We know that training and practice helps us improve our chess game, but which site has the best chess puzzle?
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Mastering chess is a lifelong pursuit, and now we have many tech tools to help us achieve chess mastery. The question is, which tool is the best? Which site has the best chess puzzles to help me improve my game?
#1 Chess Puzzle Site: Chess.com
The chess puzzles on Chess.com are especially useful because the are drawn from real chess games, you have tools to analyze your moves, and there are so many puzzles waiting for you.
The Tactics Trainer at Chess.com is an outstanding resource, and that is where the chess puzzles are found. They currently offer over 56,000 chess puzzles for you to explore! These puzzles are not randomly generated by a computer, but taken from real chess games. You know you are not wasting your time solving something that would not likely happen in real life when you are solving a chess puzzle here.
Also beneficial is the opportunity to analyze your moves after you have solved a puzzle using Stockfish, preferred as one of the strongest chess engines. Not only do you gain insight from completing the puzzle, but you can go back and explore advantages and disadvantages for other moves you may have considered during play. The ability to analyze the game from multiple perspectives adds a depth to your learning that other chess puzzles lack.
You may also complete the game you played against the computer, seeing the game to its end. This will give you valuable experience in ending the game. Your ratings can be broken down by theme, giving you insight into what strengths and weaknesses you have in your current play. And you can compare your ratings with friends, or share your results on social media. Customize the game board and pieces with designs and colors that suit you for custom play.
#2 Chess Puzzle Site: Chess24
On Chess24.com, you will find a huge amount of chess puzzles in a sortable database. Choose puzzles based on your skill level, and see where you rank with a leaderboard. You can choose to receive feedback on your moves, or after the game. While it is not quite the powerful analysis tool that we saw at Chess.com, where you could explore different moves and what they might mean for the game, this feedback does allow you to learn from your moves.
Chess puzzles on Chess24 feature a “Hint” function as well. If you are stuck, the “Hint” highlights the piece they suggest, but does not show you to where they would move it. So you get to figure out the best placement of that piece to further your chances of winning.
One interesting variation on the chess puzzle here is the choice of classical and speed modes. Speed modes limit your time to make a move as you choose: pick from one, three or five minutes per move. You can receive feedback on your moves at the end of the game.
#3 Chess Puzzle Site: Lichess.org
The chess puzzle at Lichess.org offers a great abundance of puzzles with lots of options to make them useful. Over 60,000 chess puzzles are available here, and they are actual scenarios from recent games. Each chess puzzle (and user!) has a rating, and the site offers you more difficult puzzles to solve as your rating increases by completing puzzles.
The chess puzzles on Lichess.org offer a tool to identify potential threats on the game board, allowing you to create your own strategy in response. This approach allows you to analyze the board as a whole leading to a deeper understanding of possible moves or strategies, instead of merely suggesting which piece to move.
Lichess.org is different from the previous 2 websites in that it is an open source site, allowing users to participate in coding and maintaining the site. If you love coding and chess, this is a perfect combination for you to enjoy!
The chess puzzles at Lichess.org can also be analyzed using a strong chess engine when they are complete, providing further insight into each play. The user interface is incredibly simple, making it accessible for kids who enjoy playing too. Each chess puzzle offers the option to replay from the beginning, so you can see how a puzzle was created.
In Summary
Use this guide to help you choose which chess puzzle site is best for you, based on the features each offers. Into coding and chess? Lichess.org may be your best choice. Want to explore possible moves in each puzzle in depth? Try Chess24.com. Interested in discovering strengths and weaknesses in you current play? Use Chess.org.
Which chess puzzle site helps you the most? Share in the comments below!
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