Extreme Memory Tournament
{{short description|Digital memory competition}}
Memory League is a memory competition platform{{Cite web|url=https://consent.yahoo.com/collectConsent?sessionId=1_cc-session_49df58fb-6476-41a9-b179-ea4bf3217d48&lang=en-gb&inline=false|title=HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media|website=consent.yahoo.com}} originally founded and created by Nelson Dellis and Simon Orton under the name Extreme Memory Tournament (XMT).{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
Memory League differs from traditional memory competitions in the fact that it is entirely digital, has head-to-head matches, and is composed of shorter disciplines. The five disciplines are one-minute memorization of names, words, images, numbers, and cards.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/extreme-memory-tournament-mental-athletes|title=The science behind the best memorisers in the world|first=João|last=Medeiros|date=August 10, 2015|via=www.wired.co.uk}}
The first three world championships took place in San Diego, California in 2014, 2015, and 2016. The structure of the competition saw 24 of the World's top memorizers, including Alex Mullen (USA),{{Cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/lessons-from-americas-first-memory-world-champion|title=Lessons from America’s First Memory World Champion|first=Ian|last=Frisch|website=The New Yorker}} Johannes Mallow (Germany), Simon Reinhard, Boris Konrad (Germany), Andi Bell (UK), Ben Pridmore (UK), Jonas von Essen (Sweden), and Yanjaa compete for up to USD $75,000 in prize money per championship over the course of three days. The fourth world championship was held online in January 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2022/finals|title=2022 Memory League World Championship {{!}} Memory League|website=memoryleague.com|access-date=2022-03-08}}
2014 World Championship
The 2014 World Championship took place on April 26–27.{{Cite web|url=https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/19/remembering-as-an-extreme-sport/|title=Remembering, as an Extreme Sport|first=Benedict|last=Carey|date=May 19, 2014}}{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2014/04/05/memory-champion-nelson-dellis/|title=Man With World's Strongest Memory Crusades Against Alzheimer's|first=Rebecca|last=Hiscott|website=Mashable}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyer_wins_memory_tournament_what_are_the_secrets_of_success|title=Lawyer wins memory tournament; what are the secrets of success?|first=A. B. A.|last=Journal|website=ABA Journal}}
= 2014 Winners =
The 2014 winners of the World Championship were:{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2014/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- First place: Simon Reinhard
- Second place: Johannes Mallow
- Third place: Jonas von Essen
2015 World Championship
Mnemonists from seven countries competed in over 45 rounds on May 2–3, 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/06/mongolia-extreme-memory-tournament|title=Extreme Memory Tournament: meet the Mongolian masters of the mnemonic|first=Liana|last=Aghajanian|date=May 6, 2015|via=www.theguardian.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://yanjaa.com/extreme-memory-tournament-2015/|title=Extreme Memory Tournament 2015|date=May 9, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kpbs.org/events/2015/may/03/extreme-memory-tournament-2015/|title=Extreme Memory Tournament 2015|website=KPBS Public Media}} The competition was won by Johannes Mallow.{{Cite web|url=https://www.futurity.org/extreme-memory-tournament-912652/|title=World's best compete with memory 'palaces'|date=May 1, 2015}}
= 2015 Winners =
The 2015 winners of the World Championship were:{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2015/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- First place: Johannes Mallow
- Second place: Boris Konrad
- Third place: Simon Reinhard
2016 World Championship
The 2016 world championship took place on June 24–26 and was an IAM-ranked competition.{{Cite web|url=https://source.wustl.edu/2016/06/xmt-2016-worlds-top-memory-athletes-compete-june-24-26/|title=XMT 2016: World’s top memory athletes to compete June 24-26 | The Source | Washington University in St. Louis|date=June 17, 2016|website=The Source}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.iam-memory.org/2016/07/the-extreme-memory-tournament-2016/|title=The Extreme Memory Tournament 2016 | International Association of Memory|first=Florian|last=Dellé}}
= 2016 Winners =
The 2016 winners of the world championship were:{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2016/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}[http://theubpost.mn/2016/06/30/mongolia-conquers-extreme-memory-tournament-2016/ Mongolia conquers Extreme Memory Tournament 2016]
- First place: Simon Reinhard
- Second place: Purevjav Erdenesaikhan
- Third place: Tsetsegzul Zorigtbaatar
2022 World Championship
The 2022 World Championship was held online from January 16-31 as the culmination of the 2021 World Tour, which consisted of three seasons and three slam tournaments, with the top 16 competitors qualifying for the World Championship.{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2022/finals|title=2022 Memory League World Championship {{!}} Memory League|website=memoryleague.com|access-date=2022-03-08}}
= 2022 Winners =
The 2022 winners of the world championship were:{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2022/finals|title=2022 Memory League World Championship {{!}} Memory League|website=memoryleague.com|access-date=2022-03-08}}
- First place: Alex Mullen
- Second place: Andrea Muzii
- Third place: Simon Reinhard
2023 World Championship
The 2023 World Championship was held online from January 8-29 as the culmination of the 2022 World Tour, which consisted of three seasons and three slam tournaments, with the top 16 competitors qualifying for the World Championship.{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2023/finals|title=2023 Memory League World Championship {{!}} Memory League|website=memoryleague.com|access-date=2023-02-15}}
= 2023 Winners =
The 2023 winners of the world championship were:{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/world2023/finals|title=2023 Memory League World Championship {{!}} Memory League|website=memoryleague.com|access-date=2023-02-15}}
- First place: Alex Mullen
- Second place: Andrea Muzii
- Third place: Vishvaa Rajakumar
Online Memory League Championship
There is a seasonal Online Memory League Championship, which in 2021 was incorporated into an annual "World Tour," consisting of three regular seasons interspersed with three slam tournaments.{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/league|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/online-memory-league-championship-season-4/25736|title=Online Memory League Championship, season 4!|date=November 3, 2018|website=Art of Memory Forum}}{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/league/season4/division1/standings|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/online-memory-league-championship-season-5/37344|title=Online Memory League Championship, season 5|date=April 7, 2019|website=Art of Memory Forum}}{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/world-tour|title=World Tour {{!}} Memory League|website=memoryleague.com|access-date=2022-03-08}}
Other Memory League Championships
Other Memory League championships have included, among others:
- 2019 Scandinavia Open Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/scandinavia2019/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2018 Japan Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/japan2018/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/2018-japan-memory-league-championship/34560|title=2018 Japan Memory League Championship|date=December 11, 2018|website=Art of Memory Forum}}{{Cite web|url=https://jmlc2018.jmsc.info/|title=JapanMLC2018}}
- 2018 Egypt Kids Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/egypt2018kids/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2018 Egypt Junior Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/egypt2018junior/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2018 Scandinavian Open Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/scandinavia2018/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2018 Canada Junior Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/canada2018/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2017 Scandinavian Open Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/scandinavia2017/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2017 German Open Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/germany2017/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2017 UK Open Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/uk2017/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}
- 2016 UK Memory League Championship{{Cite web|url=https://memoryleague.com/#!/championships/uk2016/overview|title=Memory League|website=memoryleague.com}}