Puzzles on the app

I'm new to the game so hoping someone can answer me this... When I try the puzzles on the app, there is no indication of what the outcome is supposed to be. Often I find myself having rank points deducted because I've tried to checkmate when the puzzle is wanting me take pieces, or vice versa. Surely it would be better for a learner to know what the aim of the puzzle was?! Am I missing something?

Evidently.

It would be a lot easier to comment if you posted links to particular puzzles which confused you.

There are no links to puzzles in the app. Besides, I'm not talking about specific puzzles, I'm talking in general...

I know what you mean. I’m a beginner as well, and I too tend to struggle. This is simply what I’ve found to be true so far:

The aim is checkmate. Take it slow. If it deducts points for what you believe is the best move, study it closer and see if you can locate any potential hazards/traps you may have missed. Or, maybe you missed a trap of your own waiting to be set by you. Some of these puzzles, I’ve replayed 5 times trying my best to understand not only my moves, but the computers moves as well.

From my experience, most of the time, there’s a checkmate within 2-8 moves. My advice is to stress less about your rating going down. Study the board for a bit and understand why each move was the right one. Learn from your mistakes and as you improve your rating will take care of itself.

I agree with you.  Very often the result of the puzzle is just improving your position or gaining a material advantage.  I try to view it as a challenge to find the best move available, but it can be frustrating to not have a single objective for each puzzle.

Speedbird, I have the same frustration. But even worse is when it shows me the "solution" and I still don't know what the point was - which seems to happen at least once per day. I *yearn* for the addition of short text explanations on the puzzles.