A Beginner's Guide to Puzzle Rush/Battle
Hello everyone! Are you stuck at a certain number of puzzles, or can’t seem to uncover the solution no matter how much you stare at the puzzle for? If so, you’re in the right place! In this guide, we will go over the basics and fundamentals you need to smash through your goals. This guide is tailored towards solvers that are stuck at the 10-30 solving range. If you feel like this is the range that you are currently in and want to raise your records, then read this guide!
First off, let's analyze the first 15 puzzles. If you play a lot of puzzle rush/battle, you’ll notice that the majority of the puzzles deal with forced mates and hanging material, especially bank rank mates. You will want to look out for those. Also, most if not all the moves the puzzles in this range are forcing moves.
Since there are different strategies involved depending on the time control you are playing, this guide is divided into sections. Let's open up with the fastest time control: 3 minutes.
3 Minutes:
Speed plays a huge role in this time control, as you only have 180 seconds to solve as many puzzles as you can. You will want to get used to playing out the first 15-20 puzzles or so, as they have a similar theme. You can exercise this if you have a diamond membership, since you will have the ability to play unlimited puzzle rushes/battles. If you don’t have a diamond membership, there are some alternative ways to practice. Go to custom puzzles and select the themes mate in one, mate in two, mate in 3+, and hanging pieces. The reason why these themes are chosen is because these are the most common themes that appear during the first 15-20 puzzles of a puzzle rush. As stated before, back rank mates are also incredibly common in a rush. Though all positions are different, they all have the same theme. For example, take the position below.
White has a knight that is controlling two key squares that prevents the black king from escaping. Realizing this pattern, you grab your rook and deliver checkmate across the board, a back rank mate. File mates follow the same pattern.
Another thing to keep in mind is long moves. After all the rushes I’ve done, I’ve noticed a familiar pattern. In the early puzzles there are a lot of puzzles that contain long moves. For example, you might have to move your queen 7 squares up to deliver checkmate. I’ve come to conclude that the reason why the system does this is to raise the difficulty. However with plenty of practice you can eventually become a speed demon, and these puzzles will become second nature.
Furthermore, make sure to manage your time well. Divide the 3 minutes up into sections. In the first minute, the easiest puzzles are first, so depending on how confident you are at solving the early puzzles you can either speed through them or take your time, making sure that you don’t get any wrong for later. Generally, the earliest puzzles are always forced mates and hanging material. You also want to improve your mouse skills so that you can convert the extra time saved from being fast into the later minutes. The second minute is where the puzzles start to get a little harder, and you might see some 3-4 move puzzles in this stage. There’s no perfect formula to master these puzzles but it really comes down to analyzing the board and not cracking under time pressure. Keep your cool, look at your opponent’s king, and scan for hanging material. Defensive tactics are extremely rare in puzzle rush, so always be on the offensive side. You also may want to consider multiple options at this stage, since the solution may not be as clear as the previous puzzles. Always remember that the puzzle difficulty increases as you get further in. Things get extremely tense in the final minute, and you may have up to 1 or 2 wrongs at this point. This is where you have to use your remaining time wisely. Imagine there are thirty seconds remaining. Are you at 24 with two wrongs, pushing to beat your record of 25? In this scenario, it all comes down to either quickly finding the solution, or having an educated guess. Remember to look for forcing moves, and if you find yourself taking a huge chunk of your time on one puzzle, make an educated guess. Spending an entire minute on a puzzle in a 3 minute puzzle rush and correctly solving it is worse than spending 5 seconds of your time and getting it wrong. You just can’t afford to waste that much time. If you’re having trouble lasting the first minute, and your average is in the single digits, then you can spread out your time. Carefully think through each puzzle. As stated before, look for forced mates and hanging pieces, as these are the most common themes that occur during this stage.
Finally, if you’re one of those speed demons that wants to correctly solve 20+ puzzles in a minute but can’t seem to move your cursor fast enough, then follow these tips. First, lower your mouse sensitivity. I know this sounds counter-productive, but trust me, I have learned the hard way. Originally when I created a chess.com account I would play on a trackpad (touchpad), and trust me, things didn't go so well. The highest I could get in a minute was 15, and my bullet rating was 1800 at the time. When I finally got a mouse, my scores immediately went up, and I could solve 23-25 puzzles a minute! And what was it that got me to that height? Pattern recognition and speed. On another note, my younger brother immediately decided to turn his mouse onto the highest sensitive right when he got one. It took him a couple of years to get used to the sensitivity. So start at a low sensitivity and work your way up. I promise you, it helps. And if you don’t have a mouse, I encourage you to get one, along with a mousepad.
