CT-ART: The Tactics Trainer That Has Shaped Chess Improvement for Decades

## Tactics Are the Foundation Ask any chess coach what a player rated under 2000 should focus on, and the answer is almost always the same: tactics. Pattern recognition, calculation, and the ability to spot combinations in real games are what separate improving players from stagnant ones. And for decades, one software title has been synonymous with serious tactical training: CT-ART. ## A Brief History CT-ART has been around in various forms since the late 1990s. Earlier versions like CT-ART 3.0 and CT-ART 4.0 became standard recommendations in chess improvement circles. Coaches prescribed it like medicine: do your CT-ART problems, track your progress, repeat the ones you got wrong. The approach was straightforward, but it worked. The program is developed by Chess King (formerly associated with the ChessOK brand), a company based in Key Biscayne, Florida. The current leadership includes CEO Diego Garces, and the company is also associated with Alexandra Kosteniuk, the 12th Women's World Chess Champion. ## CT-ART 20: The Current Version The latest iteration, CT-ART 20, is the most comprehensive version yet. It bundles 20 structured courses containing over 20,000 hand-crafted exercises. The difficulty range spans from roughly 200 Elo (absolute beginner) to 2400 Elo (strong club player to master level). The 20 courses include: **Beginner Level.** Chess Tactics for Beginners, Elementary Chess Tactics volumes, and Beginner Tactics Themes courses. These cover the fundamental patterns every player needs: forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, and basic mating nets. **Intermediate Level.** Chess Tactics Art at various rating bands, Intermediate Tactics Themes, and Manual of Chess Combinations. These push into more complex multi-move combinations and less obvious tactical ideas. **Advanced Level.** Chess Combinations volumes, the classic CT-ART 4.0 course, and Mate in 2-3-4 problems. This is where the difficulty ramps up and the patterns become genuinely challenging. **Defense.** Art of Defense, Simple Defense, Advanced Defense, and Defense and Counter Attack. Defensive tactics are often neglected in training programs, so this is a welcome addition. Knowing how to find the saving resource is just as important as finding the winning shot. ## How It Works Each exercise presents a position where you need to find the best move (or sequence of moves). The program evaluates your attempt and provides hints or shows the solution if you get stuck. Your performance is tracked, and the system adapts to your level. The guided CT-ART Chess University Path structures the courses into a logical progression, so you are not jumping randomly between difficulty levels. For players who want a systematic approach, this is valuable. ## Platform and Pricing CT-ART 20 is available on the web (works in any browser on Mac or PC), plus native apps for iOS and Android. Progress syncs across all devices, and mobile users can download courses for offline practice, which is great for commutes or travel. The full 20-course collection is priced around (currently on sale from ). There is also a family pack option with three separate activation codes, which is useful for households with multiple players or coaches managing a few students. ## Who Should Use CT-ART? CT-ART is best suited for: - **Beginners (200-800 Elo)** who want structured exercises beyond random online puzzles - **Improving players (800-1800 Elo)** looking for a systematic tactics curriculum - **Advanced players (1800-2400 Elo)** working on complex combinations and defensive calculation - **Coaches** looking for a proven, structured tactics program to assign to students The exercises are hand-crafted rather than engine-generated, which means the positions tend to be instructive rather than just technically correct. You will learn patterns that appear in real games, not artificial positions designed to have a unique computer solution. ## CT-ART vs Free Online Puzzles Free tactics trainers (like those on Chess.com and Lichess) are excellent, and nobody should feel pressured to spend money to train tactics. But CT-ART offers something different: a curated, progressive curriculum. The exercises are organized by theme and difficulty in a deliberate sequence. You are not just solving random positions. You are building skills in a structured order. For players who respond well to curriculum-based learning rather than random practice, that structure can make a real difference. ## The Bottom Line CT-ART has earned its reputation over decades. With 20,000+ exercises, a rating range that covers nearly everyone, and a thoughtful curriculum design, CT-ART 20 is one of the most complete tactics training packages you can buy. It is not free, but at for the full collection with cross-device support, it represents solid value for serious improvement. Explore CT-ART on [TrendingChess](https://trendingchess.com/ct-art).