Chess Tempo Forum

Creating the Custom Set

The custom problem set feature is a bit hidden away, so here are some step by instructions on creating a new custom problem set:
1 - Go the custom sets page https://chesstempo.com/custom-sets/
2 - You can now choose any search criteria you like (and test out the result by hitting search and seeing what problems are returned). Criteria are broken down into features of the problem, aspects of your previous attempts, set options (ordering, spaced repetition, etc) and game details (features of the game the problem was extracted from). More details on the search criteria can be found below.
3 - Convert the search into a custom problem set by using the "Create set" button.
4 - Choose a name for your set and then click the create button to confirm the set name.

By default the set will be set as your current solving set so after step 4) you can go to the solving page and start solving with your new set. Use the change set button on the solving page to select another set, custom sets are stored in the "personal' folder in the change set selection tree.

Note that this will save the search criteria rather than the actual problems, so what you have is a dynamic problem set that automatically adjusts as problems change their criteria (rating/tag etc) or new problems come into the set.  This means that if you chose the "Problems I have never tried' option for example, then as you do the problems (either as part of this problem set or in another problem set (rated or otherwise)) they will drop out of the set as they no longer fit the search criteria.  Similarly if you chose problems with ratings >1600 as a search criteria, then if existing problems go up in rating they will automatically be added to the set. If some problems go lower in rating they will automatically be dropped out of the set.

Custom Problem Set Search Criteria

Problem Feautres:

- Rating: The rating range you wish problems to fall within.
- Rating Type: The rating type of a problem, i.e. blitz/standard/theory/practice. This allows you to chose which rating the rating range will select for a problem, for endgame problems it chooses the theory or practice mode of problem solving (for tactics problems untimed mode will always be used). This criteria also toggles between being able to chose a tactics tag or an endgame type as a search criteria. See below for a description of these.
- Number Moves: This is the range of the number of moves for the problems you want in your custom set. If you are finding single move problems too easy, use this to avoid them.
- Total Attempts: The total number of attempts made on a problem. This criteria provides a way of avoiding problems with unsettled ratings.  As the problems reach the criteria range they will be automatically added to your custom set.
- Tactic tags/Endgame Type: If you have chosen blitz/standard for Rating Type then you will see a tactics tags label, click on the label to expand it to see the advanced tactic tag matcher.   If you have chosen one of the endgame types for Rating Type then you will see a list of endgame types here. For example KRPKR(1026) would mean a rook and pawn versus rook endgame of which there are 1026 current examples in the problem set.  If you don't make any selection from either the Tactic Type or Endgame Type list then you will be choosing ALL of the types for this custom problem set.  
- Outcome Type: All/Mates/Non mates.  This lets you choose to have only mate or non-mate problems (or both types which is the default).
- Quality (Minimum/Maximum): This allows you to choose only problems with star ratings in a particular range, the most common usage would be to choose problems above a certain quality rating. Note that star ratings may not always accurately reflect the quality of a problem, some users may mark a problem low quality simply because they got it wrong, usually over time problems arrive at the rating they deserve.


- Previous Attempts

- History filter:  This allows you to create custom problem sets based on your previous problem solving attempts. The criteria are:
  - All problems: All the problems irrespective of your attempt history. This is the default.
  - Problems I got wrong at least once: Problems you have tried and got wrong in the past.
  - Problems I got right at least once: Problems you have tried and got right in the past.
  - Problems I have tried: Any problem you've tried, irrespective of whether it was right or wrong.
  - Problems I have never tried: Problems in the set that you have not yet tried.
  - Problems I have never got right: This includes problems that you've always got wrong as well as problems you haven't seen yet.
  - Problems I always got wrong: Problems that you've got wrong every time you've seen them. Using this criteria allows you to systematically solve all the problems you've ever got wrong, as you get them right they are removed from your custom problem set, as you get new problems wrong for the first time they will be automatically added to this set.

You are not restricted to only one of the above search criteria, they can all be combined together, so that you can for example choose all the problems you've ever got wrong that were rated less than 1400, had 3-4 moves, were not mates, and involved a Pin and a Fork.  

The above covers many but not all of the custom set search criteria, please see the user guide section for a more detailed and complete description of all criteria available:
https://chesstempo.com/manual/en/manual.html#probsearchandcustomsets


Choosing your custom set as your current problem set

As mentioned above by default new sets are set as your current set, but if you opt out of that or what to choose another set, then once you have created a problem set you need to choose it as your current problem set in order to use it. Go to the solving page (either tactics or endgames) and on the start dialog you'll see a 'change set' button, click that and you'll see the problem set selection tree. You'll have a personal folder which holds all your custom problem sets, click on the one you want to use, it will auto-select after click, and the change set panel will close. Click on the 'start' button on the start dialog to start solving with your newly selected set.


Managing Problem Sets

To delete, edit or view the criteria of an existing custom set click on the 'manage sets' button on the custom sets page.
From the manage sets panel you can merge multiple sets into a super set (specifying the mix percentage between the sets), delete a set , rename a set or show a set.

To edit a set first select the set, click 'show' then you can change criteria and then click the 'save set' button that should now be shown next to the 'create set' button. If you'd like to keep the original set, but use the new criteria on a new set, then click 'create set' instead of 'save set' and choose a new set name.