, bullion

  4. jalapeño, Albania, Bolonoodle, polonium

  5. planetarium, hallucinogen

Be careful to distinguish plane from jet (f1).

The first letter of jalapeño sounds like an h, so we ignore it when finding the target square.

Don’t use lion, because it conflicts with the picture word roar (d4).

e3

  1. lamb, blimp, lamp, lime, loom, plum, slime

  2. lemur, helmet, lamppost, lamprey, lemon, llama

  3. policeman, halloumi, limousine, salami

  4. salamander, Lamborghini, Olympian, palomino (horse), policewoman

e4

  1. lore, lair, lark

  2. sailor, lawyer, leper, lorry, slipper, walrus

  3. wheelbarrow, blueberry, celery, Labrador, wallpaper

  4. allosaurus, celebrity, Liberia, pliosaurus

For lore I imagine a medieval manuscript or something that would appear in a fantasy novel.

e5

  1. lol, Lil (name)

  2. lily, label, lilac, loophole

  3. lollipop, Lilliput

  4. hallelujah, Lilliputian

Lol is the online shorthand for laugh out loud. I imagine a jester. For hallelujah I imagine a colourful banner.

e6

  1. leech, bleach, sledge, slush

  2. polish, ledger, lodger, lotion

  3. eyelashes, plush velvet

  4. Algeria, zoology

Remember that eyelashes is plural, three syllables.

e7

  1. hulk, leek, log, lung, sling, slug

  2. blackboard, logo, luggage, (Judit) Polgar

  3. alpaca, alcohol, blackberry, bulgogi, liquorice, pelican

  4. helicopter, alligator, balaclava, electrician

  5. Alexandria, polycarbonate

e8

  1. wolf, leaf

  2. lava, lifeboat, lifeguard, liver, olive

  3. elephant, lavender, wolverine, xylophone

  4. Bolivia, Slovakia, Slovenia

Be careful to distinguish elephant from mammoth (c3).

f1

  1. jet, jade, sheath, shed, sheet

  2. cheetah, chestnut, hatchet

  3. shuttlecock, chapati, Jupiter

  4. Chateaubriand (steak), Shostakovich

Be careful to distinguish jet from plane (e2). I imagine a jet pack.

f2

  1. jeans, chain, gin

  2. genie, chainsaw, ginger, pigeon, potion

  3. chinchilla, chancellor, chandelier, janitor, Shinkansen

  4. generator, gingerbread man

f3

  1. jam, gem, Jim (name)

  2. gymnast, champagne, chimney, shampoo

  3. chimpanzee, chamber pot, champion, pyjama

  4. gymnasium, chimichurri

f4

  1. shark, chair, jar, shirt, shorts, shrew, shrimp

  2. giraffe, badger, cherry, shepherd, sheriff

  3. chariot, chardonnay, shawarma

  4. budgerigar, jabberwocky, Jeremiah (name), Jerusalem

f5

  1. shell, chalk, gel

  2. cello, chilli, jelly, shallot, shelduck

  3. jellyfish, gelatin, jalfrezi, shipbuilder

  4. shopaholic, geologist, Juliana (name)

f6

  1. judge, Josh (name)

  2. shisha, japchae, sheepshank (knot), shoji

  3. jujube, chapshoro, jajangmyeon, Joshua (name), jujitsu

  4. shabu-shabu, Chachapoya, Jojo Rabbit, shachihoko

f7

  1. chick, jug, shack

  2. hedgehog, chicken, jackpot, jigsaw, jockey, juggler, sheepdog, shekel

  3. jaguar, cicada, shopkeeper

  4. washing machine, Chicken Little, geographer, shakuhachi

f8

  1. chef, chaff, chief

  2. shovel, chaffinch, Java

  3. shoveler, Chevrolet, shaving foam

  4. shaving powder, chauvinism, shaving mirror

g1

  1. squid, cat, coat, cot, goat, kite

  2. kitten, baguette, bucket, guitar, kestrel, scooter, skittle, wicket

  3. catapult, basketball, cuttlefish, octopus, pagoda, spaghetti

  4. caterpillar, bacteria, psychiatrist

g2

  1. gun, can, cone, gown, skin

  2. canoe, bacon, candle, candy, conker, cannon, gibbon, kidney, wagon

  3. candyfloss, bikini, buccaneer, canopy, canister, conifer, signalman

  4. Pocahontas, begonia, economist, iguanodon

If you dislike visualising realistic violence with a gun, you can imagine a water pistol, finger gun, or tranquilizer gun.