5 Minutes:
The strategy involved in 5 minute puzzle rush is slightly different from the aspects used in 3 minute puzzle rush. This is the main time control I use when playing puzzle rush. Over time, I realized that I would often strike out with a minute to two minutes remaining! I realized that I had to pace myself. Unlike 3 minutes, you now have 300 seconds to solve as many puzzles as you can. Now think about this. If you spent 10 seconds on every puzzle and solved every puzzle correctly, you would have 30 puzzles solved correctly in a 5 minute rush. Unfortunately I would feel an urge to move a piece, with the stimulation that I would lose on time. However this doesn’t work, as your accuracy decreases. The strategy in this time control has shifted from speed to accuracy. Another thing that you will want to work on in all time controls is pattern recognition, which I go over in my beginner’s guide to tactics. Once you get the hang of this method, solving the earliest puzzles will become second nature.
Finally, there is a method to manage your time in a 5 minute puzzle rush. In the first couple of minutes, pace yourself. You might want to start by slowly but surely solving the earliest puzzles so that you have the ability to speed through them later on. It all depends on your preference. At the midway point (3 minute mark), slow down and think through each problem. Once you get the hang of puzzles 20-30 you’ll start to become faster with practice. Finally, in the last two minutes, check your score. If you have 2 wrongs at this point, you’ll have to slow down even more to make sure that you don’t receive that last X. However, if your goal is to push for a high score no matter the circumstances, then go for it. Again, it all depends on your current situation.
Although there’s no perfect formula to improve your accuracy and time management, an effective method that works is simply practice. If you have a basic membership, go to custom puzzles and practice there. The only difference is that you’ll have to hit the green arrow every time you solve a puzzle. The only thing better than practice is smart practice. Play a few puzzle rushes, and after the rush, analyze your mistakes. There may be a pattern that you can pick up on. If there is a particular theme that you are struggling on, practice that theme. Not only will this help you in puzzle rush, it will help you with actual chess!
Survival:
In this mode, speed is nonexistent. You’ll want to double or even triple check every move you make. However, overthinking can be detrimental to your score. If you have to spend over 5 minutes on a move, just make the move that feels best. Moreover, there are some ways to improve your accuracy to puzzles that seem impossible to solve. In order to decrypt a puzzle, the first thing you do is analyze the placement of your pieces. Which ones are active or inactive? How can your opponent refute the moves you’ve planned out? Be on the lookout for tactical resources. After you finish your rush, go over the puzzles you got wrong. Observe what themes are involved in these puzzles, and make sure to remember those patterns for next time. In Survival mode, you usually solve more puzzles than you would in 3 or 5 minutes. Higher scores lead to harder puzzles. This is where calculation comes in handy. You’ll want to have the ability to visualize at least 3-4 moves ahead. That way you will know if your line is the solution to the puzzle.
Puzzle Battle:
Very similar to 3 minute puzzle rush, the only difference here is that you have an opponent going up against you. Now the first thing I would recommend while playing puzzle battle is to cancel out your opponent. Don’t let his scores distract you from solving your puzzles. The last thing you want to do is feel like you're behind and you have to play faster to catch up. You should never do this, especially in the first minute. Instead, pretend that your opponent isn’t there, and that you’re pushing to break your record.
In the final minute of a puzzle battle, there are some different strategies involved. You might be trailing by a puzzle with a few seconds left. In this situation, it is important to have a strong sense of intuition, or having the ability to understand the puzzle in your subconscious mind. You will have to throw in a move that you think is best in order to catch up. When trying to find a move under time pressure, find ways to attack the king or win material. Look at your checks and captures, and quickly figure out which one is the most powerful. If you get the first move of the puzzle correct, it usually is easier from there.
Now pretend that you have 2 wrongs, and you're in the lead by 1 with a few seconds left. Your opponent has 2 wrongs as well, but is trying to make a comeback. Now you have 2 decisions. Attempt the puzzle and risk getting it wrong, or sit on your puzzle, making sure the solution is right, and possibly let your opponent catch up. My suggestion in this situation is to sit on the puzzle for as long as you can. Only play the puzzle if you are positive that your solution is correct or if your opponent is tied or ahead. It doesn’t hurt to play safe.
In conclusion, various types of skills are used in puzzle rush. Whether it’s intuition, speed, or time management, mastering these skills will set a strong foundation for a puzzle rush mastermind. I hope that you have learned something throughout this guide, and to all the strong puzzle rushers out there, let me know if there’s anything I need to fix or add! Thank you, and I’ll see you next time! 
-Tyler
