Schulte table variants, from the red-black Gorbov table to reverse order

September 26, 2026 · 6 min read · Tyamka team

The red-black Schulte–Gorbov table, counting down, letters instead of numbers and grids that reshuffle. How each variant works and which are in Tyamka.

The classic Schulte table is a 5×5 grid with the numbers 1 to 25 in random order, and you find them from 1 upwards. Once that starts to feel easy, people change the rules. The grid gets bigger, the numbers run backwards, letters replace digits, or two colours run in opposite directions at once, as in the red-black table of Fyodor Gorbov. This article goes through the common variants, what each one changes about the task, and which of them you can play in our Schulte table online game.

If you are new to the tables, start with the article on what a Schulte table is. It covers the basic rules and where to look while you search.

The red-black Schulte–Gorbov table

This is the most widely described variant. It was developed by the Soviet psychologist Fyodor Gorbov (1916–1977), who worked in aviation and space psychology and took part in selecting the first cosmonauts. It is usually described as a modification of the Schulte table and is often called the Schulte–Gorbov table.

The usual version is a 7×7 grid with 49 cells. 25 of the numbers are black, 1 to 25, and 24 are red, 1 to 24. They are mixed together in random order. In the version used here you find them by alternating colours, black going up and red going down:

1. black 1
2. red 24
3. black 2
4. red 23
5. and so on, until red 1 and black 25

Other instructions change the details, for example by starting with a red number. Compare times only between rounds played in the same order.

Here is one such table. The article format has no colour, so the red numbers are shown in bold. Start with the plain 1, then the bold 24, then the plain 2.

What makes it hard is that you keep two sequences in your head at once. After black 7 you have to remember that the next red is 18, not 17 or 19, and you have to ignore the black 18 that may be sitting right next to it. That gives you two new ways to go wrong, tapping the right number in the wrong colour, or losing track of where the red count was.

How long it takes is not well documented. The speed-reading site iSpeedReader gives about one and a half minutes as an optimal time for the 7×7 red-black table, but does not say where that figure comes from. We explain why such norms should be read with care in the article on the Schulte table average time.

Reverse order

The simplest change to the classic table is to count down. On a 5×5 grid you start at 25 and finish at 1. The grid and the search are the same, but the first few rounds may feel slower. We are used to reading numbers in one direction, and counting backwards can take a moment of thought at each step.

Reverse order is a good way to make a familiar grid size feel new without adding more cells.

Bigger and smaller grids

Grid size is the most obvious thing to change. A 3×3 table has 9 numbers, a 7×7 has 49. On a bigger grid each search takes longer, because there are more cells to look through, and it is harder to see the whole table at once without moving your eyes. Some apps and sites go up to 9×9 or 10×10.

A small grid is useful for a first try, or on a phone, where a 7×7 table leaves each cell quite small. A large grid is more of an endurance test. The classic size for comparing times is still 5×5.

Letters instead of numbers

Some versions use letters of the alphabet instead of numbers, in alphabetical order. A 5×5 grid fits 25 letters, which works for the Latin alphabet with one letter left out, and for the Ukrainian alphabet with its 33 letters it needs a bigger grid or a shortened set.

The search works the same way, but you now follow alphabetical order instead of counting. If you have to run through the alphabet in your head to know what comes after P, you now have two problems instead of one.

Grids that reshuffle after every tap

In the classic table the layout stays still. While you search for 7, you might notice 12 in a corner, and when you get to 12 you already know where it is. Some versions take that away by reshuffling all the numbers after every correct tap. Each search then starts from zero.

On a still grid, part of your speed comes from remembering where you have already seen things. On a reshuffled grid, all of it is fresh search. Only an app or a website can do this, since paper cannot rearrange itself.

Which variants are in Tyamka

Our game has 15 levels built from three of these variants. The grid grows from 3×3 to 7×7, some levels count down, and some reshuffle the grid after every correct tap.

The largest grid is 7×7, because a bigger one would make each cell smaller than a comfortable tap target on a narrow phone. Reshuffling stops at 6×6.

The red-black Gorbov table and letters are not in the game. If you want to try the Gorbov table now, the table above works on screen, and our article on a printable Schulte table explains how to make a red-black one on paper.

Which variant to try first

If the classic 5×5 table feels easy, reverse order is the gentlest next step. Reshuffling is a bigger change, since it removes the help you get from remembering the layout. The red-black table adds the most rules, a second sequence and a colour rule on top of the search.

Whichever you pick, compare your times only within the same variant. A reverse 5×5 time and a normal 5×5 time measure two different tasks. What each of these tasks asks of you is covered in the article on Schulte table benefits. More games for focus and memory are on the all games page.