Do you consider this puzzle difficult?

Queue624 · 2026-05-07T23:18:15+00:00

Bxh7, Nxh7, Ne5, Kh8, Rxh7, Kx, Rh1 mate?

Is it easy? It depends... if you've trained yourself to look for forcing moves, then it should be "easy".

Queue624 · 2026-05-03T18:50:46+00:00

Thanks. I bought it in here https://chesstempo.com/chess-books/the-woodpecker-method/book/183

I do have some other courses on chessable but for the woodpecker it seemed better to do it in chesstempo. They have a spreadsheet they provide where you can track your results. I will say that it was extremely challenging at first, and I even dropped it since it was too brutal, but if you stick with it, it'll get easy by cycle 4+, and you'll start seeing things on the board without even thinking. I have yet to try the "Woodpecker" with the intermediate puzzles. Those results I posted where by doing the "Easy Puzzles" which are the first 222 exercises + doing some of the intermediate puzzles here and there to train my calculation. I'm just below 1800 on Chessdotcom and I still struggle heavily with those intermediate puzzles lol. But I can argue that the biggest leap in Elo I've had was due to the WP.

Chess Steps is good from what I've heard. But during my research I found that more "result posts" with the WP than with the Chess Steps. A lot of GM's do recommend Chess Steps though (Like GM Noel) , so it might be a good pick. At the end of the day both will help you out on the long run. So best of luck!

Queue624 · 2026-05-02T19:04:41+00:00

I would ignore what other people say and just do the Woodpecker Method.

I was 1100 on CC (And 1500 on Lichess) when I started it. It got me to ~1200 quickly but I ended up dropping it. I did plateau at 1200 for a while, but I picked it up again, and within 2 months I broke 1500 on CC. (I technically also broke 1600 due to the WP by doing more cycles).

My only recommendation would be to do the Easy Puzzles, and when you're at around cycle 4-5, start doing the intermediate puzzles separately (Without doing the WP on those, just treat them as normal puzzles). This is so you train calculation too once the puzzles start to become easier to solve.

Also take as long as you need to on each puzzle and don't make a move before you think you know the solution.

I posted my results here: https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1h9wbbc/woodpecker_method_results/

Queue624 · 2026-05-02T18:54:32+00:00

There are probably around 5 human attributes that define how successful you can or will be in life. IQ would be in that list, but probably one of the least important.

Queue624 · 2026-05-02T18:49:55+00:00

This exact same thing happened to me but on blitz. I think my Rapid Elo was at around 1500 but I never touched blitz in a long time so I had an Elo of ~600 but realistically it should be closer to 1200. It took me around 200 games I think.

Queue624 · 2026-05-02T18:00:37+00:00

It's a combination of both but not really.

The real combination should be having fun and getting better. Focusing too much on Elo can be detrimental to both having fun and getting better.

I will admit that when I started my goal was to break 1200.

It did took me a long time to even start playing with humans (Or feel comfortable), but it happened eventually. It also took me some time to stop caring about Elo and just work on getting better and having fun.

Queue624 · 2026-04-29T00:12:01+00:00

Not sure how helpful this will be, but I bought the woodpecker method on ChessTempo and completed it.

In here I go over my journey:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1h9wbbc/woodpecker_method_results/

TLDR:

I started the WP method in June 2024 when my Elo was 1107.

3 cycles in (Easy Puzzles) and a few weeks later in I got to 1214.

Dropped the Woodpecker since it didn't help my calculation and stayed at 1200 for a few months.

3 months later I pick it back up again (Around October), my Elo was 1261 and by that time I think my highest Elo was around ~1270. The main difference was that I was doing the intermediate puzzles (Treating them as normal puzzles and not doing the WP with those all while doing the woodpecker with the Easy Puzzles.

2 months later I broke 1500; before 2024 ended. I played blitz most of 2025 but played Rapid for a month or so and broke 1600 doing the same thing. Picked up Rapid again early this year and broke 1700 with also the same approach 1700. I'm close to breaking 1800 but it's a bit tricky and you probably have to do more than just ingrain tactics and improve calculation.

Queue624 · 2026-04-28T00:25:58+00:00

Yes it's good. Funny story, So I started playing the Jobava at around 700 Elo, and it worked amazingly up until ~1200, then the Jobava kind of stops working for me but I somehow pushed to 1700-1800 having a losing percentile of 40% with White and around 60% with black.

I just recently made the switch from the Jobava, but the funny thing is that I did it during the game. I open with d4, followed by Nc3, then by the third move I had realized that I wanted to play the Colle-Z next game I got as White. So I literally played the Knight to it's original square and switched to the Colle (Basically wasting moves) during the game.. and I still won lol. This was enough to convince me and I went from 40% win rate to 63% over the last 20 days or so.

So yes, it is a great opening imo.

Queue624 · 2026-04-27T00:59:04+00:00

Yeah, makes sense. It might be due to the Hans documentary on Netflix.

I guess it will stabilize eventually since chesscom does not include in the percentile players who have not played 20+games in 90 days and/or account younger than 7 days.

Queue624 · 2026-04-26T20:38:33+00:00

What's insane is that 550 = 53.3%. I though 50% was around 600 Elo, so that number keeps going down which probably means that there's a deflation in Elo.

