I think you have to combine it with reading articles and watching videos. When you do it like that I think the tactics stick better in your brain.
Also sometimes when I use the TT I decide to not go for quick resolving, but for 100% certainty solving. So I take as long as I need to solve the tactic and dont worry about time. When I do that I also have to check WHY the tactic works. Is there no save? All the way untill I completely understand what is going on.
+1 to the "100% certainty solving" idea.
Instead of focusing on the rating, focus on the percentage correct. In my case, I was very dismayed at some point that I had a minus score - more incorrect than correct. After building my way back up to even, I am now at almost +900.
IMO timing tactics is ridiculous. People would be compelled to try what looks good without figuring it out... it's practicing sloppiness. In my opinion the only way to do tactics, any tactics, is to solve it 100% before you make the first move. If the 2nd move surprises you, that's fine, solve it 100% from that point. That's how you get better at tactics.
I suppose timed tactics could help something? Probably only quickening the patterns you already know. I can understand why if quick tactics were the only tactics you do you'd see very little improvement.
Try this, Study tactics 5 times a week for 30 minutes. 4 of those days you do tactics trainer in practice mode with the timer off. The fifth day you turn on the timer as a test, and then repeat this routine for 3 months and see how you do.
Sample schedule
Timer off
Mon Tue
Wed, Break
Timer off
Thu Fri
Timer on Sat.
Each session no less than 25 minutes, but no more than 40 minutes.
Dr Buzzard! Definitely. 
Sun, Break
And for some reason the word 'sun' doesn't really match you Ozzie.
The feeling of spinning your wheels.
This is my standing on the matter as of me writing this:
Your Rating: 1189
Today's Attempts: 59 (Average Score: 45%)
At some point today I was within a good score of getting back over 1300 (had made it to 1290 range).
I've never been over 1450 and I've been a premium member for nearly a year. Tactics Trainer is the tool I use most and I have to be doing it wrong because it's claim of sharpening my tactical vision isn't helping me.
Man, some of these exercises leave me cursing under my breath as I miss something plainly easy and my score drops yet again.
I am curious as to how often that you use the trainer ? I know that at one time a bunch of new puzzles were added. This new influx would throw a wrench into the memorization that you had.
You literally have to keep going back to refresh your memory periodically. It is similar to learning common patterns in games themselves. If you don't play them, you'll forget and may take your lumps refreshing your memory.
Memorization is the key to having what appears to be awesome calculation skills. The best GM's have played some many 1000's of games, it might make you sick of chess just thinking about it. That doesn't even count the time spent analyzing or doing exercises. It takes time and certainly more than a year.
You most likely won't suddenly begin deciphering complex 7 move combos, 300 points above you rating in a few seconds, until you have been made familiar with the themes and patterns that dictate how the puzzle is played. It is perhaps possible to somewhat gain skill by proxy, but almost unheard of generally, other than having it from birth and it becoming manifest once introduced to chess, you have to put forth the effort. Another question is did you completely realize what it takes before lodging your complaint ?
IMO timing tactics is ridiculous. People would be compelled to try what looks good without figuring it out... it's practicing sloppiness. In my opinion the only way to do tactics, any tactics, is to solve it 100% before you make the first move. If the 2nd move surprises you, that's fine, solve it 100% from that point. That's how you get better at tactics.
I suppose timed tactics could help something? Probably only quickening the patterns you already know. I can understand why if quick tactics were the only tactics you do you'd see very little improvement.
+1
They should offer settings for what it would be like to be playing blitz tactics, live standard tactics and untimed correspondence tactics...
I bet some people here would have their ratings go through the roof and certainly less complaining...
IMO timing tactics is ridiculous. People would be compelled to try what looks good without figuring it out... it's practicing sloppiness. In my opinion the only way to do tactics, any tactics, is to solve it 100% before you make the first move. If the 2nd move surprises you, that's fine, solve it 100% from that point. That's how you get better at tactics.
I suppose timed tactics could help something? Probably only quickening the patterns you already know. I can understand why if quick tactics were the only tactics you do you'd see very little improvement.
+1
They should offer settings for what it would be like to be playing blitz tactics, live standard tactics and untimed correspondence tactics...
I bet some people here would have their ratings go through the roof and certainly less complaining...
chesstempo.com is free and has all of those features plus better tactics.
Maybe the timer should be for a group of tactics, say 10 in 30 mins.
