Does anyone know why there is a huge disparity between a players puzzle rating and their actual playing strength or rather how to translate this strength in solving puzzles into ones actual games?
To illustrate, I have a puzzle rating of 2100 and yet I regularly get beat up ALL THE TIME by Stockfish level 5 rated 1700. Is there a way to translate this tactical training into ones actual playing strength or are the two completely abstract?
I find myself being able to solve tactical exercises fairly consistently but miss super easy tactics during a game. Why should this be the case and how to solve it? Any insight most appreciated - regards robbie
One of the big reasons could be that when you're doing a training puzzle, you KNOW that there is a really good move there somewhere and that all you theoretically need to invest is enough time to be sure you've found it. If you get a similar position while playing, nobody's going to tell you that you have a demon tactic at hand, so you're much more likely to overlook it.
To answer your last point: One of the big reasons could be that when you're doing a training puzzle, you KNOW that there is a really good move there somewhere and that all you theoretically need to invest is enough time to be sure you've found it. If you get a similar position while playing, nobody's going to tell you that you have a demon tactic at hand, so you're much more likely to overlook it.
oops soory, I wanted to edit and ended up posting double!
Hi spreeathener, sure that makes sense. How to translate ones alleged puzzle strength to an actual game is not easy to solve.
@spreeathener makes sense.
@mirsultankhan Also try playing longer games.
sure, but man I hate that computer, it must be crushed!
You haven't played many rated games. (Have you been doing tactics and playing unrated games against the computer all the time? Not that there's anything wrong with that. but ...) Give yourself a chance.
Play against humans, I find that much more fun than playing against the computer. After you've play 1,000 rated games let's see where you are. I bet It'll be up, way up!
yes LDog11 I only play against the computer, my reasoning being that it will instantly demonstrate any tactical flaws. In all honesty i find myself making very mechanical moves during play which deserve to be punished, its like a kind of habit that i need to overcome but cannot get a handle on it. Your advice is sound. thank you very much.
I think often times in the tactics, I'm unsure of the exact solution, but can take a decent guess at what seems like a troublesome move for my opponent. Or...it's one of the few moves that actually forces something, like a check or something. Then I take that move and then move from there and it comes together as I go. However, in a game, I would never move with that type of mentality. So, sometimes I luck into solving the tactic.
yes it certainly happens that we sometimes get lucky :D The trick I think is first of all to identify the motif and then visualise the sequence.
I think though that there is definitely a kind of psychological impetus when we are solving tactics because we know there is a solution whereas in a real game there is no such impetus and we can find ourselves making moves that are mechanical. This is absolutely deadly ad results in much suffering. I have also seen it numerous times in my games where I sharpen the position for no real reason and this allows counter play and we end up going from a winning position to a losing one. Its just a real tricky business.