About Chess.PhD

The story behind Chess.PhD

The story, philosophy, and goal behind the app.

1. It started with my own training

   I originally built this method and app for myself, to improve my own chess.

   At the time, I wanted something better than random puzzle solving. I wanted training that adapted to me, helped me calculate faster, and made tactical patterns easier to recognise during real games.

2. The results were real

   Using this method, I improved from around 2300 to nearly 2600 rating.

   I started calculating faster, seeing the board more clearly, and missing far fewer tactics than before.

3. Then a friend tried it

   For a while, that could have been the whole story.

   But then a friend rated around 600 asked if he could use the app. After two months of training, he was already playing around 1500 level, and he was incredibly happy with his progress.

4. That changed the project

   That moment showed me that the method was not only useful for advanced players.

   It could also help beginners and casual players improve dramatically, if the training was personalised, clear and enjoyable enough.

5. So Chess.PhD became a real trainer

   I decided to turn the project into a complete chess training system: adaptive puzzle selection, focused tactical themes, hints, trainer notes, refutations, continuations, progress tracking, and gamified improvement.

   The goal is simple: help players stop missing tactics and improve faster.

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