Sucken at tactics

I've been doing the tactics trainer since I got here, and am barely improving. Any suggestions?

How are you using it? Whenever you get a puzzle wrong you should look at the solution. And don't "guess" what the solution is likely to be. Try to calculate everything out.

IMO Puzzle books are better than online tactics trainers due to being able to do the same puzzles again, but not many people seem to agree with me so there must be something I'm missing...

If you don't have a fundamental grasp of basic tactics, you may be having a hard time figuring out what TT is serving up on each puzzle.   I'm just guessing here however, perhaps you do. 

Have you read any tactics books, like, winning chess tactics or any others?   Obtaining a better grasp of tactic motifs, would certainly aid you in games as well as TT.

 I've been trying to find a good puzzle book that isn't too advanced, or dirt simple. Maybe intermediate-beginner.

At the rate I'm improving, I ought to get to the 1800 level in about three million years. 

Check out Winning chess tactics by Seirawan.  Very easy for beginners to understand.

http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Tactics-revised-Everyman/dp/1857443861

Looks like it might be good. Tks. 

tactics does improve slowly. thats why its the most important part to practice often

I think you'd make a mistake if you change directions towards a book. I think "learning themes" conceptually, like textual explanations such as "x-ray attack means so and so, this is an important theme you should look out and everything, here Fischer has a nice story about it" etc. don't mean that much. It certainly wouldn't hurt to know the names of the themes, but you just have to burn them into your brain by solving lots and lots of puzzles, and for that, online tactics servers are best.

Make sure your thought process and approach to problems is decent and just keep on solving, the good thing about tactics training is that you can't help but improve.

I don't quite agree with philodor_position there.  :)

Winning Chess Tactics is a great book, and it helped me a lot when I was starting out.  I'd expect it will be very useful for you, given that you're not improving as much as you'd like with TT.

By the way, I would also recommend using TT in untimed mode, as rushing to solve problems isn't so useful, IMO.  In fact, FWIW, I think that TT should have an untimed rated mode, as I argued in this thread.

I do like Seirawan's books, but I don't have that one. What are the benefits, compared to online servers?

From my vantage point--which is by no means expert--I offer some observations based on a keen interest in the topic of improvement in chess.  

The broad consensus of better players is generally that the key to chess improvement for lower rated players comes from improving at tactics.  (Along with playing a lot of games.)  There are many other learning tasks such as studying master games, studying your own games and understanding your mistakes, etc. but tactics seems, from my reading, the most frequently recommended advice by higher rated players. 

The consensus regarding improving at tactics seems to be that there are attack patterns better players "see" and capitalise on.  Important:  They don't calculate these moves.  Instead the brain instantly recognises them, that is, the pattern or motif.  

The broad consensus on learning to see the patterns seems to be a) learn to recognise the motif categories (pin, double attack, x-ray attack, discovered attack, mating patterns with rook/bishop, etc.) and b) do a lot of puzzles.  (philidor_position, in an above post, used the term "themes"--same as my use of pattern or motif.  philidor_position wrote "burn them into your brain" which is another way of writing about learning to "see" the pattern.  Again, this is instantly seeing it and not calculating, move-by-move.)

My experience:  I am gradually improving on tactics trainer but have lots of ups and downs.  I find that TT has improved my chess playing at this point mostly by giving me better board vision and one benefit is that I am way less prone to simple blunders.  That is a most welcome change.  The other benefit is that, I can see some tactical patterns now and can use them to put pressure on my opponent.  In other words, I don't usually get to fire off a spectacular tactical broadside and blow the other off the board, but I do get to make him have to work hard to counter my attempt to employ a tactic.  

On books:  I have the Seirawan book.  I quit it about a third way in because I found I needed to set up positions on a board in order to proceed.  I am plowing my way through a title called "Understanding Chess Tactics" by Martin Weteschnik and, while still quite a lot of work, find I do not need to set up positions on an actual board.  The books have helped a lot:  I am better at instantly seeing tactical patterns and just now beginning to learn how to actually set up a tactical pattern in a real game.  I am "better," not great.  I anticipate re-reading Weteschnik at least one more time and then I will give Seirawan another go.  

Best,

Hank

If I get the book that wouldn't stop me from doing the TT too.

In my case, I learned most of the tactical themes from Winning Chess Tactics.  Just using a tactics server wouldn't have had the same effect for me.

"X-ray" is a good example.  I had a "Eureka" moment when I read about this theme in Winning Chess Tactics, and now every time I get a problem involving x-ray on Chess Tempo, for example, I think back to the book.  :)

It seems to me that reading a book like WCT and then going on to use a tactics server would be ideal.  I wouldn't say it is absolutely necessary to read a book like this first, but in my experience it made the whole process easier and more enjoyable.

(Note that there is quite a difference between a book like Winning Chess Tactics and a tactics server.  WCT is not a book full of problems to solve --- it's more of an explanatory book which discusses all the tactical themes, with a few puzzles at the end of each chapter.)

I see. To me it seems it's still the unconscious work within the training (solving puzzles) that does the job, but that's just my opinion.

Haha...i could have asked the same question.  My Online rating is 1500+ but my rating on Tactics Trainer bounces between 800-900.  Part of the problem is that while I may actually get the problem solved, time expires before I find the solution.  Thus, I lose points even when I do manage to get it right.  If you primarily play online chess, as I do, then the extra time needed on Tactics Trainer really isn't an issue.  If you were playing over the board with a clock, then obviously finding patterns quickly is indeed crucial.  My guess would be to concentrate on finding the right move, the clock be damned.  Then take satisfaction in knowing you are getting more problems right than you used to, even if your rating continues to fall from time expiring.  Then, after a while, you will be able to find the patterns more quickly, thus being able to improve on the rating.  At least, that's going to be my strategy from here on out. 

Recommend 'Winning Chess' by Chernev and Reinfeld. http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Three-Moves-Ahead/dp/0671211145/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269126373&sr=8-1

For some reason it's out of print, but may almost be worth the ridiculous prices the used book sellers are asking. It's a long series of problems and solutions organized in sections corresponding to the various motifs. There's no need for a board... it's all on the page. I've found the problems to be distinctly better than other tactics books I've looked at. Best part is the great explanations that reinforce the pattern recognition that's being taught by example. Overall, I've found it an excellent complement to tactics trainer.

Thanks to all.

 I agree with you. I have three puzzle books that I've gone through repeatedly, and my tactical vision has definitely improved. Progress is gradual and takes work, so I agree with Tonydal that you're on the right track, Wood.

Another advantage to books is that you can carry them with you, and you can use them without a wireless connection.

I have to say, I've never read a chess book, but I have improved my Tactics Trainer rating.

My lowest rating on tactics trainer at one point was ~950. However, gradually improving and wrestling with tactics trainer (it would be like going up 100 one day, going down 150 the next day, then going back up etc). Eventually I've reached 1557 on tactics trainer. However, as far as its effect on my gaming: not too much.

I still lose to ~1100 players on 5 minute blitz (sometimes because I run out of time, or because I make a bad move due to time pressure; if the 1100 survives the early middle game, they can beat me). On the other hand, I've held strong against 1700s and 1500s (approximately equal, with slight advantage for higher rated player and the win).

But trust me, I can say TacticsTrainer has taken me hours upon hours of practice. I'd say between 1300-1557, it took me at least 12-14 hours in total playing time (obviously separated by days/weeks), so dedicate some time.

I'd like to ASK you all though, that in your posts, you mention what your tactics trainer rating is, so we can see if it's actually making an affect on your actual rated games. I for one, wonder whether some of you 2000 players have a 3000+ rating on TT or perhaps around the same?