The Woodpecker Method is the name given by Axel Smith to a training system developed by his compatriot and co-author Hans Tikkanen. Aftefr training with this method in 2010, Tikkanen achived three GM norms with in 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; the solve the same puzzles again and again, only faster. The reward can be re-programming your unconscious mind. Benefits include sharper tactical vision, fewer blunderrs, 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.

GM Axel Smith is the award winning author of Pump Up Your Rating and e3 Poison. Using the Woodpecker as a part of his training, as an adult he improved from a rating of 2100 to becoming a Grandmaster.

GM Hans Tikkanen, whose rating peaked over 2600, won his fifth Swedish Championship in July 2018. His interest in chess improvement metods, and how the work, led him to study for a degree in psychology.

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