The Human Perspective: Analyzing Positions with Maia 2
How predicting human candidate moves calibrated to your rating provides essential context alongside engine calculation.
Structured chess puzzle training
In-session fatigue management for higher-quality chess training.
ChessKinetics is a web-based chess training application that replaces open-ended puzzle solving with bounded sets, gradual difficulty scaling, and mandatory recovery breaks. Built on established principles from sports science, it helps players practice calculation while avoiding mental exhaustion and rating tilt.
96,000 Curated Puzzles
Filtered from real Lichess games across opening, middlegame, and endgame phases.
900 to 2700 FIDE Range
Organized in 50-point difficulty buckets with 2,000 randomly sampled puzzles per bucket.
Free Daily Practice
Every feature is available for free for up to two training waves per 24 hours.
Why Structure Matters in Puzzle Training
Standard puzzle trainers present an unending stream of positions and update a visible rating after every single attempt. While useful for quick practice, an open-ended format lacks a natural stopping point. As fatigue builds or a mistake occurs, patience often drops, calculation gets rushed, and training can turn into guessing or chasing lost rating points.
In physical athletics, training is rarely performed at maximum intensity until exhaustion. Instead, workload is organized into planned sets that alternate between focused effort and recovery. ChessKinetics applies this same structure to cognitive training, pacing the difficulty curve and enforcing rest before frustration sets in.
How a Training Session Works
Full walkthrough →1. Wave Loading (3 → 2 → 1)
Each wave steps through up to six puzzles: three easier warm-up positions, two near the target rating, and one final challenge slightly above it.
2. The Buffer Zone
A mandatory two-minute break triggers after every wave or early mistake, serving optional easy puzzles while giving players a pause to clear their head.
3. Fatigue Cutoff & Progression
Two mistakes abort the wave immediately. Target difficulty only updates between waves based on overall performance.
Built for Calm, Focused Calculation
Read about the methodology →Hidden Puzzle Ratings
Puzzle ratings remain hidden while solving and only appear afterward, keeping attention on the board rather than the number.
Progress Without Loss Chasing
The Weekly Personal Record tracks the highest-rated puzzle solved in the last seven days and never drops after a mistake.
Unbiased Puzzle Curation
Positions from the Lichess dataset are filtered for rating stability and sampled at random so training is not skewed toward flashy sacrifices.
Dual Analysis: Engine & Human
Post-puzzle review pairs single-line Stockfish 18 evaluation with Maia 2 neural network predictions, showing what human players at your rating level actually consider.
Access and Pricing
View full pricing details →Complete features in the free tier
ChessKinetics is free to use for up to two waves every 24 hours, which is sufficient for a consistent daily training habit. Every part of the system, including wave loading, the Buffer Zone, the curated dataset, and both Stockfish and Maia 2 analysis, is active in the free tier. An optional monthly subscription removes the daily limit for players who want longer sessions.
Articles on Training & Design
View all articles →Chasing Lost Rating Points: Tilt in Games and Puzzles
Why losing a game or puzzle often leads to rushed play, and how mandatory breaks help interrupt the cycle of loss chasing.
The Puzzle Dataset
How 96,000 puzzles were filtered, bucketed across the 900 to 2700 rating range, and sampled to prevent pattern-recognition bias.