Tactic or not? Spot chess tactics in real game positions
In a puzzle, you know there's something to find. In a game, nobody tells you. Tactic or not? gives you positions from real games, and only some of them hold a tactic: find it when it's there, and play a good move when it isn't.
Try one
Is there a tactic?
A position from a real game, just after Black's move. Find a good move for White.
Is there a tactic? Find a good move for White.
Some hold a tactic, most don't. As in your games: find it when it's there, and play a good move when it isn't.
Get startedWhy train with positions that may hold no tactic?
Puzzles train you to find a tactic once you know there is one. In your games, the hard part comes before that: noticing that there's something there at all. And the other way round, in a calm position the sacrifice you talked yourself into can cost the game. Tactic or not? trains both: looking, every move, and playing soundly when there's nothing to find.
How it works
- You see a position from a real game on lichess.org, and the move just played in it.
- About a third of them are puzzles. The others come from the same games a few moves earlier, before the tactic was there.
- Play your move. In a puzzle, find the whole tactic, as in your puzzles. In a calm position, any move that Stockfish rates within a pawn of its best is a good one.
- Then your tutor says which it was. In a calm position, the good moves show as arrows on the board.
Help when you need it
Your tutor is beside the board: ask for a hint while you think, why a move didn't work, or which of the good moves is best. The coach shows its answer on the board.
Tactic or not? in your plan
Your weekly training plan asks for a few positions on some days, instead of its puzzles or beside them.
Questions
Is it free?
- Free
- 3 positions of Tactic or not? a day
- Plus
- As many positions of Tactic or not? as you like
Everything each plan has: the plans.
Does it change my puzzle rating?
No. Tactic or not? has a rating of its own, so your puzzle rating stays as it is. Every position has a rating too, which learns from how players do on it.
How do you know which moves are good?
Stockfish looks at every legal move of the position, on our server. Any move within a pawn of its best counts, so you don't have to find the engine's one move.
Where do the positions come from?
They're lichess.org's puzzles from real games, and the positions a few moves before them in those games.
More features
- Your AI player report What you do well and what we'll work on together, from your own games, next to players rated like you.
- A plan for every week A few minutes a day on this week's focus: puzzles, ghost puzzles or Tactic or not?, a game against Luny, a look back at your new games. Every Monday by email, if you like.
- A coach for any move Ask in plain words, in the style you pick. Stockfish finds the moves, the coach explains them on the board.
- Puzzles picked for you Millions of puzzles from real games, at your level, rated in every theme and opening.
- Ghost puzzles The board stays a few moves behind: picture the position, then find the tactic.
- Luny A human-like opponent at your level. Practise an opening, or play on from a position of your own games.
- Your coach, your way Short and direct, questions and hints, or plain words: pick how the coach explains, or write your own.