Tuesday, March 22, 2005

 

TCT

TASC Chess Tutor, which I'm going to start calling TCT, is proving itself worthy just as Sancho and Tempo said. I now think it is the quintessential have a life while your learning tactics software. I have found a way to track overall performance - it's in the memo pad of the "userinfo" window when you start the program. I will start posting results from TCT to blog my progress. I still don't know how many circles I am going to do with it yet, but I suspect it warrants at least three.

Counting the instructional questions the discussion sections, this program really has over 2600 problems. I have counted the number of problems in TCT that were not related to the most basic movement of the pieces and writing short and long notation and got this:

Level one = 390
Level two = 470
Level three = 530
Level four = 570
Level five = 580

2540 problems total

The worst part about TCT is getting so many right, one after another. That makes me rush ahead and stop carefully assessing each position.
-=-=-=-=-
TCT Circle 1 Progress:
Not completed exercises: step 1 , lessons: [ 1.2.3.4.9.14. ]
Result step 1: Average score 97 %
Not completed exercises: step 2 , lessons: [ 10.11.12. ]
Result step 2: Average score 93 %

In circle 2 of problems 204-218

Comments:
Well, it sounds like you have the TASC pattern down. I wouldn't worry too much that you're answering them so quickly as long as you don't do that over the board. In an OTB situation, of course you would take extra time even if you know a particular combo would work in a certain situation just to make sure that you are seeing everything correctly and that no good defenses exist.
 
Good point.
 
I started with level 3, I'm now halfway level 4. I have an old (DOS!) version of TCT, so I can not record the percentages, but it's about 94% average.
 
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Hi. I am a newbie to chess (have known the ruls for many years but started playing seriously about 6 weeks ago). Two weeks ago I played in a tournament and won one/lost 3, ending up with a provisional rating of 900 (which I think is too high for my awful play).

I want to do the seven circles, but am not sure what to use. de la Maza suggested CT-art, but I found the problems way past my beginner level. I have seen other people speak highly of Chess Mentor at chess.com (very persuasive advertising, but also very expensive), and now you are mentioning TCT which looks very good. I am not sure what to get: it looks like TCT is a lot cheaper than Chess Mentor: is there any reason to prefer one over the other?

Are there any other programs I am missing?

Thanks for any help.

Eric
 
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