A tip for using the Tactics Trainer

This might not seem like much, but I think it helps quite a bit. 

Turn OFF the timer when using the Tactics Trainer. 

With the timer ON, I normally fail 10-12 problems out of 25. With the timer OFF, I fail about 5 of 25! 

I'm not sure exactly why this is so, but turning the timer OFF seems to help a lot. So, I'm just sharing my discovery here, hoping others might benefit from it as well. 

I'm very curious to know if this has the same effect on other people! 

Agreed.

Other tips I've learned:

1. Don't get hung up on your TT rating! Be more concerned about your success rate. TT appears geared towards blitz play (although the tactics are still applicable to slow play) and you lose a lot of points for taking too long, even if you get it right.
   
   
2. Make a note of the ones you get wrong and do them again a few days later. Keep doing this to reinforce the patterns.
3. Following from (1) above, reset your TT history occassionally. Yes, your rating starts back at the beginning, but if it was a "true" rating you will quickly regain it, but with a better success rate. Won't you
4. Enjoy it! It's all chess fun.

Good ideas, MCB.... 

I've actually written a little article about How to use the Tactics Trainer. Have a look, it might be useful too. 

Thanks cigoL, but I must confess that I didn't think them up myself.

You've written a good article.

 How do you do them again a few days later? There's no record of them if you do them untimed.

woods..., you can copy/paste the list of your latest 25 problems into a wordprocessor. Just do less than 25 at a time, or else some will be missing. 

 Ok. 

Thanks for the advice about turning the timer off. I didn't know you could do that.

Turning the timer does seem logical and probably why I wont do it lol ..... I get more satisfaction beating the timer then just getting it right.....probably why my rating suffers as it does it goes from 1800+ down to 1500.

I think you have it all wrong. You need a stronger incentive to fail fewer problems.

Musik..., why?

Sorry.   My lower back was killing me and I was thinking about physical torture. A bit of dark humor. I complete agree with you.

I turned the timer off after about a month of tactics training, and that was a long time ago. I think better and am more accurate without time pressure.

It all ends in a psychological situation.

To start out with: do you use TT as an entertainment way of learnig chess or do you use it as a "sparring" to ptactice tournament chess

In the first case forget about timing and enjoy your TT (say chess). In the second case, then, enjoy beatimg "time" ( and do not get angry if "time" beats the hell out of you).

Long time ago that I eliminated timing and rating. . . and really, enjoyed TT.

Anyway, good luck and saludos. Que les vaya muy bien.

I like the tactics trainer and still spend a bit of time in it.   But chesstempo.com is a lot better.