How many tactics problems

Originally posted by Guych
Hi everyone,
Maybe there is something like this in previous threads, however...

1) How many tactical problems have you done (solved and/or failed)?
2) Is there any target for number of probs to be solved?
3) What's the source of your problems.

By now I've done 5100 problems on CTS (chess tachtics server). On average I do about 200 - 400 per month.

Regards,

for any kind of visible improvement, you should aim for something between 50-100 daily.

Originally posted by diskamyl
for any kind of visible improvement, you should aim for something between 50-100 daily.

I see. That's much more than I do now, but hopefully it'll get me above 1300s on CTS sometime.

Originally posted by wormwood
1) 104,780
2) 95% (I used to do 200-400 a day, at 85% )
3) CTS

104780/200-400 per day - that is really impressive. You must have seen some of the problems on CTS several times 🙂

Originally posted by Guych
104780/200-400 per day - that is really impressive. You must have seen some of the problems on CTS several times 🙂

yep. doesn't really prevent getting them wrong though.

What I very much don't like about CTS, is that it encourages moving very quickly, which I preffer not to do. I like the puzzles that take you a minute or so each...

Originally posted by moteutsch
What I very much don't like about CTS, is that it encourages moving very quickly, which I preffer not to do. I like the puzzles that take you a minute or so each...

so don't move quickly, nobody's forcing your hand. the system will automatically lower the problem ratings until they fit your level. then, as you learn them them well enough, it'll adjust the difficulty back up according to your progress.

I think I've taken something like up to 5min for a move. I just don't move until I'm sure.

Yeah... I keep telling that to myself, but when I look at my rating it drives me nuts...

Originally posted by moteutsch
Yeah... I keep telling that to myself, but when I look at my rating it drives me nuts...

which is the real problem, not the time control: you're letting vanity hinder your improvement.

ignore rating, focus on learning. the number isn't what solves you the same situation on the board.


if it's any help, I started from 1050 three years ago.

The thing is I do get most of them right when I play instinctively, but I preffer to play rrrreeeeaaaallll ssssslllllloooooowwwwwllllyyyyy so I want to make extra sure and calculate every variation. I guess I'll try it your way...

Originally posted by moteutsch
The thing is I do get most of them right when I play instinctively, but I preffer to play rrrreeeeaaaallll ssssslllllloooooowwwwwllllyyyyy so I want to make extra sure and calculate every variation. I guess I'll try it your way...

CTS isn't about calculation, its about pattern recognition.

Yes, but the point is that often they have some sort of inbetween move and I want to have seen everything and have found a sloution to it in advance...

Originally posted by wormwood
which is the real problem, not the time control: you're letting vanity hinder your improvement.

ignore rating, focus on learning. the number isn't what solves you the same situation on the board.


if it's any help, I started from 1050 three years ago.

I gained about 70 point in about a year 🙂
So you target percentage of correct answers rather than the rating.

Originally posted by Guych
I gained about 70 point in about a year 🙂
So you target percentage of correct answers rather than the rating.

yeah. the rating will come as a side-effect. you also need to do a lot more than you have, 100 a day or more if possible. that's roughly an hour a day. watch out for burnout though, if you do a lot more. -it's better to do less problems continuously/daily than more sporadically.

Originally posted by wormwood
yeah. the rating will come as a side-effect. you also need to do a lot more than you have, 100 a day or more if possible. that's roughly an hour a day. watch out for burnout though, if you do a lot more. -it's better to do less problems continuously/daily than more sporadically.

if you solved so many CTS problems and you have such a high rating in speed CTS tactic problems, why do you have such a small FICS blitz rating(around 1300 if I recall well)...but an almost 2000 RHP rating ?
...I thought CTS problems would help mainly blitz...

I currently hold a lower FICS Blitz rating than CTS rating. It really does not correspond.

edit: also, there is a difference between solving concrete positions at leisure and playing Blitz chess on the internet with virtual pieces flying around.