Chess Mistake Driller

FAQ for ChessMistakeDriller

General Questions

  • Q: What is ChessMistakeDriller?
    • A: ChessMistakeDriller is a training tool that turns your real online chess games into personalized puzzles. Instead of generic tactics, it finds the first significant mistake you made in a recent game and challenges you to find the better move you missed. It’s a targeted way to learn directly from your own gameplay.
  • Q: How does it work?
    • A: You enter your Lichess.org username, and the app fetches your most recent analyzed games. It scans each game to identify the first move where you made an “Inaccuracy,” “Mistake,” or “Blunder” (according to Lichess’s analysis). It then sets up the board right before your mistake and lets you try to find the best move in that position.
  • Q: Is this app affiliated with Lichess.org?
    • A: No. While we are incredibly grateful to Lichess and use their fantastic, publicly available API, ChessMistakeDriller is an independent app. It is made possible by the open and collaborative spirit of the Lichess team.
  • Q: Does this app store my data or Lichess password?
    • A: The app never asks for your Lichess password. It only uses your public username to fetch public game data. All your settings and drill progress are stored exclusively on your own device. The app has no central server and collects no personal data.

Using the App

  • Q: I don’t have a Lichess account. Can I still use this app?
    • A: Yes! We created the “Learn from a master” feature specifically for you. Simply choose a Grandmaster from the dropdown list in the “Analyze Games” section. The app will fetch their recent games and create puzzles based on their mistakes. It’s the perfect way to see the app’s core feature in action and learn from the best players in the world, no account needed.
  • Q: I’m a free user and selected a GM. The app says ‘Fetching up to 150 games’. Am I getting more than 10 puzzles?
    • A: No, the free limit of 10 puzzles is always respected. We fetch a large number of games (like 150) from the Grandmaster’s profile to ensure we find enough games that have computer analysis. From the pool of analyzed games we find, we then take the 10 most recent ones to create your puzzles. This “wide net” approach guarantees the feature works reliably, while still maintaining the free tier limits. Pro users get to analyze all the games found, up to their selected limit.
  • Q: The app says “Engine loading…” or the “Analyze Games” button is disabled. What’s wrong?
    • A: The app uses an in-browser version of the Stockfish chess engine. It can take a few seconds to load for the first time. Please wait for the button to become active. If it takes longer than 30 seconds, try refreshing the app.
  • Q: I analyzed my games, but no openings appeared. Why?
    • A: This can happen for a few reasons:
      1. The games analyzed did not have any computer analysis run on them on Lichess. Make sure that after your Lichess games, you click ‘Menu’ -> ‘Analysis’ -> ‘Charts’ and ‘Request a computer analysis’.
      2. You have chosen a Game type where you haven’t analyzed any games. Try selecting ‘All Standard Games’, or playing a few more games on Lichess.
      3. Maybe you didn’t make any mistakes? That’s unlikely though 😉
  • Q: What is the difference between “Casual Mode” and “Drill Mode”?
    • A:
      • Casual Mode is for relaxed study. You can move freely between puzzles using the “Previous” button, analyze any position with the engine, and you won’t be re-tested on mistakes. It’s about exploration and understanding.
      • Drill Mode is for serious training. If you fail a puzzle, it’s marked as a “Mistake” and you will be retested. You must solve all your mistakes before completing an opening. This mode is designed to reinforce learning through repetition.
  • Q: What is “Freestyle Mode” / the “Analyze” button?
    • A: “Freestyle Mode” is your personal analysis board. When you’re in a puzzle, you can hit “Analyze” to pause the drill and turn on the live Stockfish engine. You can then make any move you want (for either side) and see the engine’s evaluation and top recommended moves. It’s perfect for exploring “what if” scenarios. Hit “Undo” to undo a move, and hit “Exit Analysis” to return to your drill.

Settings Explained

  • Q: What is “Validation Method”? (Lichess vs. Stockfish)
    • A: This setting determines how the app decides if your move is correct.
      • Lichess Pre-Analysis (Default & Fastest): Uses the single “best move” identified by Lichess when your game was originally analyzed. It’s very fast, but only accepts that one specific move. Note that Lichess doesn’t always pick the best move – it’s always a good move, but it can be limited by what their servers could handle, at the time it was analyzed.
      • Live Stockfish Validation (More Accurate & Flexible): When you make a move, the app runs a powerful, live version of Stockfish to evaluate it. It will accept your move as “correct” not only if it’s the #1 best move, but also if it’s a very good move that doesn’t lose much compared to the best one (you can control this with the “Acceptable Loss” slider). This is more like how a human would judge a move. Note that this method is much slower, especially at higher depth settings.
  • Q: What does the “Acceptable Loss” slider do?
    • A: (Only available in “Live Stockfish Validation” mode). This sets the tolerance for how “good” your move needs to be. The value is in centipawns (1/100th of a pawn). If the best move gives you an advantage of +1.50 (150 centipawns) and your move gives you an advantage of +1.40 (140 centipawns), the loss is only 10 centipawns. If your “Acceptable Loss” is set to 15 or higher, your move would be marked correct. This helps you find good, practical moves, not just the single “perfect” engine move.
    • Pro Tip: A lower threshold is stricter, while a higher one is more forgiving. A setting around 15-25 is a good starting point.
  • Q: What is a “Forced Loss” situation in Stockfish mode?
    • A: Sometimes, your mistake puts you in a position that is already losing, even with best play. For example, the best move might take the evaluation from -5.0 to -3.0, while the second-best move takes it to -6.0. In these “forced loss” scenarios, the “Acceptable Loss” threshold is ignored, and only the #1 engine move at the configured depth, is considered correct. The goal is to learn to find the best defense and minimize the damage, even when you’re in a bad spot.
  • Q: What does “Play Stockfish continuation” do?
    • A: After you correctly solve a puzzle, the app can have the Stockfish engine play out a few more moves for both sides. This helps you understand why your move was good and see the likely follow-up. You can control how many moves it plays (“Continuation Moves”) and how strong the engine is (“Continuation Engine Depth”).