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How the Puzzle Ladder works

The Puzzle Ladder is 30 levels, from Novice III to Grandmaster (GM) I. The level follows your puzzle rating. A clean first-try solve raises the rating in proportion to how unlikely it was. A miss lowers it. Hints do not change the rating. The clock does not change the rating.

Four of five puzzles sit near your rating. One of five is a step harder. A puzzle easier than that window does not move the rating. The first attempt is the one that counts. A retry does not score. After a miss, the level can drop one division. It does not drop the whole climb.

The XP number under the crest is a separate bar. Hints and the clock change that bar only. It stops at zero, and that does not hold your level in place.

Your first eight puzzles are a calibration. New, Casual, Club, Strong, and Expert only choose which of those eight comes first. After the eighth, the rating and the level are set from the results.

Tiers

Every tier has three divisions: III, II and I, with III the lowest.

  1. Novice Levels 1–3 · ~400–552
  2. Bronze Levels 4–6 · ~628–779
  3. Silver Levels 7–9 · ~855–1007
  4. Gold Levels 10–12 · ~1083–1234
  5. Platinum Levels 13–15 · ~1310–1462
  6. Diamond Levels 16–18 · ~1538–1690
  7. Master Levels 19–21 · ~1766–1917
  8. Candidate Master (CM) Levels 22–24 · ~1993–2145
  9. International Master (IM) Levels 25–27 · ~2221–2372
  10. Grandmaster (GM) Levels 28–30 · ~2448–2600

Getting started

Before the first puzzle you can choose New, Casual, Club, Strong, or Expert. Guests keep the rating in this browser. Sign in and the rating, the attempt count, and the level copy onto the account when the account has fewer attempts.

Start climbing

Today’s chess puzzle, with hints if you want them

The board above is today’s shared tactic. Everyone gets the same position for the UTC day. Play the winning line; if you stall, use progressive hints. The first tap is a nudge—theme or area of the board. Later taps get more specific. You can still find the moves yourself. We do not print the solution in the page.

A solved count and streak live in this browser if you are a guest. Sign in to keep the daily streak, XP, level, and badges when you switch phones. That is optional. The puzzle itself does not require an account.

Tactics practice matters because most games are decided by a missed fork, pin, or mate—not a twenty-move plan. A few minutes a day trains you to look for forcing moves before you touch a piece. The tactics guide and how to spot pins explain the patterns; beginner tips and the rest of the articles cover slower ideas.

Want more than one puzzle? Use Next Puzzle or the theme and difficulty filters. To walk through a position with an engine, open the analyzer. To play a full game, use Play vs AI or Play vs Friend.

Frequently asked questions

What is the daily chess puzzle?

One shared tactic each UTC day. Everyone gets the same position. You can also filter more puzzles by theme and difficulty on this page.

How do progressive hints work?

Each tap gives a little more help: first a nudge about the idea or area, then a more specific clue. You can still find the moves yourself.

Do I need to sign in to keep a streak?

Guests keep a solved count and streak in this browser. Sign in to keep the daily streak, XP, level, and badges across devices.

Why practice tactics at all?

Most games turn on a missed fork, pin, or mate—not a twenty-move plan. A few minutes a day trains you to look for forcing moves before you move.

Can I solve more than one puzzle a day?

Yes. Today’s puzzle is the shared one. Use Next Puzzle or the theme and difficulty filters for more practice.

Is the daily puzzle the same for everyone?

Yes. It resets with the UTC date, so a friend in another timezone sees the same puzzle until that date changes.