Woodpecker Method questions

The Woodpecker Method is chess tactics training through repeated cycles of one fixed puzzle set. Calculate each position carefully, repeat the same positions, and compare your time and accuracy. Axel Smith and Hans Tikkanen describe the method in their book The Woodpecker Method.

Try Peck’s three-puzzle demo without signing up. Create a free account to save a puzzle set, complete its first cycle, review missed positions, and repeat the set. The automatic starter uses 100 puzzles and five cycles; you can also create a custom set.

Peck supports 20–500 puzzles per set. Start with a smaller set if you have limited training time. A cycle can span several sessions, so choose a set you can return to consistently rather than trying to finish everything in one sitting.

Peck uses Lichess puzzle ratings, which are not equivalent to your over-the-board or online playing rating. Choose a band where you can calculate most solutions without guessing. If the set is frustrating, use a lower band for your next set; if it feels automatic immediately, choose a harder one.

Peck’s starter uses five cycles, and custom sets let you choose your target. Look at accuracy as well as time. If you still miss positions, review those ideas before moving on. Faster recall of a familiar set is useful feedback, but it does not by itself show improvement in unfamiliar games.

The method is intended to practise tactical pattern recognition. Results depend on puzzle selection, consistency, calculation, and the rest of your chess study. Peck does not promise a rating gain or a fixed speed improvement. Combine repetition with unfamiliar puzzles and analysis of your own games.

Peck’s puzzle sets, cycles, missed-puzzle review, progress charts, streaks, achievements, and leaderboard are free. No subscription or credit card is required. The three-puzzle demo needs no account; an account is required to save sets and training history.

No. Peck builds sets from the open Lichess puzzle database. It is an independent training app and does not reproduce the book’s puzzle collection. You can use the book to learn the method and train separate Lichess sets in Peck.

Wrong and skipped positions enter a separate review queue. Revisit those positions and calculate the solution again. Your cycle history records time and accuracy so you can see how each repetition compares.

A cycle means completing every puzzle in your set once. Its duration depends on set size, difficulty, and your solving pace. You can work through it over multiple sessions. Use your own earlier cycle results as a comparison rather than a universal time target.