Simple tactics aren't so simple.

I used to think my biggest problem was that I could not analyse 4 moves deep and often I could not even analyse 3 moves deep. I mean in checkmate puzzles where I have all the time in the world to think. It took me almost forever to solve some 3 move mates and all except the most super-obvious 4 move mates were totally impossible for me. They still are.

However, doing Puzzle Streak, I have found that my biggest problem was and is not seeing one move tactics. It is a shocking discovery but obviously true because otherwise I would not blunder. If I can't see all one move tactics and simple one-twos or one-two-threes with unbranching lines, and relatively quickly too, then I have no hope of seeing anything any more complicated. I know what this means. I have to do thousands of puzzles and train, train, train.

I almost don't want to play rated games until I have done 1,000s of puzzles and 100s of unrated games against Stockfish. Is this wise or should I keep playing rated games too? They do provide that unpredictable human element which is always hard to deal with. I only play Rapid or Classical time limits as I have at least some chance there of attaining a half decent accuracy level. Some trainers online advocate that people at my poor level avoid blitz and bullet until they iron out their frequent basic blunders.

With Puzzle Streak I refuse to allow myself to skip a puzzle. I also try to do as many as possible in 1 hr, though this morning I went 1.5 hrs because I finally got on a decent streak, which is like 20 for me. Should I mix them up and do other puzzles again or just Puzzle Streak?

Puzzle ratings don't match across the board. A 2000 rated checkmate puzzle while hard for me is still doable at least sometimes. A 2000 rated opening puzzle is horrendous. I can't do them at all. I had to go unrated on opening puzzles and use the -600 setting to be able to do them. Any thoughts on all this? Should I keep mixing up puzzles? I almost like puzzle streak too much because I get runs of easier ones but there are still enough that stop me too. That's when I think, "The solution was so simple, why couldn't I see it?" It seems to indicate I need more work seeing all the relatively simple tactics and one-two combos before I try to push on to more complex puzzles and too many rated games.

I am always interested in feedback thanks. I have had some very useful feedback so far and it is helping me.

One thing I did is figure out every single possible move, every time. It helps a lot.

Yes, you should definitely keep on playing rated games. Puzzles only help you in those comparatively rare situations when there's a combinative solution, and playing a comp is only a shadow of having a real game (with a human).

@MrPushwood said in #3:

Yes, you should definitely keep on playing rated games. Puzzles only help you in those comparatively rare situations when there's a combinative solution, and playing a comp is only a shadow of having a real game (with a human).

Yes, I tend to agree but I think I will stick to moderate numbers of Rapid or Classical and do an analysis of all my mistakes.

The mention of combinative solutions poses the question: What else is there in chess? For computers nothing. For humans, who play differently there are other things of course. My semi-educated guesses are:

1. Opening knowledge.
2. Positional, strategic and chess principles understanding plus ability to apply it.
3. End game knowledge and technique.
4. Memory, pattern recognition, visualization.

But it still seems to me that without reducing blunders to some sort of reasonable bare minimum (and blunders include missing all simple tactics) then all else is somewhat fruitless. Even with fewer blunders (and they still happen sooner or later in a game) my play is totally insipid. I hardly ever seem to be able to generate any threats or if I do the attempted combinations break down and leave behind. I know I have been counselled to throw caution to the wind and play gambits. But above 1400 that doesn't work for me either. I just lose quicker.

I don't think there's any option but masses of study and puzzles. I have no natural flair for the game. That is clear. I have no sense of position or sense of attack at all. I am aware of all the basic chess principles but I just can't apply them. I guess I have to hope this will come with puzzles and practice. I won't give up yet but I can see it will take me a year to climb another 100 points... if I even can.

My approach pretty much cuts out fun. That's the flaw I guess but I get no sense of fun or achievement from wild gambits and last man who blunders wins. So ultimately it's a mental approach problem plus natural limitations of course.

@Ikonoclast said in #4:

I have no natural flair for the game.
One way I've heard it phrased is "imagine you have unlimited moves, where do you want your pieces in order to win material or force a checkmate? Now work towards that but remember your opponent gets a move every time you do."

You're not a computer, don't try to calculate a perfect forced sequence of 20 moves, instead try to think well if I get my knight there and my queen there I can force a mate. Then you have a start point, an end point, and all that's left is to work out how to get there.

Can I view my game blunder stats over time? And game mistake stats over time? (Worrying about inaccuracies is not something I am up to yet.)

For example, could I find stats that say something like, in the first month I blundered on average 3 times per game. In the 2nd month, 2.8 times per game and in the 3rd month, 2.5 times per game. Something like that? It would be interesting to see where my blunders are trending.

Also, can I play blindfold? Don't laugh, I want to start with simple exercises, like a K&R ending vs. a K and then increase the complexity of exercises to help me begin to visualize board positions. I thought I read somewhere that the Lichess board could be blanked for blindfold chess and you could get the computer's moves written for you and you could key your own move in. I am keen to try something like this. I get the feeling I have about zero mental visualization at the moment. I imagine it could be useful to take a book of checkmate puzzles, look at a position to memorize it, close the book, replicate the position on a physical board from memory, check it against the book, then solve it OTB without touching pieces.

Any and all tricks and ideas welcome. Plus, do you do lots of different puzzles and puzzle styles or is it better to concentrate on one type say at a time say per week or until one's rating gets a bit higher?

Hi,

For blindfold chess you can click on your username at the top right go into ‘preferences’ > ‘display’ and find a setting for blindfold chess. If you want to work on your visualization you might like doing the blindfold and pieceless puzzles on listudy.org.

If you want something a little easier you can use the checkers piece set. Username > piece set click on the circle at the bottom of the list. The pieces will appear as discs.

As for unrated games against stockfish I’d recommend playing Maia bot, which is more fun. Click on the magnifying glass and search for maia5 or maia9 and challenge it to a game. It’s supposed to play more like a human.

I think you should play rated games against humans and do puzzle steak everyday. In my opinion the most difficult thing about chess improvement is not getting frustrated and giving up so try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

I think you’re going to be a great chess player. Good luck!

From my point of view playing "Puzzle streak" is the best way to train puzzles. Continue doing this.
By the way, in puzzle streak you can`t skip a whole puzzle. Only one move can be skipped.

@Bishop1964 said in #8:

From my point of view playing "Puzzle streak" is the best way to train puzzles. Continue doing this.
By the way, in puzzle streak you can`t skip a whole puzzle. Only one move can be skipped.

Only one move? Okay, I did not realise that.

@yuckychicken said in #7:

Hi,

For blindfold chess you can click on your username at the top right go into ‘preferences’ > ‘display’ and find a setting for blindfold chess. If you want to work on your visualization you might like doing the blindfold and pieceless puzzles on listudy.org.

If you want something a little easier you can use the checkers piece set. Username > piece set click on the circle at the bottom of the list. The pieces will appear as discs.

As for unrated games against stockfish I’d recommend playing Maia bot, which is more fun. Click on the magnifying glass and search for maia5 or maia9 and challenge it to a game. It’s supposed to play more like a human.

I think you should play rated games against humans and do puzzle steak everyday. In my opinion the most difficult thing about chess improvement is not getting frustrated and giving up so try not to put too much pressure on yourself.

I think you’re going to be a great chess player. Good luck!

Great! I will follow those up. I won't be a great chess player but hopefully I can rise maybe a hundred rating points per year for a few years. That would do me.