The Woodpecker Method is the name given by Axel Smith to a training system developed by his compatriot and co-author Hans Tikkanen. After training with his method in 2010, Tikkanen achieved three GM norms within a seven-week period.

The quick explanation of the Woodpecker Method is that you need to solve a large number of puzzles in a row; then solve the same puzzles again and again, only faster. It’s not a lazy shortcut to success – hard work is required. But the reward can be re-programming your unconscious mind. Benefits include sharper tactical vision, fewer blunders, better play when in time trouble and improved intuition.

This book contains everything you need to carry out your own Woodpecker training. Smith and Tikkanen explain how to get the maximum benefit from the method, before presenting over 1100 puzzles and solutions, all of which have been checked and double-checked for accuracy and suitability.

An Excel sheet for keeping a record of your Woodpecker training can be downloaded here.

GM Axel Smith is the award-winning author of Pump Up Your Rating and e3 Poison, both of which were enthusiastically received by readers and reviewers. Using the Woodpecker as part of his training, as an adult he improved from a rating of 2100 to becoming a Grandmaster.

GM Hans Tikkanen is a four-time Swedish Champion whose live rating peaked over 2600. His interest in chess-improvement methods, and how they work, led him to study for a degree in psychology.

392 pages - Published (hardcover) 25 July 2018

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-78483-054-0

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-78483-055-7

Reviews

4/5 Stars "Overall, I like the book, I think it makes for an excellent training program, and it will undoubtedly become established as a valuable tool for players who are serious about improving their game."

Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine

"There are of course many ways to improve the skill in chess, and that is what every chess player wants at every level. But the method of the Swedish master Hans Tikkanen is very original. His colleague Axel Smith coined the name: The Woodpecker Method, published by the Scottish publisher Quality Chess, where so many interesting books come from."

Bab Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad

5 Stars "The Woodpecker Method is for training your subconscious and this book is for training the stuff your subconscious will still miss. In other words, the very un-intuitive and difficult to see ideas and solutions to complex chess positions.

I definitely think that this book is accessible to players even under 2200 as long as they are looking for challenging problems. In a way, it is similar to studying endgame studies in this regard - most are going to be very difficult to get 100% correct. However, you will notice that as you train more you can be encouraged by finding more of the ideas involved in the solutions."

TheFalconer, Chessable