Axel Smith -pdf Pgn... ((full)): The Woodpecker Method 2

If you are rated under 1500, start with the original Woodpecker Method or even Chess Tactics for Students . But if you are 1800+ and feel that your tactics are “good but not great,” Volume 2 will hurt your brain – and then rebuild it stronger.

Buy the Chessable course if you want automated spaced repetition and PGN export. Buy the Quality Chess physical book + PDF combo if you prefer reading strategy chapters and solving away from screens. Final Verdict: Is The Woodpecker Method 2 Worth It? Yes – but only if you are serious about breaking through a plateau. This is not a casual puzzle book. It is a training system .

The Magic of PGN Files for The Woodpecker Method 2 A PGN (Portable Game Notation) file is the chess player’s best friend. If you own the PDF (or physical book) but don’t use PGNs, you are only using 50% of the method. The Woodpecker Method 2 Axel Smith -PDF PGN...

If you have ever felt stuck in a chess plateau—tactics feel familiar but slow, calculation is error-prone, and your rating refuses to budge—you have likely encountered Axel Smith’s revolutionary training concept. His first book, The Woodpecker Method , changed how thousands of competitive players trained tactics. Now, the chess world is buzzing about its sequel: The Woodpecker Method 2 .

Another club player (1500 → 1680 in 4 months) noted: “I only did the Sprint track. But doing it with a PGN on my iPad during commute – that repetition made me see forks instantly. My opponents started resigning earlier.” Here are the official sources (no piracy): If you are rated under 1500, start with

One user, a 2100 FIDE player, wrote: “I did the first Woodpecker method with the 222 puzzles. Gained 80 points. Volume 2 is brutal. After the Marathon set, my calculation depth went from 3 moves to 5–6 moves in complex middlegames. My blitz rating jumped from 2200 to 2370 on Lichess.”

The method is named after a bird that doesn’t stop until it finds the worm. Don’t stop until your rating reflects your new strength. