Methods of improving: Chess puzzles/exercises

Solving chess puzzles

There is an eternal question among chess players: how to improve at chess? Ask ten chess players and you will probably get eleven different answers.

In this article, I will focus on one of the most popular and effective training methods: solving chess puzzles and exercises.

Why it is important to solve puzzles

There is a famous saying that chess is 99% tactics. Frankly speaking, that sounds like an exaggeration. However, tactics are undeniably important.
Many games are decided by tactical combinations, mistakes or blunders. You need to spot your opponent's mistakes.

Even after outplaying your opponent positionally, you may still need to find a tactical finish to secure the win.

Another benefit of solving puzzles is learning and mastering tactical patterns. Many players remember seeing a smothered mate for the first time. As your chess strength grows, the patterns become more complex.

Here I will show you one interesting pattern.

Take a look at this position. White has an extra pawn, but their pieces are located awkwardly. Knight is on the edge of the board, bishop is still on c1, rooks are not connected. And black found the way to exploit that.

What about this one?
Black has one pawn less, but white king is exposed. Taking on g2 is the most forcing move, but what to do next? The answer is very similar to previous example.

There is one same key move in both positions. Looks like a pattern worth remembering, doesn't it?

The more patterns you know, the stronger a tactician you become.

Resources for puzzles

Lichess offers a huge collection of puzzles, you can choose different themes and tactical motifs. You can also test yourself in Puzzle Racer, Puzzle Storm, and Puzzle Streak. There are many other resources as well, such as ChessTempo or StepChess.

More experienced players, and those who would like to improve faster, should also solve puzzles and positions from books.
The reason is that authors select examples that better illustrate important tactical ideas and patterns, creating a more structured learning experience.

Here I mention few books which I used recently:

Forcing Chess Moves by Charles Hertan:

1001 Chess Exercises for Advanced Club Players by Frank Erwich:

Recommendations

I believe that consistency is the key. Try to solve puzzles regularly.

It is better to solve 10 puzzles a day (or spend 30 minutes a day solving them) than to have one long session per week.

The goal is simple: become a little bit better every day!

But for sure one long session per week is better than not solving at all.

Here is a link to a study with puzzles I have prepared for you. I tried to show some patterns you might learn (or recall). Give them a try!

In each position, there is only one winning move.

How important do you think puzzle solving is for chess improvement? Share your thoughts.
Good luck!