Feature Update - Introducing Tactic Ratings

Chessbolt tactic ratings are live! Here are new features that this update brings.

• How are Puzzle Ratings calculated?
• How are User Ratings calculated?
• What is training mode?
• How can I see my progress?

How are Puzzle Ratings calculated?

All Chessbolt puzzles now have ratings ranging from 1000 to 3000. These ratings represent the puzzle's difficulty level. For example, puzzle rated 1000 is easier to solve than a puzzle rated 3000.

Major sites like lichess.org rate puzzles based on how rated players perform on these puzzles. This can lead to inaccurate puzzle ratings and change a puzzle's rating as more players solve the puzzle.

Chessbolt takes a different approach and calculates ratings based on the number of tactics and type of tactics (for eg:- double attack, skewer, pin, etc.) in the puzzle. We believe this gives a more accurate estimate of the actual puzzle rating, and removes any biases of player performance on puzzles.

How are User Ratings calculated?

Chessbolt users start with a rating of 1000, and can increase their rating by solving more puzzles correctly. The Chessbolt ratings work similar to the Elo rating systems used by FIDE or USCF.

User Rating Bracket	Maximum Rating Gain (K-Factor)
1000-1500	64 points
1500-2000	32 points
2000-2500	24 points
2500+	16 points

From the above table, the maximum rating points a player can gain per puzzle gets lower as your rating increases (64 points for 1000-1500 vs 16 points for 2500+).

Rating points can be gained by finding 1 or more right moves for puzzles. If a puzzle is 5 moves long, even getting the first 2 moves right can increase your rating.

Playing the wrong moves can also decrease your rating. For every puzzle, you will have 3 chances to make the right move. If you make 3 wrong moves, the puzzle solution is shown and your rating increase/decrease is calculated.

What is training mode?

In training mode, users can solve puzzles that are around their user rating. As your rating increases, you will get more challenging puzzles to train on. Training mode is activated by default for all users. Start your training now!

How can I see my progress?

You can see your rating change and the puzzle rating in real-time after solving a puzzle. You can also see your rating progress chart and puzzle solving stats over time in your Profile by clicking on your username in the top right corner. Any user's rating dashboard can be viewed at chessbolt.org/user/[username].

Rating leaderboard features the top 10 users with the highest tactics ratings. Check it out at https://chessbolt.org/players!

Did we miss a feature? Write to us to get your feature added to our next update!

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Having trouble spotting the right move? Start solving now to improve your tactics with chessbolt!