Chesstempo' s exercises
the point of doing the tactics puzzles is to get them right. I have read that you should aim for accuracy, and since chesstempo doesn't time you, you should take all the time you need to get it right. 67% success rate isn't good enough for you to benefit. I'd go slower and only make the move when I was sure it was correct, and then read the comments people write. When I was on chesstempo before I discovered chess.com I found the comments people wrote on the puzzles very very instructive.
yes the comments are very instructive, from the next time i think more, because now i'm revising the exercises that i did wrong, and they are not too difficult
yes the quality of comments on chesstempo exercises is much higher than here on chess.com's tactics trainer. But chess.com isn't primarily a tactics training site; it is primarily a virtual community.
the point of doing the tactics puzzles is to get them right. I have read that you should aim for accuracy, and since chesstempo doesn't time you, you should take all the time you need to get it right. 67% success rate isn't good enough for you to benefit. I'd go slower and only make the move when I was sure it was correct, and then read the comments people write. When I was on chesstempo before I discovered chess.com I found the comments people wrote on the puzzles very very instructive.
What is the timer for in chesstempo then?
Chesstempo is much better since it simulates actual tournament conditions whereas Chess.com simulates blitz conditions with a timer so you can't exercise proper thinking process habits. I have over 2000 there:
>>What is the timer for in chesstempo then?<<
You have the option to use the timer, which is a blitz timer similar to here. Or, you can take your time with no timer and still get a rating. Over there your rating is really private.
Here you can go with the blitz timer and get a rating. But, if you don't use the timer then there is no rating.
Not everyone likes to do chess puzzles under time pressure. But people like to get a rating to measure their progress.
I think that there is a philosophical difference. It appears to me that here a rating with no time restraint is a concern because it could lead to bogus ratings.
Over there, they have a lot more flexibility for tactical training. OTOH, you can't play chess, there are no forums and they don't have all the other goodies that are here.
BTW, I wish that Erik would make tactical ratings private here, and then allow the member to get either a fast or slow rating...but no one else would see it or care about it. Not everything should be public, anyway, IMO.
I also think that the Chess Mentor rating should be private, too. Why should anyone be looking over the shoulder of someone who is not interacting with anyone but simply minding their own business and doing some "shadow boxing"?
hmm, I didn't know that the tactics ratings, or chess mentor rating were not private. That seems nuts to me. Its personal, working on your own technical ability. There's no reason in the world why it should be visible to everyone. Live ratings or cc ratings makes some sense, but skill development shouldn't.
Slight correction:
chesstempo.com does indeed have forums. They also have game play beta going on at present.
yes chesstempo and chess.com are not really competitors, chesstempo is primarily the best online tactics trainer on the net. chess.com is a community of people. there is a bit of overlap, but not much.
Another thing... do i have to set up the real board for each exercise or just solve it at the monitor? because when i play online i usually set up a real board next to the computer, not to move the piece to calculate variations, but to become accustomed at the otb
Just solve it at the monitor!
I only do as many as necessary each day to get 10 correct; usually that´s 10 correct and 1-3 wrong, depending on form. I only do the Standard, without the clock, so that often takes an hour ... slow, I know, but I enjoy really not moving until I think I've worked it out correctly in my head. I've hit a plateau at about 1650 Standard and 1700 Endgame, been there +/- for weeks now and wondering how to get better.
>>What is the timer for in chesstempo then?<<
You have the option to use the timer, which is a blitz timer similar to here. Or, you can take your time with no timer and still get a rating. Over there your rating is really private.
Here you can go with the blitz timer and get a rating. But, if you don't use the timer then there is no rating.
Not everyone likes to do chess puzzles under time pressure. But people like to get a rating to measure their progress.
I think that there is a philosophical difference. It appears to me that here a rating with no time restraint is a concern because it could lead to bogus ratings.
Over there, they have a lot more flexibility for tactical training. OTOH, you can't play chess, there are no forums and they don't have all the other goodies that are here.
BTW, I wish that Erik would make tactical ratings private here, and then allow the member to get either a fast or slow rating...but no one else would see it or care about it. Not everything should be public, anyway, IMO.
I also think that the Chess Mentor rating should be private, too. Why should anyone be looking over the shoulder of someone who is not interacting with anyone but simply minding their own business and doing some "shadow boxing"?
lol you are so sensitive...
Yes, chesstempo is great. I am ranked about 1700 there.
Franci, you can indeed set up a position on a real board next to you, and take your time to find the solution.
1470 there. I hit 1500 but made a bad habit of guessing after a minute or so. I love the comments there because they're insightful when I don't see something.
I like their tactics a lot, I've gotten above 2100 there.
>>lol you are so sensitive...<<
You had to hit that quote button and re-post several paragraphs of mine just to post an idiotic one liner?
I was just subtitling your agony...
wait so the standard tactics r not timed???
i thought they had a time limit