If you have a puzzle that is very hard, you don't recognize any pattern, any moves with some follow up, there are no forced sequences (at least not that you know of), then how you proceed?
Beyond the basics, I try to see potential goals. Am I looking for checkmate, a passed pawn, trapping a piece, what? This can help narrow the focus. Some things that can help identify this:
- Material imbalance (if down material, need to win more, often checkmate)
- What pieces are undefended? They may be possible tactical targets.
- Is there a move I'd like to make, but isn't directly playable in the position that I can try to prepare to do?
- Are there tactical resources even if moves don't immediately look like they work? (x-rays, discoveries, forks even if currently defended, etc)
And if all else fails, look at every legal move to make sure I'm not blindspotting myself.
- Material imbalance (if down material, need to win more, often checkmate)
- What pieces are undefended? They may be possible tactical targets.
- Is there a move I'd like to make, but isn't directly playable in the position that I can try to prepare to do?
- Are there tactical resources even if moves don't immediately look like they work? (x-rays, discoveries, forks even if currently defended, etc)
And if all else fails, look at every legal move to make sure I'm not blindspotting myself.
A little trick that sometimes helps is to look at the last move or two that led up to the position. Think about what the moves changed in the position. Which pieces/squares are no longer defended, what's going on in general, what appear to be the plans for both sides.
Generally in puzzles it is a good idea not just to look at what you might be able to do, but also what the other side is trying to do to you. If you see that your opponent is threatening a checkmate in one for example, you can use this as a hint to know that your move will either defend the checkmate square or remove an attacker or a counter-attack against the opponent's king.
Also, if in the starting position of the puzzle you are down a lot of material, you know that you are most likely not just looking for a way to win a pawn or a minor piece. You are looking for a checkmate or at least winning heavy material.
If there are knights on the board, always check if any of your opponents important pieces are in forking distance to each other. If not, maybe there is an attraction sacrifice to move the king/queen to a square where it can be forked. Note that the knight always jumps from dark squares to light squares and vice versa. That should give you an idea if you intended targets should be on light or dark squares. For example you have a knight on a dark square, which can jump to a light square from where it attacks dark squares.
Generally in puzzles it is a good idea not just to look at what you might be able to do, but also what the other side is trying to do to you. If you see that your opponent is threatening a checkmate in one for example, you can use this as a hint to know that your move will either defend the checkmate square or remove an attacker or a counter-attack against the opponent's king.
Also, if in the starting position of the puzzle you are down a lot of material, you know that you are most likely not just looking for a way to win a pawn or a minor piece. You are looking for a checkmate or at least winning heavy material.
If there are knights on the board, always check if any of your opponents important pieces are in forking distance to each other. If not, maybe there is an attraction sacrifice to move the king/queen to a square where it can be forked. Note that the knight always jumps from dark squares to light squares and vice versa. That should give you an idea if you intended targets should be on light or dark squares. For example you have a knight on a dark square, which can jump to a light square from where it attacks dark squares.
@ellyhart thanks a lot, you have very good tips
@Sefegiru wow thanks, this will be very helpful
@Martin_1001 said in #1:
> If you have a puzzle that is very hard, you don't recognize any pattern, any moves with some follow up, there are no forced sequences (at least not that you know of), then how you proceed?
You see the solution.
The puzzle is not really there to be solved. Is there to measure if your pattern recognition is ok or not.
Solving it is not the important part, is actually the opposite.
You see. If you solve a puzzle, it means that your pattern recognition for that theme is in shape. And if its in shape its fine right?
Now, if you cant solve it, then it means your pattern recognition for that theme is not in shape. So, it helps you to identify which theme is problematic.
Once you see the solution and identify which theme is being problematic, you go to puzzles---> left panel -----> theme puzzles and pick the theme you suck at and train it until is in shape.
You just are using the tool in the opposite way that is meant to be used.
> If you have a puzzle that is very hard, you don't recognize any pattern, any moves with some follow up, there are no forced sequences (at least not that you know of), then how you proceed?
You see the solution.
The puzzle is not really there to be solved. Is there to measure if your pattern recognition is ok or not.
Solving it is not the important part, is actually the opposite.
You see. If you solve a puzzle, it means that your pattern recognition for that theme is in shape. And if its in shape its fine right?
Now, if you cant solve it, then it means your pattern recognition for that theme is not in shape. So, it helps you to identify which theme is problematic.
Once you see the solution and identify which theme is being problematic, you go to puzzles---> left panel -----> theme puzzles and pick the theme you suck at and train it until is in shape.
You just are using the tool in the opposite way that is meant to be used.
@Alientcp this makes a lot of sense, thanks. This also seems to imply that all puzzles have a tatical pattern, which seems kinda obvious to say, but it clarify that most of the goals for puzzle solving is to be able to recognize a especific pattern, instead of, for example, find candidate moves. This happens mostly when you do the easy ones, such as the mates in 1of the CAPTCHA bellow. You don't really calculate candidate moves, scanning the board to find options, you just see the whole pattern and know what to do.
In puzzles, if the move doesn't scream at me within the first 5 minutes, I play whatever I think isn't too bad. If I'm wrong I check the right answer and then go 'ahhh, now I get it' and move onto the next puzzle. Works for me and I'm not too bad at puzzles. I can even sometimes solve the chess CAPTCHA first time
@Martin_1001 said in #1:
> If you have a puzzle that is very hard, you don't recognize any pattern, any moves with some follow up, there are no forced sequences (at least not that you know of), then how you proceed?
The last method: brute force. Look in all move possibilities, all combinations. The previous posts are very good indeed
> If you have a puzzle that is very hard, you don't recognize any pattern, any moves with some follow up, there are no forced sequences (at least not that you know of), then how you proceed?
The last method: brute force. Look in all move possibilities, all combinations. The previous posts are very good indeed
1) Check => calculating if it doesn't work say why
Try to work out the why
2) Capture => calculating if it doesn't work say why
Try to work out the why
3) Threat => calculating if it doesn't work say why
Try to work out the why
4) Moving all pieces in my head / intervening order
5) if stuck : Going for a more positional approach => Material imbalance what i need to do checkmate or winning materials
6) Are they pieces weirdly placed ... ?
7) When completely stuck take a small brake and come back with candidates moves and determine which seems the more promising and calculate
Try to work out the why
2) Capture => calculating if it doesn't work say why
Try to work out the why
3) Threat => calculating if it doesn't work say why
Try to work out the why
4) Moving all pieces in my head / intervening order
5) if stuck : Going for a more positional approach => Material imbalance what i need to do checkmate or winning materials
6) Are they pieces weirdly placed ... ?
7) When completely stuck take a small brake and come back with candidates moves and determine which seems the more promising and calculate
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