The Cruel Tutelage of Tactics Trainer

LOL   Yeah, I think I saw that one, but I screwed up on the 2nd move. (-17)

Thx all.

I don't get all worked up about the tactics trainer, like some of you. But I do think the TT is an excellent training tool. The ratings on it seem very inflated, but that's ok because learning is the goal...

hahaha, wow, that was hilarious! nice post.

That was funny Deepgreene. The good/bad thing is that you have UNLIMITED access to TT, so your torture will never end.

I've been playing with the tactics trainer for just a touch over 1 year.  I'm currently at 30.46% complete (7,974 problems).  My all-time high is 2094 and am currently sitting at 2022.  One thing I've noticed is that my rating volatility has significantly shrunk.  Over the span of the past 1-2 months, my rating seems to bottom out in the low 1800s or so before slowly climbing back up.  I credit this decrease in volatility to reaching a new level of tactical understanding.  Earlier on I'd say my volatility delta was closer to 500 point swings.

I sincerely believe that if you just drown yourself in these, you will truly grow and change mentally.  According to my records, I've spent 81.3 hours on tactics problems - so that equates to 81.3/8760 hours over the last year (roughly 1% of my life).  For spending such a small portion, I'd say the payoff has been truly remarkable.  I'd love to hear from other members who have shared similar experiences.  Here's my tactics rating chart for the past 1 year timeframe:

Wow simply Brilliant post!

I spent over 44H in tactics trainer  and my rating ranges between 1900/2400 lol if I stop doing that for like 1 month I can get to 1800 but then I start doing it again Ill get to the point Iam now 2200 Asap above that only If i get really addicted almost no life other then TT and also training on the hardes CTArt problems!

Doing nothing on my work place National holyday :) So Im on TT here is my new rating so far

Rating

What tactics trainer? The one on this site?

nice..

- Beware.  There is a special algorithm in Tactics Trainer that throws you a brutal "curve-ball" puzzle every time your rating approaches any number that's divisible by 100.

haha.  i think this may explain some things.  i have been in the 1400s for weeks.  today, i finally cracked that 1500 mark, got five or six in a row, and now i am eyeing the 1600 mark. 

sadly, when you are on your way down they do not seem to give you easy ones.  sometimes it feel like they keep giving you the curve ball puzzles until you have to ask whether or not you can get negative ratings. 

hilarious post mr. green. 

same here I am trying to crack the 1500 mark

"haha.  i think this may explain some things.  i have been in the 1400s for weeks.  today, i finally cracked that 1500 mark, got five or six in a row, and now i am eyeing the 1600 mark." 

You are a mind reader. Teach me Yoda.

Yes, Tactics Trainer has taught me one of two things:

1.  I have topped out in my chess growth; or

2.  I am an incredibly slow learner.

Neither of these possibilities is particularly inspiring.

Curse you Tactics Trainer!   Bwhahaha.

I have definitely experienced what seems to be a bad part of the programming, in which the TT specifically targets your weaknesses.

Another thing that it seems to do with regularity that drives me crazy is the following, It will give you 2 or 3 puzzles that have a steady increase of 10  to 20 points in difficulty, then it will suddenly change the difficulty as compared to my rating about 50 points. I tend to mess up the 5 move puzzle that was suddenly a good bit harder. Then I find myself back to square one. I would prefer a gradual increase. I would probably do far better over the long haul.

Another thing that I find annoying is that TT will make you find a series of difficult combinations, several puzzles in a row. Then after you feel compelled to look for them, suddenly it expects you to find a simple move for a free piece. I think the more simple puzzles, should be for people rated much lower than me.

I am sure if I approached all of the other multi move puzzles, searching for a more simple tactic ( some have alternate choices that is wrong), I would probably take more time solving them and thus have a lower rating due to this.

Another TT glitch that seems overlooked by it's designers is that, the difference between doing puzzles and playing a game of chess isn't intergrated. I will see through the progression of the moves in a game, whether I should be looking for a tactic to win an exchange, attempt a mating net, or execute a mate. I will be able to easily see the simple move in my game in 10 seconds. It could take me far longer if I am trying to take into account the possibilities of a puzzle, I am totally unfamiliar with.

Another thing I think that isn't very well accounted for is that, people who have done the puzzles multiple times have skewed the reality for how long it should actually take someone to do each one.

The time is should take,once properly set, shouldn't be affected by the speed that higher rated players can do it, thus driving down the average time it would seem to take everyone. Certainly I would do it better after closing my account a few times or resetting it multiple times and starting over.

Should you really be able to do puzzle in 10 secs after a bunch of people rated 500 or more points above you, have all done it 30 times each? I would say that if a puzzle is rated for 1450, then it should take a 1400 player one amount of time, but it should give a higher rated player less time, instead of treating the lower rated player with less exposure to it, as if he should do it as fast as a GM can.

Funny you should mention. I was JUST about to pass my 1600 barrier when suddenly I dropped almost 200 points in a period of almost a week! Just like that! In a single streak!

(Until recently I only did three problems a day, so in that sense 200 is significant.)

Very funny.

Seems to me you are in the early stages of addiction, where it is still basically about the chess. As time passes you will go on to become paranoid about the peripheral issues, such as the pros and cons of the scoring system. (Summary: it's brilliant when it works in your favour and it's the worst system ever devised when it works against you).

Try not to worry about bishop blindness. It's not you, it's them. They have the power to make themselves invisible and (not many people know this) they are working for the secret police in a conspiracy to keep my TT rating down.  (Please don't tell them I said that, I'm in enough trouble already!)

If all else fails you can try therapy. The rooks are born therapists. They just sit in the corner doing nothing until your situation is truly hopeless.  Basically, the more trouble you're in the better they like it. Never trust a rook.