Puzzle Plateau

I noticed I’ve reached somewhat of a puzzle rating plateau. I fluctuate between 1,700 and 2,000. I tend to plummet on days when I just want to play the puzzles faster. My other ratings are very distinct. The faster I play, the more blunders I make. That said, it appears I cannot go much further than 2,000 in the puzzle rating. I also noticed that the puzzles I am given when I’m in the 1,700+ range seem much more difficult then those presented at the higher rating levels (1,900). I wondered if anyone had shared a similar experience? Also, to the more experienced players here, does that indicate anything systemic in my tactics I should focus on?

Speed vs. Accuracy: I also go up and down in rating depending on how patient I’m feeling and how much time I spend on each puzzle. This is a known facet of the puzzle rating algorithm and there’s lots of debate on it, with some suggesting the algorithm is too generous for slow solves. My view is that both fast and slow solving sessions are useful, as fast sessions show you a large number of patterns in a short space of time, while slow sessions allow you to better understand each puzzle and to practice your calculation. That said, if trying to break a plateau, I’d go slow every time.

1,700 vs 1,900 puzzles: Puzzles at each rating level tend to contain specific ideas and complexity levels. Puzzle ratings are therefore hidden from you during solving, to avoid clueing you in as to what you should be looking for. I often find that I become used to puzzles at a certain rating, usually my limit (~2500), and that I will then struggle with lower ranked puzzles until my brain has adjusted to them. I fix this by not only solving rated puzzles, but also often running through puzzle rush survival - again, sometimes fast, sometimes slow - ensuring I’m exposed to all types of puzzles rather than just my peak rating group.

The Plateau: Looking at your stats, I’d say you’re still improving albeit at a slower rate, and potentially therefore are consolidating rather than fully plateaued. I wouldn’t be surprised if you suddenly burst through one day. My progress has come in bursts of 100-200 points, with consolidations in between. Each burst has usually been preceded by a concerted effort to solve slowly and only answer when sure. The consolidation periods have been more casual, but I think probably just as important as the bursts. One metric I look at to gauge progress, aside from rating and puzzle rush survival score, is the time spent on each puzzle rush survival run. If I’m getting the same scores as in the past, but my time-per-puzzle has gone down, that’s progres that I value even more than a rating increase.

Systemic Improvement: Outside of solving random computer-generated puzzles on chess.com, you can turbocharge your progress by studying curated groups of key tactical themes. I can’t recommend this enough. I use Chessable for this and would recommend two courses in particular: The Checkmate Patterns Manual (by CraftyRaf) for checkmate tactics and Common Chess Patterns (by Benedictine) for all other tactics. If I could only choose one then it would be Common Chess Patterns. If these are too hard, then start with the first two books of the Learn Chess the Right Way series (by Susan Polgar), again on Chessable. Polgar’s books are simple, but when I fail a complex puzzle, it’s often because I’ve missed a simple facet of it. Automating the simplest tactics in your brain is hugely helpful in finding all the little nuances when things get more complex.

Thank you for the quick reply. I only just saw it. I use the app mostly and it didn’t notify me there was a response. I signed into the webpage directly to find “Duck Chess” (which sounds a bit silly, but looked fun) and there received notification of your response. As per your response, I did break through the 2,000 puzzle range now. I indeed did start a Chessable account and will enroll in the lessons you prescribe. Thanks again and apologies for the delay in response.