CT-ART 3.0

Hi everyone!

I've been looking into software for improving my tactics and overall strategy, and read a lot about CT-ART 3.0 being a great resource. It seems, though, that amazon no longer carries it (I'm guessing its pretty old software) and read that the newer CT-ART 4.0 is a step backwards in terms of improvement. Does anyone know if there are alternative vendors selling either a CD copy CT-ART 3.0 or the rights to download it? Perhaps something akin to gog.com (sells rights to download old games no longer made or supported).

Seems as though a lot of people are using it (did they just keep their old CD copies?)

And if CT-ART 3.0 is completely unavailable, do you have any recommendations for something similar with the same strengths and format as CT-ART 3.0?

Thanks!

Is it as good though? From what I've read on Amazon, it seems as though the GUI interface is a nightmare

the tactics trainer here, chesstactics.org, and CT Art are all very very different. chesstacticsorg is didactic. the trainer here is timed, and progressive. CT Art has a bunch of features that make it unique.

the difference between 3.0 and 4.0 is minimal. Both of them have gui's that are a pain, but the pain is to allow for  training in counterplay, and foucissing on mini-patterns withing meta patterns. 

Thanks- will definitely give those a try. So is that what CT-ART basically is? Gives you positions to solve without any analysis or feedback?

The same material seems to be covered by ChessKing.  Might be same people as someone suggested.  Little more modern, if kid oriented, interface and lots of auxiliary courses (cheaper by the half dozen).

@JagWar: Ct Art does not give analysis, but it does give feedback. If you get the puzzle wrong several times it will give you the option of looking at a minimalized, simplified version ot the tactical theme, to help you see the pattern. After you get that correct you can go back to the main puzzle and try it again. then, when it is completed, you can solve for counterplay. 

any tactics puzzles of any sort, esp if the bulk of the sample is relatively easy for you, will be hlepful.  a steady diet of puzzles that take a long time to solve are supposed to be not as good for you as a diet composed primarily of puzzles you can solve relatively quickly, whatever that means to you.

@Somebodysson: Thanks for the input. What you mentioned in the last paragraph makes sense. If you practice "seeing" the short pattern, I'd guess you're more likely to be able to apply it in different situations, whereas longer puzzles probably focus on strategy and planning (and of course the tactics to get there).

yes. the tactics in ct art are not easy. The easiest on ct art are rated  about 1600elo, which is much much higher than your current rating on chess.com.  Here's a thread from someone who bought ct art on someone's recommendation, and found it too hard. At the time he posted this thread he was rated 1700 on chess.com, which is much higher than you are now. Here is the thread he posted 6 years ago.  http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/ct-art

Don't get it. You'll find it too hard. If you're going to get a book get Bain Chess Tactics for Students. I have tried a number of things, and fwiw I actually think the TT on here is excellent. Yes, its timed, but you should ignore the clock and try for accuracy. There is a LOT of repetition on the tactics trainer on here, which I think is very good. Lots of repetition is good. Your rating will get higher as you become more familiar with the patterns, and will get lower as you get lazier about accuracy.  The point is to go for accuracy, not for speed, but to do puzzles that are easy enough that with enough repetition you WILL speed up, not so difficult that you will give up in frustration. 

New version of ctart 3 recently launched ctart 5. Version 4 ( ctart 4 ) is also good it had some new features and chapters. I think ctart 5 also has some new features though I have not checked it as yet.

Ctart 3 runs well on windows XP but you will face problems with windows versions from Vista onwards. But I have been able to install ctart 4 on a windows 7 system after some initial problems.

but how do  download it on my windows 10 pc

Since you want to spend money, I highly recommend considering the paid membership at chesstempo.com.  I did chess art 3.0 many years ago, and did a paid membership at chesstempo many years after that.  Its different, but overall I'd say chesstempo is superior.  Chess.com's paid membership should also be considered.  It comes with other features, and their tactics stuff has some unique modes that are super fun (puzzle rush!)  But for the ability to learn tactics, chesstempo.com is pretty amazing.  Later in your chess career if your motivation is flagging and you need it to be even more fun, I'd recommend chess.com's paid membership.  

I see you at 1449.  So you can get chesstempo to serve you 100s of problems from real games that are 1450 difficulty.  Then you can do a custom set of only problems you got wrong.  Or if you notice that you are blowing pin tactics, you can get it to give you a custom set of tactics involving a pin from real games.  Maybe you want that at 1600 since you'll know they involve a pin.  And then you can later do a custom set of *those* that you got wrong initially.  Tactics training is about learning to recognize patterns that reoccur.  The ability to train on sets of problems that you got wrong in the past is an amazing tool. 

Many years ago when studying for the multiple choice school entry test of my profession, law, one of the things I found most valuable was that the prep course I took gave us like 8-10 sets of practice multiple choice questions based on the real tests over the years.  I did those, and specificially studied the questions I got wrong.  Just studying the multiple choice questions I got wrong netted me a large number of points on the actual exam.  Chesstempo.com is the same concept -- it can focus target stuff that actually comes up in games at your level that you are currently struggling with.  

But again, I certainly don't want to denigrate our hosts chess.com.  Puzzle rush is the most fun tactical training option I've seen.  Given that I am now less focused on improvement (I'm too old and have tried too hard in the past) if I were to pay for one again, it would be chess.com.  And chess.com's membership does come with tons of other training resources such as hundreds (or is it thousands?) of videos.