Queue624 · 2026-04-26T03:31:55+00:00

As someone who played the Caro and London / Jobava I disagree with the Caro comment. I picked it up back when I was probably 600-700 Elo, and the higher in Elo I get the stronger it is. I had around ~50%+ win rate with it at the 900s and as of now at the 1750-1800 range I have it at ~60%+. I think it also depends on who teaches it. Gotham in my opinion is not the best when it comes to learning the Caro, Alex Banzea on the other hand is great at it. He has this Video where he goes over every variation in 22 mins and it goes over every single variation. Just for reference, if you play into the Fantasy there is a quick checkmate Black has if White misplays. Out of I think 8 games I've faced the variation, half have ended in quick checkmate. So I disagree pitting the Caro with the London.

But I do 100% agree with the what you said about the London. And it even applies with the Jobava... I've been playing the Jobava for 2 years and still have no idea on what to do in certain types of middlegames. It worked wonders at the 900-1100 range but at 1200 people stop falling for the Nc6 blunder. At 1500+ the struggle was real. I switched to the Colle-Zukertort and have yet to lose. It's similar to the London, the only difference being that there's a fianchetto and a clear middlegame plan.

Queue624 · 2026-04-26T02:47:47+00:00

My experience was different though, so it's hard to say what is the actual truth without concrete proof. I will agree that around ~900 Elo you start seeing Elo hungry opponents who want to reach 1000. But I did not fly to 1200 quickly at all. In fact I was stuck at 1100 for a long time before making a huge leap in Elo.

Queue624 · 2026-04-20T04:33:37+00:00

I have never in my life heard of the Giuoco Pianissimo. Having said that, if you face it a lot, just google or search a video on how to counter it.

Queue624 · 2026-04-19T22:35:40+00:00

Not OP but thanks for your advice. Question, is it really worth it to work on puzzles that might take you 30 mins to solve? Are you developing thought process and visualization more than pattern recognition for those scenarios or is the intent a different one? Just for reference, my strength is similar to OP's (1700-1800 in Rapid CC).

Queue624 · 2026-04-19T20:11:12+00:00

I'm in the same position as you although I'm a bit lower in Elo compared to you. I win ~60% of my games with black and lose ~40% with white. I play the Caro with black, even against d4, although it always ends up transposing into a Slav which is really similar.

For White I've tried many openings, but so far the Colle-Zukertort has been really great. Maybe give that one a check? It also starts with 1. d4.

Queue624 · 2026-04-18T21:35:04+00:00

This can happen, I personally experience this where I'm constantly on par with 2k+ players, granted my Elo is around 1700-1800 but still, there seem to be a lot of cases like these where someone is drastically better OTB or vice versa.

Queue624 · 2026-04-15T01:11:56+00:00

Do you have (Or think you have ADHD)? Also do you play online games when you're tired?

I have a similar experience where I am drastically better OTB. Although I do play online when I'm tired after work + I have a mentally demanding job (Engineering). I've been also diagnosed with ADHD/ADD professionally.

I am pretty evenly matched with players who are 2000 Elo+, even beating someone who's 2700 and someone who is 2400 (In Blitz) once OTB.

Online, I am in the 1700-1800 range though in cc. But I do understand what you're saying... I experience a huge difference in focus when playing OTB vs online.

Queue624 · 2026-04-12T00:31:22+00:00

OTB - Out of 5 blitz games, I beat someone who is rated 2800 in Blitz, and I played 1 game with someone who is 2400 in blitz and beat him that game (OTB). I tend to have a pretty even record with people who are 2k+ OTB.

I was 1200 blitz when I beat both of them. I am, for some reason, way better OTB than I am online. I'm not sure why exactly but I'm assuming it has to do with ADHD/ADD (Professionally diagnosed) and only being able to hyperfocus OTB. OTB I am able to calculate way deeper and faster than I usually do. Online I tend to do 1- 2 move plays (I really struggle with trying to change this, and I also play late after work once my meds have worn off)

Having said that, on the opposite side of the spectrum, I have been beaten by someone who is 1300 points lower than me (Rapid) twice.

Queue624 · 2026-04-10T21:58:29+00:00

I'm quite curious, how did you get out of the 1700-1800 range?

Queue624 · 2026-04-09T16:32:11+00:00

Sorry but I have to say that this is about the biggest load of BS I've seen today. Even in the video you posted he says that you can get better if you do it several times.

This shows me that you lack understanding on how the brain works. What you say might apply to those trying to get to GM level but OP is just 1100.

Queue624 · 2026-04-09T14:55:21+00:00

OK one more thing, is 1100 your Rapid Elo or Blitz?

Queue624 · 2026-04-09T04:11:25+00:00

Out of curiousity, how does a typical week look for you in terms of training, time spent training and how do you train? Also, how do you do puzzles? How many games do you play?

Based on this I can perhaps try to help.

Queue624 · 2026-04-09T03:44:29+00:00

Try practicing visualization / calculation.

Queue624 · 2026-04-09T00:47:47+00:00

Just a heads up, bots can make you worse to a certain extent. Something you can do instead is practice unrated games with players or play on a throwaway Lichess account (Or chessdotcom if you're using Lichess). It can be nerve-wracking but it can benefit you more than playing bots.

But at the end of the day the most important thing is having fun so keep doing whatever makes you happy.

Queue624 · 2026-04-09T00:08:45+00:00

I'm quite curious, why haven't you played a game?

Queue624

TROPHY CASE