I couldn't break 1000 the first few months of membership but found that by studying the Chess Mentor basic tactics courses I was able to improve to over 1200. Coach Heisman is a big believer in the concept of studying the most basic patterns to the point of mastery and I'm sure that's where I got the idea. Coach likes Bain's Chess Tactics for Students but has a whole list of recommended books and how to study them on your part (danheisman.com). I like a digital presentation so I mainly use Chess Mentor, but it's the same concept. On one of his earliest TV shows someone asked how to get past an 1800 plateau in the TT and his answer was to concentrate more on basic patterns or you could literally be stuck forever. Might be something you would like to try.
I couldn't break 1000 the first few months of membership but found that by studying the Chess Mentor basic tactics courses I was able to improve to over 1200. Coach Heisman is a big believer in the concept of studying the most basic patterns to the point of mastery and I'm sure that's where I got the idea. Coach likes Bain's Chess Tactics for Students but has a whole list of recommended books and how to study them on your part (danheisman.com). I like a digital presentation so I mainly use Chess Mentor, but it's the same concept. On one of his earliest TV shows someone asked how to get past an 1800 plateau in the TT and his answer was to concentrate more on basic patterns or you could literally be stuck forever. Might be something you would like to try.
I believe that is true for openings and end games also...
The problem with tactics is that in the TT, you know that there's some type of winning position for you, but when you play a game, it's a lot harder to find that correct tactic solution.
Yeah, that's why it's such a bummer when you get one that you stare at for 5 mins, and still have no idea, not even the beginnings of a plan. I hate that, lol.
The problem with tactics is that in the TT, you know that there's some type of winning position for you, but when you play a game, it's a lot harder to find that correct tactic solution.
Yeah, that's why it's such a bummer when you get one that you stare at for 5 mins, and still have no idea, not even the beginnings of a plan. I hate that, lol.
I actually feel the opposite with puzzles as compared to games as it matters with regard to the timer. When I play a game, i watch it all unfold and I am aware of the themes and patterns that took place to get their. I will have a decent idea of my opponents strategy and what mine should be too.
For example, if I made a move that forced my opponent to hang a rook and there were some tactics also I could choose instead to weaken the kingside castle structure, but not achieve a mate...I would know ahead of time that I need to just take the hanger en prise...but if were to flip to a puzzle suddenly that expects me to see the hanger in 10 seconds, while it might look feasible to maybe attack the king, I may use 1 or 2 minutes trying thinking I might have 3 minutes for the whole puzzle and maybe it is 4 or 5 moves long. That is why I think tags should manditory and you should know what you are looking for, so it more emulates game conditions. I'll guarantee you I am higher in tactical skill in a c.c. game than in TT...
@charles ... On Jan 1st, I went unrated on TT. Just said "screw the rating, I'm going to take as much time as needed to solve correctly". And I'm amazed at how many I get right. In fact, I get very few wrong anymore. I'm doing the steps below on every problem until some time in the future when it becomes a solid habit. May 3rd at 4:04 p.m. I'm predicting.
Here's what I do...
1) count material every time! I was so slow at this but now, can count both sides in seconds.
2) if I'm a piece or more down, I'm looking for mate. Capturing a pawn in this case usually doesn't cut it in these problems.
3) if material is even or within a pawn, I look for hanging pieces first and if there are none, look for mate.
4) if I can't find hanging pieces or clear mate, I imagine if I had two moves instead of one. Just this exercise alone helps you see pins, discovered attacks, forks,etc. plus, doing this, you'll be less likely to take just a loose Knight when with a little effort, the Queen is on the table too.
5) finally, when you can't find anything, just sac your queen. TT give brownie points or something when you do that ;) and then we throw away the Dixie cup.
P.s. on a side note, I used to read all the comments last year of people (like me) moaning about how stupid the problem was and agreeing with them. Now, I read the comments as an exercise to see if I could explain why I did it like I did. I figure if I got the problem right and can make sense out of it, I must be close to drilling in my head.
I'm weak Ozzie, if the clocks running,I just have to be fast! I just gotta get a taste, just a little. It's so good at first, but later, I'm beating kicking myself for not staying on the wagon.
But, there is an interesting point. The clock obviously messes with me because with it off, I get nearly all In under the time limit. Not sure how that would correlate to my rating (3' 6' 11'13' pts etc), but for now, I'm all on about creating the correct thought process, then drilling it until I'm quick like panther, (sd in my best Russian voice).
The feeling of spinning your wheels.
This is my standing on the matter as of me writing this:
Your Rating: 1189
Today's Attempts: 59 (Average Score: 45%)
At some point today I was within a good score of getting back over 1300 (had made it to 1290 range).
I've never been over 1450 and I've been a premium member for nearly a year. Tactics Trainer is the tool I use most and I have to be doing it wrong because it's claim of sharpening my tactical vision isn't helping me.
Man, some of these exercises leave me cursing under my breath as I miss something plainly easy and my score drops yet again.