If we're talking about puzzles and our way to progress in our beloved game, I think it's important to have a specific goal in mind.
I personally use to train with puzzles in 4 totally different ways:
1) By analyzing my games I may find out, that I missed some specific tactic (for example a cool smothered mate). So I go and practice this kind of puzzles for a few days exclusively. Lichess has a nice feature for this, which is called "Puzzle Themes": lichess.org/training/themes
By practicing a single pattern lots of times, it burns into my head and next time I see it much easier/faster. This really works best with lots of puzzles on a very low difficulty rating - it's just about getting the pattern hammered in my brain.
2) Then there is (especially in faster time controls) the ability to get used to play tactics under time pressure. Lichess again has a good feature for practicing this skill. It's called "Puzzle Storm":
lichess.org/storm
My Puzzle Storm highscore gives me a relatively good representation of my ability to solve puzzles under time pressure and btw. also shows me (when I take too much time on a puzzle), which themes I have to improve on (then I would go back to what I wrote under 1) I also find it very important, to use the "failed puzzles"-feature of Puzzle Storm, which shows me every failed puzzle during the last run, so I can try to solve them without time pressure, before starting the next round.
3) Next there is the "simple" Puzzles feature on Lichess:
lichess.org/training
These puzzles usually adapt on your puzzle solving strength after some time, which I find very important. Here I practice my (deeper) calculation- and visualization skills WITHOUT time pressure. I often take about 10-20 minutes to think about a position until im totally sure, which move is best and should be played.
These puzzles are great, but there is one significant disadvantage in my opinion: These Puzzles almost always end in a winning position, mate or piece capture AND you already know before solving the puzzle, that there is something to be found. The "reality" of chess on the other hand is much more complicated. In a match (online or OTB) you most times don't know/see, if there is a tactical shot or not. Or maybe there seems to be some pattern you identify, but because of some circumstances, this pattern doesn't work. Maybe your position seems good and you spot a loose piece, but it would in the end have been much better fist to do something else, instead of capturing this loose piece (avoiding a mate, secure the position, ...).
4) Building up on the problems which I described above, so far I have only found 1 single source to practice this kind of "reality situations", that really fits me (there also is the Woodpecker method, but that's too time consuming for me at the moment) - it's called the Stappenmethode:
www.stappenmethode.nl/en/puzzle-monday.php
I really like these Puzzles - you never know what topic to expect and finding the correct move is very satisfying, because it shows your real understanding of the position (or shows me what I should be working on).
The Puzzles are updated weekly and sorted by difficulty level (1 easy - 8 hard).
So far, that's how I personally use Puzzles in improving my chess skills - I'm sure it will alter some day, but for the moment it seems to fit perfectly.
Have fun!
I personally use to train with puzzles in 4 totally different ways:
1) By analyzing my games I may find out, that I missed some specific tactic (for example a cool smothered mate). So I go and practice this kind of puzzles for a few days exclusively. Lichess has a nice feature for this, which is called "Puzzle Themes": lichess.org/training/themes
By practicing a single pattern lots of times, it burns into my head and next time I see it much easier/faster. This really works best with lots of puzzles on a very low difficulty rating - it's just about getting the pattern hammered in my brain.
2) Then there is (especially in faster time controls) the ability to get used to play tactics under time pressure. Lichess again has a good feature for practicing this skill. It's called "Puzzle Storm":
lichess.org/storm
My Puzzle Storm highscore gives me a relatively good representation of my ability to solve puzzles under time pressure and btw. also shows me (when I take too much time on a puzzle), which themes I have to improve on (then I would go back to what I wrote under 1) I also find it very important, to use the "failed puzzles"-feature of Puzzle Storm, which shows me every failed puzzle during the last run, so I can try to solve them without time pressure, before starting the next round.
3) Next there is the "simple" Puzzles feature on Lichess:
lichess.org/training
These puzzles usually adapt on your puzzle solving strength after some time, which I find very important. Here I practice my (deeper) calculation- and visualization skills WITHOUT time pressure. I often take about 10-20 minutes to think about a position until im totally sure, which move is best and should be played.
These puzzles are great, but there is one significant disadvantage in my opinion: These Puzzles almost always end in a winning position, mate or piece capture AND you already know before solving the puzzle, that there is something to be found. The "reality" of chess on the other hand is much more complicated. In a match (online or OTB) you most times don't know/see, if there is a tactical shot or not. Or maybe there seems to be some pattern you identify, but because of some circumstances, this pattern doesn't work. Maybe your position seems good and you spot a loose piece, but it would in the end have been much better fist to do something else, instead of capturing this loose piece (avoiding a mate, secure the position, ...).
4) Building up on the problems which I described above, so far I have only found 1 single source to practice this kind of "reality situations", that really fits me (there also is the Woodpecker method, but that's too time consuming for me at the moment) - it's called the Stappenmethode:
www.stappenmethode.nl/en/puzzle-monday.php
I really like these Puzzles - you never know what topic to expect and finding the correct move is very satisfying, because it shows your real understanding of the position (or shows me what I should be working on).
The Puzzles are updated weekly and sorted by difficulty level (1 easy - 8 hard).
So far, that's how I personally use Puzzles in improving my chess skills - I'm sure it will alter some day, but for the moment it seems to fit perfectly.
Have fun!