How to Practice Chess So It Shows Up in Your Games

00:00 Why Puzzle Skill Disappears in Real Games00:59 What Is Transfer in Chess Training?01:50 The Study That Changed How We Understand Practice03:18 Why Harder Practice Produces Better Learning03:45 The Hidden Problem With Themed Chess Puzzles04:24 Advantages of Blocked Practice04:49 A Three-Phase Method for Training Tactics05:19 Why Mixed Puzzles Still Aren’t Game-Like Enough05:55 Training Recognition Under Real-Game Conditions06:30 Courses Involving Interleaving07:42 How Would You Help Shaquille O'Neal Improve His Free Throws? Why do some chess players achieve extremely high puzzle ratings but still struggle to find tactics in real games? In this video, I explain the learning science concepts of blocked practice, interleaved practice, and transfer, and show why repeatedly solving the same type of chess puzzle can yield impressive training results without necessarily improving over-the-board performance. Using the famous Rohrer and Taylor study, we explore why difficult, mixed practice may feel less effective in the moment, but produce stronger long-term learning and better pattern recognition.You’ll learn a practical three-phase approach to chess tactics training: first build new tactical patterns through blocked practice, then mix forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks through interleaving, and finally practise with game-like positions where you do not know whether a tactic exists at all. This method can help you recognise what kind of position you are facing before you begin calculating—the skill that real chess actually demands. If your chess puzzle rating is much higher than your online or OTB rating, this video may explain why.Scientific Reference: Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2007). The shuffling of mathematics problems improves learning. Instructional Science, 35, 481–498.