Tsume Practice

What is Tsume?

Tsume (詰将棋) are checkmate problems in shogi that require you to find a forced checkmate sequence in a given number of moves. Regular practice of tsume problems is one of the most efficient ways to improve your tactical vision, pattern recognition, and calculation skills in shogi.

Recommended Apps

I’ve selected two complementary apps for tsume practice, each with different strengths:

Cross Field App - TsumeShogi

• Presents problems on a full board (better for game-like visualization)
• Available in English
• Includes problems from 1-3 moves in depth
• Clean, user-friendly interface

Unbalance App - 詰将棋

• Shows only the relevant portion of the board (helps focus on tactical patterns)
• Interface is in Japanese (you may need to take screenshots and use Google Translate initially)
• Includes deeper problems from 1-10 moves

The combination of these two apps provides both breadth and depth in your tactical training while developing different aspects of your visualization skills.

Tsume Learning Strategy - Two App Progression System

The key to this system is that each app serves a different purpose in your tactical development:

• Unbalance App (Partial Board): Develops pattern recognition with focused tactical fragments
• Cross Field App (Full Board): Develops practical board vision in game-like positions

Here’s how they work together in a coordinated progression:

Phase 1: Unbalance App First Steps

• Start with Unbalance App’s 1-move problems (just 17 problems)
• Focus initially on accuracy rather than speed
• Note any problems that take longer than 30 seconds
• Review these “slow” problems repeatedly until you can solve them in under 30 seconds
• Once you’ve completed all 17 1-move problems, begin 3-move problems in Unbalance

Phase 2: Add Cross Field App

• As soon as you start Unbalance’s 3-move problems, also begin Cross Field’s 1-move problems
• This introduces full-board visualization while you’re working on more complex partial board problems
• Note any full-board problems taking longer than 30 seconds
• Work on these slower problems until they’re under 30 seconds
• Meanwhile, continue reviewing Unbalance’s 1-move problems until they’re under 20 seconds

Phase 3: Dual Track Progression

• In Unbalance: Progress to 5-move problems
• In Cross Field: Begin 3-move problems
• This creates your “two difficulty levels” approach - challenging (5-move partial board) and moderate (3-move full board)
• Continue working on selected 1-move problems that were difficult for you as speed training

Phase 4: Advancing Together

• In Unbalance: Continue advancing to deeper problems (7-move, then 9-move, etc.)
• In Cross Field: Begin 5-move problems once you’ve started 7-move problems in Unbalance
• Continue working on speed improvements for all previously completed levels
• Always maintain two active difficulty levels across the apps

Handling Wrong Moves (Both Apps)

• Limit to 2-3 attempts per problem in a session
• Return to failed problems the next day
• After 3 failed days, study the solution
• Practice the solution, then solve from scratch the following day

Time Benchmarks System

• Initial Completion: Just solve the problems correctly, regardless of time
• First Speed Goal: Get all problems under 30 seconds
• Mastery Speed Goal: Get all problems under 20 seconds
• Always work at two levels: While learning new, harder problems in one app, work on speed improvement in the other app
• Continuous Improvement: Feel free to regularly revisit previously completed problems in both apps to improve your times below 20 seconds

Why This Approach Works

This structured approach offers several benefits:

1. Deliberate Practice: By setting specific time benchmarks (30s, 20s), you create clear improvement goals
2. Pattern Recognition: Starting with partial board problems builds fundamental pattern recognition
3. Practical Application: Transitioning to full board problems develops game-like visualization
4. Efficient Learning: The time-tracking and revisiting system focuses your energy on problems that challenge you
5. Sustainable Progress: Working on two difficulty levels simultaneously builds both confidence and challenge

Recommended Daily Practice

For optimal improvement, aim for 15-20 minutes of tsume practice daily. This is short enough to maintain focus but sufficient to see steady improvement. Consistency is more important than duration - regular daily practice will yield better results than occasional longer sessions.

Integration with Main Study Plan

Tsume practice should run parallel to your opening and strategic studies throughout the 20-week plan. The tactical patterns you learn in tsume problems will complement and enhance your understanding of the tactical opportunities in your chosen openings.