The Woodpecker Method, developed by Grandmasters Axel Smith and Hans Tikkanen, is a game-changing approach to improving at chess tactics. It focuses on solving a large set of puzzles and then re-solving them faster and more accurately, embedding core tactical patterns into your subconscious.
This method is tailored to your chess rating, providing a personalized training experience that automates tracking and admin, allowing you to focus solely on puzzle-solving.
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Our Tactics Trainer lets you build and solve a customized set of 150-500 puzzles, suited to your chess rating. We track your time and accuracy, helping you improve both as you progress through the puzzles.
These sessions are designed to be intense yet rewarding, with each puzzle set aiming to challenge and improve your tactical abilities over time.
The key to getting the most out of the Woodpecker Method is to ensure the puzzles are challenging enough to push you, but not so difficult that you can't solve them. Ideally each puzzle on your first run through should take between 1-2 minutes to solve. If you find yourself taking longer than this, you may want to consider reducing the difficulty of the puzzle set.
Each time you complete a tactics set, you will naturally get faster as the patterns become embedded in your subconscious. The recommended amount is 8 repetitions, with a break of 3-4 days after you finish a set. This allows your brain to process the patterns and commit them to memory.
