About ChessWoodie
ChessWoodie is a chess tactics training platform focused on one goal:
building real pattern recognition that transfers to actual games.
It is designed for players who want their training to result in faster, more intuitive decision-making over the board — not just higher puzzle counts.
Why ChessWoodie exists
Most chess tactics training emphasizes novelty. You solve a position once, move on, and rarely see it again.
That approach can improve calculation, but it often fails to build the kind of intuition needed in real games, where there is no time to calculate everything from scratch.
ChessWoodie was created to address this gap by making repetition intentional, structured, and measurable.
Inspired by the Woodpecker Method
ChessWoodie is inspired by the Woodpecker Method, a well-known training approach described by GM Axel Smith and GM Hans Tikkanen.
The core idea is simple: instead of solving thousands of random puzzles once, you repeatedly solve the same set of tactical positions across multiple cycles until recognition becomes automatic.
ChessWoodie applies this idea in a modern, structured way — removing manual tracking, spreadsheets, and guesswork — while preserving the essence of the method.
Training philosophy
ChessWoodie is built around a few core principles:
- Pattern recognition matters more than novelty
- Speed is as important as correctness
- Feedback should be immediate and understandable
- Progress should be visible, not guessed
Every feature in ChessWoodie exists to support these principles.
Who ChessWoodie is for
Good fit if you:
- ✓ Want tactics training to translate into real games
- ✓ Care about solving faster, not just solving more
- ✓ Prefer structured training over random puzzle feeds
- ✓ Like seeing clear signals of improvement
Not a good fit if you:
- ✕ Are only looking for casual puzzle solving
- ✕ Prioritize novelty over mastery
Product status
ChessWoodie is actively developed and free to use.
The product evolves based on real training needs and community feedback, with a focus on long-term improvement rather than gamification for its own sake.
Join the community
ChessWoodie has a small but growing community of serious improvers. Discuss training ideas, share feedback, or follow development progress.
Join r/chesswoodie