Achieving Chess Excellence: The Ideal Number of Puzzles to Solve Daily

The number of chess puzzles you should solve each day to improve will depend on a number of factors, including your current skill level, your goals, and the amount of time you have available to dedicate to solving puzzles. According to most chess experts, 30 minutes to an hour of daily puzzle solving is a commonly recommended.

As a general guideline, solving at least one chess puzzle a day can help you maintain and reinforce your skills, while solving several puzzles a day can help you see more significant improvements. For example, beginner to intermediate players might find it helpful to solve a few easy to moderate-level puzzles each day, while advanced players may want to solve several challenging puzzles each day to keep their skills sharp.

Chess is like body-building. If you train every day, you stay in top shape. It is the same with your brain – chess is a matter of daily training.

Vladimir Kramnik

It’s important to remember that consistent, deliberate practice is more important than the quantity of puzzles you solve each day. Try to set aside dedicated time each day to solve puzzles, and focus on understanding the thought process behind each move, rather than just rushing to solve the puzzle as quickly as possible. Over time, you should see your problem-solving skills improve, and your understanding of chess tactics and strategy deepen.

How much time to spend on a particular chess problem?

The amount of time you spend on a particular chess problem will depend on a number of factors, including the difficulty of the problem and your current skill level. As a general guideline:

• A goal to aim for is to solve a “mate in 1” problem within 10 seconds, a “mate in 2” problem within 30 seconds and a “mate in 3” problem within a minute.
• For easy to moderate level problems: You might spend anywhere from 1-3 minutes on each problem, focusing on finding the best move and understanding the reasoning behind it.
• For challenging problems: You might spend anywhere from 3-10 minutes or more on each problem, as you work through different possibilities and try to find the best solution.

It’s important to remember that taking the time to understand the reasoning behind each move is more important than simply finding the solution as quickly as possible. By spending a little extra time on each problem, you’ll be able to develop a deeper understanding of the tactics and strategies involved in chess, which will help you in the long run.

Should I check chess problem solution when my answer is incorrect?

Yes, it’s always a good idea to check the solution to a chess problem when your answer is incorrect. By reviewing the solution, you can gain a deeper understanding of the thought process and strategies used to solve the problem, which can help you improve your chess skills. You can learn from your mistakes and understand what you did wrong, so you can avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Come back to the same problem after a gap of a week or a month to see how much you’ve improved.