About Disco Chess

Spaced repetition is one of the most scientifically validated learning techniques. Disco Chess brings this powerful method to chess training with an automated, playful system that does all the work for you. No spreadsheets, no manual tracking, just solve puzzles and let the app handle the rest.

Automatic cycle management
Progress tracking built-in
Instant feedback and stats
Disco Chess Mascot

The forgetting curve

Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered that we forget 50% of new information within an hour, and 90% within a week. Spaced repetition combats this by reviewing material just before you forget it, dramatically improving retention.

Proven effectiveness

Studies show spaced repetition can improve retention by 200% compared to traditional studying. It's used by medical students, language learners, and now chess players to master complex material efficiently.

Optimal timing

The spacing effect works because each review session strengthens neural connections. By gradually increasing intervals between reviews, you move patterns from short-term working memory into permanent long-term storage.

Puzzle solving metrics that matter

We automatically track three key metrics to help you improve tactically. Each one directly measures pattern recognition - the core skill that separates strong players from beginners. No spreadsheets, no manual timers, just solve puzzles and watch your progress unfold.

Accuracy

The percentage of puzzles you solve correctly. This measures your ability to recognize patterns and calculate accurately. High accuracy means you're internalizing tactical motifs.

Target: 70-85% shows solid progress

Solve Time

How quickly you solve each puzzle. As patterns become automatic through repetition, your solve time naturally decreases. This measures pattern recognition speed, critical for time-pressure situations in real games.

Goal: Maintain accuracy while speed increases

Efficiency

Combines accuracy and speed to show your overall improvement compared to your first cycle. A 2x efficiency score means you're solving puzzles twice as effectively as when you started.

Great progress: 2.0x+ after 5-7 cycles

Why focus on these three metrics?

Tactical improvement is fundamentally about pattern recognition - building a mental library of tactical motifs that you can recall instantly during games. That's why we focus on metrics that directly measure this skill.

Each metric tells you something specific about your pattern recognition:

  • Accuracy shows if patterns are sticking (recognition quality)
  • Solve Time reveals how automatic your recall has become (recognition speed)
  • Efficiency combines both to track your overall progress (recognition mastery)

When you repeat the same puzzles across cycles, these three metrics answer the most important question:Are the patterns becoming automatic? If they are, you'll see it in your numbers - and more importantly, in your games.

Understanding your metrics in depth

Your accuracy typically follows this pattern across cycles:

  • Cycle 1: 60-75% is normal - you're encountering patterns for the first time
  • Cycles 2-3: Should jump to 75-85% as patterns become familiar
  • Cycles 4-7: Plateau around 85-90% as mastery develops

If your accuracy isn't improving: The puzzle set might be too difficult. Drop to an easier set where you can maintain 70%+ accuracy. Building a strong foundation matters more than tackling challenging puzzles prematurely.

If you're at 95%+ by Cycle 3: The set is too easy. Move to harder puzzles to continue improving. Optimal learning happens in the 75-85% accuracy range.

Decreasing solve time is a natural byproduct of pattern recognition. If your times aren't improving:

  • You're rushing between cycles: Spaced repetition requires time between cycles (1-3 days optimal). Doing cycles back-to-back turns it into memorization, not learning.
  • You're overthinking: If times increase in later cycles, you might be second-guessing patterns you already know. Trust your instincts - the first idea is often correct when you're experienced with a set.
  • The puzzles are too hard: If accuracy is below 70% and times are high, drop to easier puzzles. You can't speed up if you're still struggling with the patterns.

Remember: Speed shouldn't be forced. As accuracy stabilizes above 80%, speed improvements follow naturally.

Efficiency is calculated as: (Accuracy ÷ Avg Time) ÷ (Cycle 1 Baseline)

This gives you a multiplier showing how much more efficiently you're solving puzzles compared to your first attempt.

Efficiency benchmarks:

  • 1.0x (Cycle 1): Your baseline
  • 1.5x (Cycle 3-4): Solid improvement - patterns are starting to stick
  • 2.0x (Cycle 5-6): Excellent progress - you've internalized most patterns
  • 2.5x+ (Cycle 7+): Mastery - patterns are fully automatic

If you plateau below 1.5x after 5 cycles: You might need longer breaks between cycles, or the puzzle set might not match your level. The Woodpecker Method works best when puzzles are challenging but solvable.

If you hit 3x+ by Cycle 5: Congratulations! You've mastered this set. Move to harder puzzles to continue progressing. Staying on easy puzzles won't improve your chess - it just inflates your stats.

Traditional puzzle platforms assign you a puzzle rating (like an Elo rating) based on your performance. While this feels satisfying, it's counterproductive for learning.

Here's why ratings don't help tactical improvement:

  • They encourage puzzle hunting: You cherry-pick puzzles at your rating level to maintain your score, rather than focusing on patterns you need to learn.
  • They penalize repetition: Solving the same puzzle multiple times "inflates" your rating artificially, so platforms discourage it - even though repetition is how you actually learn.
  • They create rating anxiety: You avoid difficult puzzles to protect your rating, limiting your growth potential.
  • They're noisy: Daily fluctuations in puzzle ratings don't reflect actual skill changes - they're statistical noise.

Instead of puzzle ratings, we focus on pattern mastery through deliberate repetition. Our metrics measure what matters for real improvement: Are you recognizing patterns faster and more accurately?

Your improvement isn't a rating number. It's the moment you spot a knight fork instantly in a real game because you've drilled that pattern 20 times across 7 cycles. That's what we measure.

The goal of tactical training isn't to get better at puzzles - it's to improve your real-game performance.

Here's how these metrics relate to real game improvement:

  • High accuracy (80%+): You'll spot tactical opportunities your opponents miss. You'll win more material and convert advantages more reliably.
  • Fast solve times: In time pressure (like the last 10 moves of a blitz game), automatic pattern recognition keeps you from blundering. You'll make better moves faster.
  • High efficiency (2x+): You've achieved pattern mastery. Tactics in your games will feel obvious - you'll "just see" knight forks, pins, and discovered attacks without calculation.

A common breakthrough moment: After 5-7 cycles, players report that tactical patterns in real games "jump off the board" at them. This is pattern recognition becoming automatic - the efficiency metric captures this shift.

When Hans Tikkanen achieved three GM norms using the Woodpecker Method, it wasn't because he solved more puzzles than other players. It was because his pattern recognition became instantaneous through deep repetition. That's what efficiency measures - and that's what wins games.

Ready to train

Ready to master tactical patterns?

You understand the science. You know the method works. Now it's time to put it into practice. Start your first cycle today and watch your pattern recognition transform over the coming weeks.

Free to start, no credit card required
Automatic progress tracking and analytics
Puzzles designed for spaced repetition