Chess Improvement Blog

Science-backed articles on tactics training, pattern recognition, and how to actually improve at chess.

Why Spaced Repetition Is the Fastest Way to Improve at Chess Tactics

Most chess players grind puzzles the wrong way — solving hundreds randomly without any system. Spaced repetition changes everything by making sure you review each pattern at exactly the moment you'd otherwise forget it.

April 4, 2026·6 min read

Training Tips

How Many Chess Puzzles Should You Do Per Day? (The Science Says Less Than You Think)

The instinct is to do more puzzles. The research says that's wrong. Here's why 10 focused, mastery-based puzzles beat 100 random ones — and how a mastery system changes what 'done' means.

April 4, 2026·5 min read

Improvement

Why You Are Stuck at Your Chess Rating (And What to Fix)

Rating plateaus feel mysterious, but they almost always have the same cause: you're failing at pattern recognition, not calculation. Here's what's actually costing you points and how targeted training breaks the plateau.

April 4, 2026·6 min read

Tactics Guide

Chess Fork Tactics: How to Spot Them Every Time

A fork attacks two pieces at once and wins material almost every time — yet players at every level miss them in their games. Here's how to train your pattern recognition so you never miss a fork again.

April 4, 2026·7 min read

Chess Fundamentals

Chess Tactics vs Strategy: Why Tactics Win More Games at Your Level

Strategy is the glamorous part of chess — long-term plans, pawn structures, piece coordination. But below 1800, tactics decide the overwhelming majority of games. Here's why studying strategy before mastering tactics is backwards.

April 4, 2026·6 min read

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