Which is Better For Improving: Bots or Puzzles?

Which is Better For Improving: Bots or Puzzles?

Since I used to run a large club, multiple beginners always asked me how they could improve. These people seemed very passionate about the game, and I recommended doing bots or puzzles. Many times, however, people asked me which is the best to improve their game. That, I did not have an answer to. So in today's topic: Which is better for improving: bots or puzzles, I will outline the pros and cons of each way to improve. While you may benefit from this research, I certainly will as well.

GM Noël Studer's Opinion on Bots

While researching, I came across a blog written by Grandmaster Noël Studer. Since this is mainly opinionated, and not based on research, I will not count this article as a trustworthy source. The following is more so for your entertainment. The blog started with his talking about the famous unbeatable Mittens chess bot, which brought many users to the platform. He also highlighted many other lower and higher-rated bots, increasing in difficulty. After reviewing some of the bots, Noël's statement was, "My short answer would be: if you do it for enjoyment, yes, if you want to improve your game against humans, no..." He continued to provide evidence on the pros and cons of playing against bots, but other articles had the same information, backed by research.

What Bots Can and Can't Do

There are a wide range of things bots can and can't do. Instead of trying to cram everything into a paragraph, I'll make a list for productivity. Most of the information was pulled from GM Noël Studer's blog and this community questionnaire.

Cans/Pros

- Bots are great resources if you want to practice openings. They are programmed to play book moves (at least the better ones) and will help you find strengths and weaknesses throughout the opening(s).

- Bots are also amazing to help you improve your endgames. Whether you learned it from a book, lesson, or table base, you will be able to easily rehearse finding a checkmate quickly and efficiently.

- You should be able to be pay attention to exactly what you want to work on, which a bot can do. You can set up any position you please and work on your strengths and weaknesses.

- According to the article, "...to learn, you need to perform the skill you're learning. Just studying books or watching videos doesn't cut it. Even solving puzzles doesn't emulate the conditions of actual play. Playing against computers lets you actively participate in learning while avoiding distractions like competition." According to the text, performing the task as opposed to viewing it is better for improving.

- Bots are always available for play, that is if the Chess.com servers are working. You never have to wait to play a bot.

- It's easy to choose a certain bot, and you'll know exactly what you get. In humans, there a a wide variety of strengths and weaknesses.

- Many people tend to fear losing rating points while playing another person. Bots are free to practice, and it doesn't matter if you win or lose.

Can'ts/Cons

- The main reason is because "engines don't play (or think) like humans. Anyone with some chess experience who has played one knows this. Engines manage to combine crushing tactical accuracy with really basic mistakes that often seem to happen out of pity. This takes away the fun from play and makes it less realistic."

- Another flaw of playing against bots is if you are aiming to play against humans, playing with a chess computer isn't nearly the same thing. Sometimes while playing a standard opening that worked against a bot, you are surprised by a devastating gambit from your real-life opponent.

- Playing against a bot can be much less emotional as you see it as "training", so you don't care about the outcome. This will not be true when you play a game in real-time.

- When you play a chess computer, you often won't have a time limit. When you play live chess against a human opponent, times can vary, often anywhere from one to fifteen minutes on each side. Playing against a bot will not help you improve making moves quicker and better at the same time.

- Another con explained by koedem was "...the main difficulty is that an engine does not explain its moves. A human will say "Play Be4 here because that controls the diagonal, and you have ideas of XYZ." An engine will say "Play Be4 because it's +0.32". It is possible to work with an engine of course, but it's much more difficult than with a strong human player."

What do puzzles do?

Now, I could just end the blog here, and name it "Pros and Cons of Playing Against Computers", but I'm on a mission to find what's better: bots or puzzles? While researching, I found a Grandmaster-inspired read, which held this answer. They recommend puzzles, because it sharpens your tactics. It also said that bots aren't trustworthy teachers, because sometimes, they can't find the best moves. Observe this position. What would you play? The bot they had suggested Rf6, which loses. What should you play?

In this position, Stockfish played the brilliant Bb6! But why?

Stockfish played Bb6, with the idea of axb6, Rh8+, Kxh8, Qh3+, Kg8, Qh7+, Kf8, Qh8#. Yes, this probably should be in the bots section, but it was interesting to see that bots aren't always accurate.

This ties in with their statement that you should always use puzzles to practice tactics, because even some bots can miss a simple losing move. If you use puzzles to improve tactics, you can have more of an eye for certain attacks. Who knows? Maybe you're the next Stockfish!

How Emotions Can Impact Puzzles

The same article explained that some people like to do puzzles because it's less boring than any other way of practicing. For example, it's satisfying to a lot of people if they find a brilliant sacrifice or a smooth combination within a puzzle. Also, your mood can change when you solve puzzles. If you are on a streak or you just did an extremely challenging puzzle, naturally, you are going to want to do another! The Grandmaster also suggested setting a time for how long you want to do puzzles. Typically, when you don't have a time set up, you are likely to drop out early for some random little cause. The less puzzles you do, the less you will improve.

The Mental Benefit of Chess Puzzles

According to this article, chess puzzles can help your mental ability. Here are four examples.

Increased Mental Agility: Chess puzzles will improve your ability to think quickly and make accurate moves. This ability is similar to what happens in fast-paced games, and puzzles also help improve tactics and critical thinking.

Reduced Stress Levels: To many, doing chess puzzles is a way to relax and focus. You have all the time you need and there is no pressure to get it correct every time. Studies show that puzzles calm and lessen your anxiety. And, according to the article "Daily puzzles stimulate your mind, improving mental well-being long-term."

Improved Memory: A handful of puzzles can show up in your games. This is a way to stimulate your mind to remember certain patterns, tactics, and strategies. They also help with thought moves.

Patience: Patience is key if you want to play chess professionally. Chess puzzles aren't always easy, and it is rare that you get the hardest ones on your first try. The puzzles teach you to take your time and carefully decide each move without rushing. Trying different strategies teaches you resilience as you learn and make mistakes. As the article put it, "...practice isn't just about mastering chess; it's about building the determination to push through tough times."

Puzzles Based On Skill

Most puzzles given to you are based on your skill level, and how well you did on the previous puzzles. For beginners, it's more about getting the basics of how to play and finding simple tactics and strategies as you progress. As you improve, you will face puzzles where you may need to find more challenging attacks or tactics. For experts, chess puzzles can have layers of prediction and tactics that can simulate real-game scenarios and pressure. Here's what you can expect for each skill level.

Beginner:

- Checkmate in one

- Simple captures

- Easy tactics

- Defending attacks

- Recognizing/identifying threats

Intermediate:

- Minor piece endgame

- Decision making

- Advancing opening principles

- Counterplay

Expert:

- Complex combinations

- Advanced defense

- Sacrifices

- Endgames

- Opening traps

Conclusion

So which is better to improve your game? Chess bots or chess puzzles? The main takeaway(s) from the benefits of bot were: you can easily work on what you want to, and it's worry-free and always available. Though those were good highlights, puzzles had so many more benefits. Some examples were: puzzles can help improve in the mental/emotional side of chess, and you can learn tactics, strategies, and patterns. Playing against bots seemed to have negatives, such as they don't think/play like a human. While playing against bots aren't a bad training option, puzzles are definitely better. Tactics have always been viewed as the best way to improve, and bot simply can't help you with that.