Woodpecker 10(0)1 - IX The Key Question

Woodpeckering my way through 1001 chess puzzles in 2021

Does the Woodpecker Method work? That’s the key question isn’t it?

Actually, I'm not sure it is.

Let’s say you've improved your game a little bit (e.g. Woodpecker 10(0)1 - VIII). That's great, but you’re never going to know for sure if what you did before that period of progress has any/as much/more significance on your outcome than what you did during. You’re also never going to know if the amount of work you put in is the key variable rather than how that work was organised.

So why spend time asking a question that can never be answered in any meaningful way? For adult improvers that kind of debate is a dead end. Mere work avoidance.

One question that is worth asking, though, relates to Kostya Kavutskiy’s observation in his really very excellent video interview with Neal Bruce. Why are so many people spending so much time asking about 'good methods' when they could just be getting down to work and trying it out for a month or two?

Which leads us, finally, to the real Key Question. Do you want to be like those guys or do you want to be like Neal?