g3

  1. gum, comb, game

  2. camel, comet, kimchi

  3. kimono, Camelot, computer, Komodo (dragon)

  4. chameleon, aquamarine, camellia, hippocampus, oximeter

g4

  1. crab, car, crane, cream, cross, crow, crown, corn, grass, scar, scarf, screw, skirt

  2. ogre, boxer, carrot, cricket, crystal, speaker, squirrel

  3. crocodile, acrobat, caravan, cormorant, grasshopper, gorilla, scorpion, screwdriver

  4. accordion, carburetor, chrysanthemum, coriander, Krakatoa, secretary

g5

  1. skull, clam, claw, clock, coal, glass, glove, glue

  2. eagle, bagel, cola, gazelle, igloo, seagull

  3. skeleton, clarinet, goalkeeper, icicle, koala

  4. gladiator, calculator, kaleidoscope, ukulele

Be careful to distinguish gladiator from warrior (d4).

g6

  1. coach, cage, cash, quiche

  2. ketchup, cabbage, cashew

  3. kedgeree, acacia

  4. cappuccino, Saskatchewan

Be careful to distinguish cappuccino from coffee (g8).

g7

  1. cake, cog, gong

  2. peacock, cockroach, cookie, cuckoo, cupcake, goggles, kayak, pickaxe

  3. coconut, cockatrice, cockerel, cucumber, kingfisher, skyscraper, wobbegong

  4. kookaburra, cucamelon, guacamole

g8

  1. gift, cave, cuff, skiff

  2. coffee, gopher, guava

  3. saxophone, governor, scaffolding

  4. cafetière

h1

  1. foot, vat, vest, vet

  2. feather, father, football, softball, voter

  3. footballer, avocet, physicist, veteran, video, vitamin

  4. phytoplankton, afterburner, photography

h2

  1. fan, fawn, phone, sphinx, van, vane

  2. phoenix, fountain, puffin, Venus, vinyl

  3. sousaphone, vinegar

  4. ventriloquist, ventilator

h3

  1. foam, Vim (software)

  2. vampire, vomit

  3. family, Fumika (name), sophomore

  4. feminism, famotidine

For family, I imagine a small family hugging (so that it forms one “object”). Be careful to distinguish it from majority (c6). For feminism, I imagine Mrs Banks wearing a “votes for women” sash, from the film Mary Poppins.

h4

  1. frog, fern, fir, fridge, sphere

  2. fairy, beaver, farmer, ferry, saffron, sapphire, viper

  3. ivory, hovercraft, officer, overalls, overcoat

  4. firefighter, frangipani, fortepiano, vermicelli

h5

  1. flute, flag, flan, flea, flint, foal, foil, fowl, veil, vole

  2. waffle, flower, fossil, soufflé, vessel

  3. flamingo, buffalo, falafel, flamethrower, viola, vulture

  4. philosopher, Floridian, flowerpecker

h6

  1. fish, fudge

  2. (Mount) Fuji, (Bobby) Fischer, fishcake

  3. fisherman, fishmonger

  4. vigilante, fisherwoman, vegetable

h7

  1. fox, fax, fig, fog

  2. Viking, foghorn, vaccine, vicar

  3. Victory, factory, vicarage

  4. avocado, focaccia

For Victory, I imagine Horatio Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory.

h8

  1. five, fife, Viv (name)

  2. fiver, viva

  3. favela, Vivaldi, Vivian (name)

  4. vuvuzela, Vesuvius

For five I imagine a seahorse in the shape of a 5.

  1. In the unlikely event that you move candidate piece V+ to a different target square, just take the one-syllable picture word and cover it with sticky oil, for example toast covered in sticky oil would be a move to a1 with candidate piece V. I have never needed to do this. ↩