Comments on https://lichess.org/@/szefru/blog/the-right-way-to-train-your-tactics/Uh6XUSaa
Chess is path-dependent, so choose a target that is strategically reachable. Plan so it is safe to approach. The tactics must be worth the effort. Outcomes are determined by strategy and capability, not by books or videos. What books and videos can teach us is that, for every action, there is an appropriate reaction.
Instead of looking only at a puzzle, I try to learn from the history of the game. What did their last moves actually do, and what are they trying to get away with? I treat puzzles like they are games and games like they are puzzles. Most of the time in correspondence chess, it is easier to back up the moves and then play them forward again. Did you know puzzles can be solved the same way?
Chess is like a conversation, and we reply to those conversations. Puzzles come from games and are simply moments within them. Treating puzzles intuitively probably happens more often in Puzzle Racer, but I do not think it is the right approach for me. Intuition is not applicable to all situations. If it was we would not need to think. I now enjoy Puzzle Streak, but I still appreciate the themed puzzles.
Before jumping to conclusions, maybe we should look at the game the puzzle came from. Understanding what the players were planning is the biggest clue to learning more than just memorizing or solving a puzzle.
A system with 12 open questions ...
https://youtu.be/jl3OLK9vP1o?si=JnzR7ncPnRvATf3H&t=807
* Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games
Author: László Polgár
Focus: Huge collection of tactical puzzles.
Goal: Build pattern recognition through repetition.
* Learn Chess the Right Way Series
Author: Susan Polgar
Focus: Step-by-step tactical steps and basic strategies.
Goal: Good for beginners and intermediate players.
* Lasker's Manual of Chess
Author: Emanuel Lasker
Focus: Classic foundational theory and philosophy.
Goal: Understand the deep mindset of a world champion.
* The Seven Deadly Chess Sins
Author: Jonathan Rowson
Focus: Psychological traps like greed, laziness, and fear.
Goal: Fix mental habits that ruin good positions.
* The Complete Chess Swindler
Author: David Smerdon
Focus: How to win or draw from bad positions using tricks.
Goal: Learn practical defense and psychological pressure.
I have many Bruce Pandolfini books:
https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Chess_Openings_Traps_And_Zaps/XLMTf-DvvUUC
My chess library at home has about 70 different books from different authors.
I enjoyed them all, but unfortunately cannot retain then all in my head.
What I don't practice, I tend to forget. As they say: It gets rusty.
https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/book-recommendations
Puzzles are honestly a curse to beginners. They were to me.
https://lichess.org/@/soupdumplingchess/blog/the-puzzle-trap/XOhs0jmR
@Toscani Thank you for the thoughtful comment! I agree that we can also learn from looking at the game a puzzle comes from, especially when it comes to understanding how and why the tactical opportunity arose. It's definitely something one should study at some point.
But I don't think it's always necessary or useful, because it can take serious time away from actual pattern training, where you should do as many puzzles as you can. Pattern training will train one's eyes to recognize these motifs, so they can find them more easily and quickly during a game. The strategic side you're talking about is important too, just probably not all the time, even if these approaches can nicely complement each other.
In the "Puzzles are not games!" section, I was referring to a puzzle-solving method I've seen from some players: "This looks like a good move, I will play it, then we'll see what happens." When I try slowing them down, I often get the response, "No, let's play it, we'll see later what to do." I was calling out this lazy habit. :)
Thank you for sharing the recommendations as well, these are good books, I have some of them as well! :)
@soupdumplingchess
They can be a curse to everyone :( I hated them as a child! Now we are on better terms :)
I've seen this bad way of solving puzzles so many times. A lot of people just "guess" the moves and they call it "solving".
I think some of them are fully aware of this but just don't want to put in the energy.
We gotta grab every learning opportunity we find and be disciplined about it!
@Freddy_Mercurrysauce Indeed! I have had a few students who even got frustrated when I didn't play along, and I forced them to visualize and calculate!
Nice block I like 1001 chess puzzles
1.Qe4! Reminds me of Morphy's famous mate in 2 (Ra6!!)