Are the puzzles suggested by the game review worth it?

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Cliff8161

So, I looked into my last few games with the game review and the bot suggested pins and mate in 3+ puzzles. Out of curiosity (and because I wanted to do it for a long time) I upgraded my membership and looked into my insights, which suggest something similar.

My question now is, is it worth focusing on what the game review/insights tell me? Do I actually get better by stupidly following a program? I'm fine if it is really something as easy as that. I seem to be too stupid anyway because I don't understand how a puzzle can help me getting better if I played puzzles on other platforms for the last 6 months and still suck. But is it really worth it to give it a try?

Especially when I get a puzzle like this: https://www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/1959006 According to the tag, it's a puzzle for pin, but I don't see how that bishop move is related to a pin.

justbefair
Cliff8161 wrote:

So, I looked into my last few games with the game review and the bot suggested pins and mate in 3+ puzzles. Out of curiosity (and because I wanted to do it for a long time) I upgraded my membership and looked into my insights, which suggest something similar.

My question now is, is it worth focusing on what the game review/insights tell me? Do I actually get better by stupidly following a program? I'm fine if it is really something as easy as that. I seem to be too stupid anyway because I don't understand how a puzzle can help me getting better if I played puzzles on other platforms for the last 6 months and still suck. But is it really worth it to give it a try?

Especially when I get a puzzle like this: https://www.chess.com/puzzles/problem/1959006 According to the tag, it's a puzzle for pin, but I don't see how that bishop move is related to a pin.

That is actually a good puzzle.

Perhaps they needed to extend it another couple of moves for you to understand the theme.

Cliff8161

It makes no sense if a beginner like me has to play further than the actual puzzle to understand what the puzzle tries to teach me. I don't mean it in an offensive way, but I can't hire a coach that explains every single puzzle, or posts every single one on this forum, or plays every single puzzle through.

I click on custom puzzles, choose the tags and hope the website I pay 10 bucks per month for is smart enough to teach a beginner something. It's like them having lessons for beginners and simply giving me the fifth time "HOW DOES THE QUEEN MOVE" because of a small update.

justbefair
Cliff8161 wrote:

It makes no sense if a beginner like me has to play further than the actual puzzle to understand what the puzzle tries to teach me. I don't mean it in an offensive way, but I can't hire a coach that explains every single puzzle, or posts every single one on this forum, or plays every single puzzle through.

I click on custom puzzles, choose the tags and hope the website I pay 10 bucks per month for is smart enough to teach a beginner something. It's like them having lessons for beginners and simply giving me the fifth time "HOW DOES THE QUEEN MOVE" because of a small update.

Insights is a great place to look to try and figure out some of the things that you are missing.

From your Instights, look at this page of mates in 1 that you missed:

Cliff8161

Then what? Do I simply replay these games? I honestly don't understand how replaying an old position once or twice helps me making the same mistake again.

justbefair
Cliff8161 wrote:

Then what? Do I simply replay these games? I honestly don't understand how replaying an old position once or twice helps me making the same mistake again.

I guess I think that replaying those positions may ring some bells somewhere in your brain.and help you recognize that type of position in the future.

Three of the six positions above are from the same game. You just played it several days ago.

Why not look through the game and try to spot them? (Without getting a big hint from the Game Review).

Chess offers an infinite number of positions. However, there are patterns which experienced players learn to recognize. The above game had a king surrounded by a bunch of your pieces in the middle of the board. You can just play the first move that pops into your head in such a situation.... or you can take a few seconds to try to figure out if a position offers a special opportunity.

Cliff8161

Do you mean move 38, 39 and 40? I should have seen the mate in one. But I was scared the opponent would make it to the other side with the pawn. I know it sounds like a stupid excuse, but I am tired of losing repeatedly. I want to get past 700 one day and it genuinely feels like I reached my limit.

justbefair
Cliff8161 wrote:

Do you mean move 38, 39 and 40? I should have seen the mate in one. But I was scared the opponent would make it to the other side with the pawn. I know it sounds like a stupid excuse, but I am tired of losing repeatedly. I want to get past 700 one day and it genuinely feels like I reached my limit.

Yes, those are the positions. I believe that practising tactics through things like the timed Puzzle Rush has been helpful to me.

arosbishop

You are only a beginner. You need to train and study all aspects of chess. Study good beginner books.

EpicCookie1911

I’m a little late to the thread. I’m only getting back into chess from when I was a kid. I find the coaches suggestions are very helpful because most of the games I see at my level (600ish at the time of this post) are won or lost from pattern recognition. Drilling puzzles is a great way to build that familiarity and how to address it. Also going back and looking at recent games where you make a mistake is a good way to remember what your opponents are doing to make you make that blunder. I view it like reviewing film for a sport. Also I found that learning an opening helps.