When learning any skill (not only chess), it's much better to use all the senses so the brain retains the information more effectively. By using a board and actually moving pieces, you'll be using the sense of touch along with the sense of sight. Also if you can't visualize it, then just simply move the pieces for the solution. The drawback of that is setting pieces takes additional time. Eventually you'll get used in solving puzzles without a need of a physical chessboard. Computer boards makes it faster too.
Studying Checkmate Puzzle Book as a Beginner
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Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond.....
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell
Hi, I'm an older adult beginner. Online, I have only played bots/engines on this website and one other, but I do play weekly OTB chess in a chess club at a local public library. Playing OTB has been really wonderful for me, for many reasons. The games there are all unrated, but given my results against opponents who have actual USCF ratings, I would think I am around 800-1000 ELO.
Fortunately, I am making much less one-move blunders and don't hang pieces as often as I did before. I think my biggest challenge now is visualizing calculations/combinations. When I spot a tactic and play it through, I sometimes end up down a pawn or even a piece.
In addition to doing tactics puzzles online, I've just bought my first ink-and-paper checkmate puzzle book: "1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate" by Fred Reinfeld, which was highly recommended by a YouTube channel I regularly watch videos on.
Since I only play humans OTB, would I benefit most from doing the book's puzzles using a real board, set, and clock? Or would it help boost my visualization and calculation skills more to only look at the book and try to work everything out in my head? I would appreciate any advice!