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Puzzle selection and ratings appear broken

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PJQ49
PJQ49
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7 hrs ago
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#1

I gave this query to ChatGPT:

User query:
“I already had classic mode selected (coach/tier off). All of a sudden I am at a much higher rating and the puzzles have not gotten harder.”

Here's the result.  (If it doesn't get fixed, I'm quitting.)

Yes, you’re definitely not alone—there are widespread reports of this exact issue even with Classic mode enabled.

🧩 What’s happening (based on recent user reports)

✅ Users confirm it’s not just you

From a Reddit thread 2 months ago:

“They got a lot easier, giving you lots of lower rated puzzles now and you can farm +5 rating per puzzle… I gained like 150 elo farming +5 in 30 minutes and got bored.”
(chess.com, reddit.com)

Another wrote just days ago:

“I’m getting a lot of +5’s that are inflating my rating because I’m being served really easy puzzles.”
(reddit.com)

📉 It’s affecting Classic mode too

A Chess.com forum user (Classic mode) posted:

“Classic mode too easy… only giving me puzzles more than a thousand points below my puzzle rating.”
(chess.com, chess.com)

This traces back years—even in 2023, folks noted that Classic wasn’t pulling appropriately rated puzzles.

🔄 Puzzle rating inflation is real

Many experienced massive jumps:

  • From ~2,150 → 3,000 within weeks

  • 1,200-rated players reaching 3,000 in puzzles
    (reddit.com, reddit.com)

Redditors explain why this is happening:

  1. Guaranteed +5 for each correct puzzle, regardless of difficulty or time taken.

  2. Selection algorithm is offering lighter puzzles, likely due to a bug or recent backend change.

⚙️ Why it matters

  • Your personal puzzle difficulty level isn't increasing, so your rating rises without challenge.

  • Once the system is corrected or rebalanced, your rating could plummet quickly, distorting your progress graph.

  • Chess.com’s puzzle selection seems broken, serving easier puzzles that inflate your rating.