As for "plus 3" and "minus 15": there is the superb option Difficulty in Settings > Gameplay > Puzzles, set it to Hard or Extra Hard to get more balanced points
Puzzles
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Feb 17, 2026
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MrChatty wrote:
As for "plus 3" and "minus 15": there is the superb option Difficulty in Settings > Gameplay > Puzzles, set it to Hard or Extra Hard to get more balanced points
My friend, thank you. I adjusted that setting and tried a couple puzzles, and that made a world of difference. That is exactly what I needed to feel better about puzzles.
Would have saved me a ton of trouble if that toggle was in the puzzle screen and not buried in an options menu, but hey. I am now a satisfied customer.
I dont know about the apps but in the web version there is the Gear icon near the puzzle that shows the dialog with settings:
Am I the only one who finds puzzles to be infuriating?
Dont get me wrong, I LOVE puzzles. I do them almost daily. . . Im at about 1600 puzzle rating, and it gives me all these insanely easy puzzles that take zero calculation, and I can solve in seconds. Then I get plus 2 or plus 3 rating per puzzle. The problem arises when I mess one up, and the system takes 15-20 rating from me.
The puzzles it gives me are mind numbingly boring, and I honestly just dont feel like theyre helping me, or that im improving at all. Solve 10 puzzles, up 20. Messed one up, down 20. The end result is that im stuck in an endless feedback loop solving the same style puzzles over and over and over again.
Yes, chess.com, thank you. I know sacrificing my queen was BRILLIANT!! so I could smother mate the king with my knight for the 80th time. Can I have new themes now? Pretty please?