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Question on solving puzzles

  1. How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle? Currently rated at 2500 lichess puzzle rating, taking an avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle.

  2. Sometimes when solving puzzles, I find that I am able to refute all my candidate move options except 1 and that one move does look winning, and hence know that there is only one move in the position where I do have chances of surviving. However, I am unable to completely calculate the candidtae move till the end of the variation as I find it super complicated. Should I just play the move as if its a normal game, or should I refrain from doing so until I have completely calculated all the lines with the move and know for sure that I am winning there.

1. How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle? Currently rated at 2500 lichess puzzle rating, taking an avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle. 2. Sometimes when solving puzzles, I find that I am able to refute all my candidate move options except 1 and that one move does look winning, and hence know that there is only one move in the position where I do have chances of surviving. However, I am unable to completely calculate the candidtae move till the end of the variation as I find it super complicated. Should I just play the move as if its a normal game, or should I refrain from doing so until I have completely calculated all the lines with the move and know for sure that I am winning there.

"How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle?"

  • Not as long as you take to find a move in a game.
    In a game nobody tells you there is a tactic, or for whom.
    You have to assume there is one for you or your opponent until you have ascertained yourself there is none.

"avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle"

  • That is long. Do you think 12-15 min in a game?

"Should I just play the move as if its a normal game"

  • Yes.
"How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle?" * Not as long as you take to find a move in a game. In a game nobody tells you there is a tactic, or for whom. You have to assume there is one for you or your opponent until you have ascertained yourself there is none. "avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle" * That is long. Do you think 12-15 min in a game? "Should I just play the move as if its a normal game" * Yes.

I'm not great at puzzles, especially the "mate in 2" style where you have a plethora of ways to finish the opponent in more moves and would win the real game (unless you're low on time and need to end quickly). When stuck with a puzzle, I figure it's best to make my best guess instead of taking forever because I can lose now and possibly win the next two, recovering rating quicker than taking long to win the one. Or go away and try later.

I like how this site's puzzles show the previous move by the opponent.

I'm not great at puzzles, especially the "mate in 2" style where you have a plethora of ways to finish the opponent in more moves and would win the real game (unless you're low on time and need to end quickly). When stuck with a puzzle, I figure it's best to make my best guess instead of taking forever because I can lose now and possibly win the next two, recovering rating quicker than taking long to win the one. Or go away and try later. I like how this site's puzzles show the previous move by the opponent.

I think it pays to spend as much time as you need but maybe not every time. You can do some sessions where you limit yourself to 5-minutes (can set puzzles to unrrated when you do that if you like)

I think it pays to spend as much time as you need but maybe not every time. You can do some sessions where you limit yourself to 5-minutes (can set puzzles to unrrated when you do that if you like)

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@Asafaruk2 said ^

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@Asafaruk2 said ^

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@Asafaruk2 said ^

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@Asafaruk2 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/Yc3brEDG) > (: > (: (: (: (: (: (: (: @Asafaruk2 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/Yc3brEDG) > (: > (: (: (: (: (: (: (: @Asafaruk2 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/Yc3brEDG) > (: > (: (: (: (: (: (: (:

@tpr said ^

"avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle"

  • That is long. Do you think 12-15 min in a game?

Umm..... definitely brother, classical chess exists.

"How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle?"

  • Not as long as you take to find a move in a game.
    In a game nobody tells you there is a tactic, or for whom.
    You have to assume there is one for you or your opponent until you have ascertained yourself there is none.

You are talking as if time spent when making a move is to find whether a tactic exists or doesent in the first place. That isnt the only expenditure of time, calculating different lines related to the main theme of tactic you realise exists in the position, and making conclusions on various candidate moves also takes time, which doesent really exist when we find a move in a game, usually in non-critical positions there is never a need to calculate deep lines, just shortly checking for tactics and following plans and intuition are enough.
Hence, by this logic solving puzzles takes longer than finding a move in a game, especially as puzzles are critical moments in a game, where most of the time should be spent.

Thank you for your reply

@tpr said [^](/forum/redirect/post/mO1r2a15) > "avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle" > * That is long. Do you think 12-15 min in a game? Umm..... definitely brother, classical chess exists. > "How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle?" > * Not as long as you take to find a move in a game. > In a game nobody tells you there is a tactic, or for whom. > You have to assume there is one for you or your opponent until you have ascertained yourself there is none. You are talking as if time spent when making a move is to find whether a tactic exists or doesent in the first place. That isnt the only expenditure of time, calculating different lines related to the main theme of tactic you realise exists in the position, and making conclusions on various candidate moves also takes time, which doesent really exist when we find a move in a game, usually in non-critical positions there is never a need to calculate deep lines, just shortly checking for tactics and following plans and intuition are enough. Hence, by this logic solving puzzles takes longer than finding a move in a game, especially as puzzles are critical moments in a game, where most of the time should be spent. Thank you for your reply

@pmpsoft said ^

I'm not great at puzzles, especially the "mate in 2" style where you have a plethora of ways to finish the opponent in more moves and would win the real game (unless you're low on time and need to end quickly). When stuck with a puzzle, I figure it's best to make my best guess instead of taking forever because I can lose now and possibly win the next two, recovering rating quicker than taking long...

Its not really about rating when it comes to puzzles is it, its not like resigning in a hopeless position so you can play more games, its about calculating accurately so that you can improve and finding the tactics. Of course, when stuck for too long such that you cannot even find the main theme of the tactic in the position, giving your best guess does make sense.

@pmpsoft said [^](/forum/redirect/post/wN9HjXdD) > I'm not great at puzzles, especially the "mate in 2" style where you have a plethora of ways to finish the opponent in more moves and would win the real game (unless you're low on time and need to end quickly). When stuck with a puzzle, I figure it's best to make my best guess instead of taking forever because I can lose now and possibly win the next two, recovering rating quicker than taking long... Its not really about rating when it comes to puzzles is it, its not like resigning in a hopeless position so you can play more games, its about calculating accurately so that you can improve and finding the tactics. Of course, when stuck for too long such that you cannot even find the main theme of the tactic in the position, giving your best guess does make sense.

@Chesss_Is_The_Life said ^

  1. How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle? Currently rated at 2500 lichess puzzle rating, taking an avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle.

If you're solving the puzzles for Classical or Rapid, 12-15 mins is too long.
These times are good:
Very easy: 10-15 sec
Easy: 30-35 sec
Normal: 1-2 mins
Hard: 3-3,5 mins
Very hard: 5 mins

@Chesss_Is_The_Life said [^](/forum/redirect/post/EoXeFrou) > 1. How long should I generally take for a chess puzzle? Currently rated at 2500 lichess puzzle rating, taking an avg of 12-15 mins per puzzle. If you're solving the puzzles for Classical or Rapid, 12-15 mins is too long. These times are good: Very easy: 10-15 sec Easy: 30-35 sec Normal: 1-2 mins Hard: 3-3,5 mins Very hard: 5 mins