Further proof Tactics Trainer is pure Evil

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DeepGreene

Boy, don't turn your back on that thing. 

Usually, I use the mode that pauses after each problem, but tonight I figured my rating's relatively low, so let's keep 'em coming, at least as long as I'm passing them.  So I'm doing OK for a while, & then I blow one, and for the first time in a number of puzzles, my rating is displayed.  I was a bit shocked because I thought I was making some progress.  So I checked my recent history...

That's right.  1426 - 34 = 1310.  Well, I've had enough Orwellian mathematics for one night.  Hey, Tactics Trainer, you Failed at arithmetic, you get 0%, and I'm reducing your rating by 473!  Yell

Boooooooo-urns!

ozzie_c_cobblepot

I think you're right - it must have some sort of a multiplier (how much do you play tactics trainer?)

Here are my recent results, and the math adds up.

Recent Problems
DateID#RatingMy RatingMovesAvg. TimeMy TimeOutcome
May 13 11:34am 0029249 2325 2533 3/3 2:58 0:59 Passed (99% | +32)
May 13 11:28am 0025689 2542 2501 5/5 6:25 3:10 Passed (89% | +25)
May 13 11:28am 0024474 2412 2476 6/6 1:51 0:24 Passed (99% | +40)
May 13 11:24am 0025008 2437 2436 5/5 2:26 1:25 Passed (89% | +33)
May 13 11:24am 0026405 2321 2403 2/2 0:41 0:14 Passed (96% | +37)
May 13 11:23am 0024761 1901 2366 4/4 5:29 0:40 Passed (100% | +32)
May 13 11:22am 0021577 2466 2334 1/3 1:21 0:48 Failed (28% | -19)
May 13 11:21am 0021766 2192 2353 1/1 0:39 0:42 Passed (83% | +24)
May 13 11:21am 0032190 2251 2329 2/2 0:32 0:06 Passed (100% | +25)
May 13 11:20am 0028475 2137 2304 4/2 1:00 0:33 Passed (98% | +29)
May 13 11:19am 0025905 2266 2275 4/4 1:01 0:03 Passed (100% | +37)
May 13 11:19am 0024569 2446 2238 1/1 0:28 0:07 Passed (99% | +28)
DeepGreene

Well, I've been averaging over 100 puzzles a day for the last little while, but when I'm stopping after every problem, the math always seems right.  I think it hates me, and it knew I wasn't looking, personally.

Hats off to you, btw.  That's an awesome TT rating.  I assume some sort of animal sacrifice or burnt offering was involved?  Wink

thekingandi

I have been totally sucking on that thing lately.. I went from 1803 to 1500 or so real fast.. i only do 3 a day the trick as most ppl already know is to make the most FORCING move in 90% of the problems.. i have many times disagreed with the answer because my answer was a tad more passive but stil got to mate in 2 or 3 or however many moves which is purely a matter of personal preference and style even.. its good though because it teaches you to think like acomputer a little bit.. i found myself  starting to think a little more computerish after playing battlechess a lot on the old nintendo back in the 90s

DeepGreene

I haven't broken 1900 yet, but I'm getting there...  And yeah, it can be a bit of a roller-coaster.  TT late at night is generally a bad idea.  I get crappy at tactics, and my trainer gets crappy at math.  Surprised

ozzie_c_cobblepot

I gained access to the chess.com TT database and executed some custom SQL scripts to get it to look like that.

Erik was paid.

DeepGreene
chess_kebabs wrote:

If it's late at night Mike, you and the trainer should BOTH go out for a drink and leave the chess and marking you til the morning when you are fresh and alert (once the hangover wears off). 


That sounds brilliant.  Trainer is buying.  ;-)

DeepGreene
ozzie_c_cobblepot wrote:

I gained access to the chess.com TT database and executed some custom SQL scripts to get it to look like that.

Erik was paid.


Haha!  That might be my only hope. 

Wow.  There are tactics up there that have an average think time above six minutes.  That's wild...

hanngo

um,actually the "rating" thing is the "rating" of the problem,and then it shows your rating,fair enough???

MM78
LYCAN148 wrote:

um,actually the "rating" thing is the "rating" of the problem,and then it shows your rating,fair enough???

he's talking about the difference in "his" rating after the 2 problems, given in the my rating column.  I suspect if you use pause mode it displays every problem and the change in rating, but if you use continuous it only displays the last total when you stop, so if you do say 10 problems it only shows the rating after the tenth problem, not the inbetween results.

MM78

@cuendillar, wel spotted, in my defence I haven't had breakfast yet :-).  Glad I didn't move in any of my games.

Kernicterus

I love tactics trainer with all my heart and I feel uncomfortable with any derogatory talk about it.  I don't know how to explain the fuzzy math.  Surprised

costelus

For the original poster: yes, the summary page in TT has a bug. I reported it a long time ago, I think it was not fixed. Look what summary I have:

DateID#RatingMy RatingMovesAvg. TimeMy TimeOutcome
May 17 5:53am 0029092 2171 1905 3/3 1:44 0:31 Passed (97% | +43)
May 17 5:53am 0029092 2171 2237 3/3 1:44 0:31 Passed (97% | +43)
May 17 5:53am 0000934 2109 1975 5/5 1:00 0:10 Passed (100% | +44)
May 17 5:53am 0000934 2109 2074 5/5 1:00 0:10 Passed (100% | +44)
May 17 5:53am 0000934 2109 2194 5/5 1:00 0:10 Passed (100% | +44)
May 17 5:50am 0076916 2004 2150 2/2 0:40 0:27 Passed (87% | +20)
May 17 5:50am 0024436 2340 2130 0/3 4:56 0:15 Failed (0% | -28)
Maroon_25

Anyone know how to get lower-rated (e.g. problems in the 1000-1200 range) tactical problems?  Sometimes I need to work on quick responses to simpler problems for blitz.  I don't know if Tactics Trainer sets me the problems in my rating range or if some default setting I'm using is determining the problems I'm getting.

tarikhk

i get annoyed when my chosen move is checkmate, but it is not the 'right' checkmate.

costelus

Ozzie: the results you put are from last year, isn't it? :) You don't have the courage to try out some of the new problems :)

MM78
jkpastorius wrote:

Anyone know how to get lower-rated (e.g. problems in the 1000-1200 range) tactical problems?  Sometimes I need to work on quick responses to simpler problems for blitz.  I don't know if Tactics Trainer sets me the problems in my rating range or if some default setting I'm using is determining the problems I'm getting.


 as your rating rises you get harder (higher rated problems) if you play in rated mode.  If you go to your setting in tactics trainer choose unbrated mode you can pick a range of problems at a certain rating range instead.  But there's no timer and you gain/lose no rating points.

ozzie_c_cobblepot
costelus wrote:

Ozzie: the results you put are from last year, isn't it? :) You don't have the courage to try out some of the new problems :)


Nah, too busy responding to your posts.

Maroon_25

Thanks for the advice!