Tactics training and regressing
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Hi, I am a returning chess player and trying to spend serious time on something that I neglected in the past, which is tactics training. However, it seems to be making me worse! I keep spotting something that I would not have seen before that seems to be a good opportunity, only for it all to unravel once I am actually playing it. It may just be experience needed. Did other people take a dip before improving?
csal wrote:
Hi, I am a returning chess player and trying to spend serious time on something that I neglected in the past, which is tactics training. However, it seems to be making me worse! I keep spotting something that I would not have seen before that seems to be a good opportunity, only for it all to unravel once I am actually playing it. It may just be experience needed. Did other people take a dip before improving?
You need to find whatever the computer had judged to be the best move. You may be seeing perfectly good moves, just not the best. Hence, your tactics rating drops.
Don't be discouraged. One thing they have changed recently is that no matter how long you take, you will not be penalized for the right move. I think you should sit and look at a problem for however long it takes. Even if you go over the limit, don't just guess.
you have to punch the clock everyday knowing you get payed at the end of the week
Thanks for the replies, but let me be clearer. I am getting slowly better at solving the tactics puzzles, but seem to be getting worse at my actual games, particularly blitz.
I was wondering if it is a common experience that people start trying out new things when they have learned some tactics but that it often backfires.
I was wondering if it is a common experience that people start trying out new things when they have learned some tactics but that it often backfires.
How could it backfire? You lost four games a row, including one four move game, which was probably a disconnect or something and really shouldn't be counted. (You didn't really resign just because you blundered two pawns, did you?)
Lots of people lose four in a row all the time. It doesn't mean you are regressing.
Your rating is down less than a hundred points from its peak.
If you have a little patience, I am sure you will win again soon.
as you try to implement higher level ideas than you were preivously using, its common, i think, to mess up with stupid stuff along the way - thats part of the process of improving that skill - focusing on whether you lose in the short term is probably not necessary, esp if you end up able to beat better players in the long run
thats happened w me at many stages of the game - currently im trying to push myself to play more aggressively when the time is right - at times it leads to good ideas and good positions but i also blow it here and there - but if im playing someone of my level, i wouldnt expect it to go smoothly from the start
Sep 25, 2016
0
#7
csal wrote:
I keep spotting something that I would not have seen before
Good. Whether it's tactics or something else, this is usually a sign you'll improve in the long term, but yes, play worse in the short term (spending extra time where you'd normally play fast, trying to evaluate unfamiliar moves and unfamiliar positions, those sorts of things).
With more practice you'll be able to incorporate the new ideas, patterns, or whatever else into your game without needing to spend all the extra time, energy, and confusion.
Sep 25, 2016
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#8
I don't know if tactics are really making you worse; It could be a scenario like notmtwain described.
I did look at some of your online games at 24 hr time controls. You're still making some basic tactical errors. I noticed some counting errors, a simple two-mover back-rank mate, a one-mover combination check and discovered attack on your queen that lost your queen, and one bish that you simply moved into an en prise position.
If your performance really is getting worse, it might be that you're concentrating too much on trying to find tactics, while ignoring whether your pieces are safe.
I'm also curious to know what kind of tactics you're studying. (Another way of asking is, how long does it typically take you to solve a tactics problem?) You should be studying fairly simple tactics; Stuff with a difficulty along the lines of Bain's Chess Tactics for Students.
Sep 25, 2016
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#9
Yes, I have experienced this. You learn something by doing puzzles, but there is a curve when applying it to games. Normal, I think.
It's one thing to learn new knowledge and another to learn to apply it. It sounds like you've learned new ideas but can't yet apply them in real game. Playing more should correct this.
Also, it must be said that in TT (especially at your level) if you see a typical tactical idea featuring fork, pin, sacrifice or whatever then it's usually the correct move. In an actual game typical tactics fail as often as they work so one has to carefully calculate all the relevant variations. Ideally we should do that when solving tactics too but it's often possible to 'cheat' a little by guessing.
Sep 25, 2016
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#11
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EscherehcsE wrote:
I'm also curious to know what kind of tactics you're studying. (Another way of asking is, how long does it typically take you to solve a tactics problem?) You should be studying fairly simple tactics; Stuff with a difficulty along the lines of Bain's Chess Tactics for Students.
I'm just using the tactics trainer on Chess.com. It's great fun. I suspect what a few people are saying is true, that I am trying to do fancy stuff that I am learning from tactics and taking my eye off the ball in other respects, or leaving peices in danger because I am getting into unfamiliar waters. I'll just keep at it and see if things improve in the long run.