tactics improvement schedule

hello. I am 43 and i started studying 15 years ago for a pair of years then I quit. I remember some positional concepts and opening sequences but I forgot everything about tactics. if I wanted to plan a long term study plan would it be a good idea to work through e.g. polgar learn chess the right way (5 books)? I would avoid software and work on real books. I only have time in the weekend for job reasons. are there alternative sources for my level? thanks.

Consider using the Woodpecker Method book for tactics. You can either use it on chessable, or get an app to do the tactics. Apps are good if you have less time.

The first question is: Do you know many typical tactical motifs? If you're not so sure about that yet, I'd recommend an introductory book on tactics first, like "Everyone's first chess book" by Peter Giannatos or "Learn chess tactics" by John Nunn. Only when you know these tactics, you should move on to something like the "Woodpecker method" ( which is an excellent book but too hard for beginners who still struggle with the basics)

thank everybody for your answers. from what i  understand, the tactics books for beginners/intermediate players are all the same.. thanks propeshka for the tip.. i didnt know that book (it seems to have been printed in 2021) and it's just the kind of book i would like to buy.. full of exercises without explanations, since i still remeber the "meaning" of the tactical themes just i cannot "see" them on the chessboard anymore.  

Tactics are indeed important. My coach says he reached 1700 almost solely on tactics.

Dan Heisman has an interesting approach to tactics (see https://web.archive.org/web/20140714190611/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman04.pdf )

Basically, he says there are two types of tactics training: one is to learn how to figure stuff out and calculate. But another, much under-appreciated, way it to learn to recognize -- i.e., to memorize. (Just like, say, when we see a queen and a bishop pointing at that f7 pawn, we often see it right away)

He gives a great analogy: we all know how to figure out 7 times 6, right? You add 7+7+7+7+7+7. Simple as that, right? And yet, that takes time and brainpower that we don't need to you. Simply memorizing that 7x6=42 (which pretty much all of us have done) is much easier and efficient, right?

And so he suggests getting a simple book (e.g., Bain, Chess Tactics for Students) and doing them again and again, until you can get 85% of them in 15 seconds or less.

This is not to exclude the other way tactics are useful -- the seemingly infinite number of puzzles here, chesstempo, etc. It's just that the method I'm describing here is extremely helpful -- essential, he would say -- to improving.

And the reason this makes sense is simple: you don't want to have to calculate everything from scratch on every move. You want to able to see the back-row mate possibilities immediately, or the Qxf7 mate immediately, or Nxc7 fork of a rook and king.  Most of us already do.  But there are 2000 other patterns.  Another one that's just a tad above easy:  when a king is in a corner surrounded by his 7th rank pawns in front and a piece next to him -- you should immediately think: where's my knight, is there a smother mate here?  And so on. During a game you just don't have the brainpower or stamina or time to calculate all the possibilities on every move -- you want to see the ones that might work because you've seen them before.

See the key Novice Nooks A Different Approach to Studying Tactics and The Most Common and Important Use of Tactics.

I'm curious about what normal progress is, if someone starts playing with a 300 to 400 rating, how long does it usually take for the person to progress to 1000+?

I dont think it matters too much which books you use. The more important thing is to get started, get on a study schedule and keep at it week after week after week.

There are pro's and con's for both learning from books and learning online. If your preference is to use books, then by all means go for it.  But if tactics is your biggest weakness and your key priority for studying, my suggestion is to at least explore the option to study online.  Books are no match for the resources available online. The sheer amount of material available is enormous and puzzle/training difficulty is adjusted to your level in real time.  Check it out

There is no single answer to this question.  When you are 8 years old and someone is teaching you how to play, going from 300 to 400 could take no longer than a week, when you are 30 years older and have to find out everything on your own, it can take longer. Much longer.

Duck fest I just learned the basics less than a year ago and I was just wondering if my progress was average, but  I guess there are a lot of variables to consider. 

I've just been using software to do lots of puzzles, seems to be a pretty good approach for improving basic tactical awareness. I read some books but the most helpful was doing lots of puzzles over and over.

In the Netherlands almost all clubs use the 'Steps method' to train tactics to kids. If you google it, you'll find that they also have it in English nowadays. I've never had to use anything else to learn tactics. It's named the 'steps method', because it has multiple levels. It start with level 1, just learning how to use the pieces. At level 2 you'll learn basic tactics like double attacks and pins etc. and at level 3 you'll start to be introduced to different tactics as well as getting the same old double attacks and pins with longer and tougher combinations. There are also pages upon pages with positions where you don't know what the theme is, just like you would have in your own games. I think it's available to step 6, which is for very advanced and strong players. The method comes with a book full of exercises and a manual. The manual is geared towards trainers, but if you study on your own it could still be a good investment. The reason for that is that it contains puzzle solving strategies. These are useful to learn as well, because you can also apply them to your own games to find tactics.

I am not affiliated with them in any way. I just find it is a perfect method to learn about tactics, learn how to spot tactics and learn pattern recognition, all in 1 method.

Just try to visualize to the best of your abilities and imagine what would happen to the board every time u move, there is no better way of doing it than just to do it