Why I hate Tactics Trainer

It's so easy to hate something that you suck at. Oh well.

Better whine about it than actually try and get better at something.

 It is possible to turn off the bar and work in rated mode.  I tried this the other day, and there already is an unobtrusive digital timer that is not annoying.  But it doesn't tell anywhere how much time is allowed for the problem!   Adding this field would be simple and fix the problem. 

There is definitely a ratings issue with many one move problems.  I was putting together a list of problem numbers but gave up when the list got up into the hundreds.  It's possible to use the search engine to pull up a list of problems with only one move.  They tend to be higher rated problems with a very short average time.

Regarding the complaint made by another user that there are many problems not involving tactics, I think the issue is mistated.  I think the real issue is that in some cases the tactic is nearly impossible to see because the payoff comes 5 or 10 moves AFTER the tactic ends, making it impossible to see without digging.  Unfortunately, many of these problems have very short times, so there isn't a lot of time to calculate that many moves ahead.   In other words, if some people don't see the benefit of the tactic before the problem ends, they believe there was no tactic involved. 

Tactics trainer has been very useful to me. It helped me win many of my games I never would have won without it. I like it!

I'm amazed at how many people complain about TT rating points.  I shouldn't lose rating points for this or that reason, or these problems are rated wrong, etc.  TT is a great tool for improving your tactical vision and calculating ability (IMHO).  Who cares what your TT rating is as long as you are improving and learning?

BUT...there is one feature I would *LOVE* to see in TT.  I would call this the "Show one move" button in unrated mode.  So many times, I try a move that looks correct, and I'm immediately told INCORRECT.  I try the problem a couple of more times (now in unrated mode), and am continuously wrong.  What's the deal?  Then when I hit the "Show Solution" button, the first move (of 4 or 5) flabbergasts me.  "You can't make that move, you just hung your queen" I shout at the machine!!  Then the remaining 3 or 4 moves blitz by, and all I can say is "What the #$%% just happened!?!"

If only there were a button that said "Show next move" that I could press, and it would make the correct next move for me, make the response, and then wait for me to continue in unrated mode.  Then I could say "What?? How can I move this piece?" and then catch my breath, calm down, and continue to look at the position to figure out what I had missed.  Then hopefully I would be able to find the correct continuation.  No effect on rating points, but I think it would help my tactical vision improve a lot and would be a most welcome feature.

It's as if you use Chess Mentor (Learn, then Chess mentor). I hate that it too. I agree 100% with you

You are complaining about the "show solution" button.  I spend a lot of time in tactics trainer and I never use that button as there is a better way.  Look below the board and there is a set of left and right arrows.  These allow you to step through the tactic one move at a time.  You start at the first move you got wrong and can step either backward or forward. 

One caution: Sometimes, if you try to step backward too far the arrow buttons lock up.  If this happens, use the "try again" button.  In the course of redoing the problem the arrows are unlocked.

Also, I've seen a few other users complaining about accidently dropping pieces on the wrong square when their finger slips on their mouse button.  Few people seem to know that tactics trainer allows you to click on the square you want to move from, then click on square you want to move to.  This is the easiest way to do it!  You DO NOT have to use "click and drag".   This eliminates 100% of the "mouse errors".

am i the only one who thinks that we should loose points if we try to make an illegal move?  not that i have ever done it, but i have heard several people at work saying they have tried things like: moving into check, not moving out of check, moving an opponent's piece, and trying to take your own piece.  they seem to all feel really dumb when it happens.  from what i can tell. 

On most of the occasions when I tried to make an illegal move in tactics trainer, I simply had not understood which side's turn it was. So I do not really mind that tactics trainer does not punish illegal moves with rating losses.

ilmago, i think i just thought of that after missing a puzzle for finding mate in 3 instead of 2, then in the next one i got mixed up and tried to take my own knight.  it just seemed ironic that missing a mate loses points, but an illegal move doesn't.  especially when i thought of this thread going on with all the talk about TT ratings. 

also, the timer on the puzzles has a lot to do with it because i am trying to find the answer as quickly...blah blah. 

The number one improvement here is to have tactical trainer x tactical/endgame motif  like in Chesstempo so the player is sytematically trained to recognize certain patterns without the need to play hundreds of games.

I hate tactics trainer, you will find lots of dumb frustrated posts on there from me.

However it has improved the tactical part of my game no end, so I will settle for love/hate.

The one improvement I would want to see would be a standard non blitz time rating as per Chess Tempo.

I enjoy TT, but then, I don't take it too seriously. I use it if I don't have much time for serious training.  Of course, I would except any of the improvements suggested.

There are many dubious problems. You really have to use the Crafty engine, as it is recommended by the staff, to solve them. Other engines will give different moves as the best choice:

http://www.chess.com/tactics/server.html?id=24915

bondocel, you are welcome to report bad problems, they will be deleted from tactics trainer.

That will be one per day. The rate seems to be 1 bad problem for every 3 problems I solve. Quite a lot compared with other tactics trainers. Not to say that this one is not free...

All of the problems I had thought were bad and reported turned out to be correct and I was the one who was wrong! Love tactics trainer

bondocel, also if you find one bad one per day, I will be happy to delete them for you.

I am very impressed with the Tactics Trainer, and I am hoping to see the incorporation of the "tags" into feedback regarding our individual weaknesses sometime in the future.

Many of the complaints on this thread are in regards to rating points and how to allot them "fairly".

In this discussion, we need to remember the purpose of TT user ratings (or any chess.com rating, for that matter):

The purpose of our ratings are to match us with opponents and problems at our playing level.  In this capacity, ratings are a great aid to training and an indicator of improvement.  They are not meant to be hung around our neck as a trophy.

If you approach TT with the idea of maximizing your TT rating, you will use this tool in a non-ideal way and will not improve as quckly.  You will move quickly without calculating out an entire line, you will make reflex Q sacs and en passant captures without calculating, and you will use the timer to indicate what sort of tactic you look for in the position.  These are poor ways of using the TT tool if you want your chess ability to improve.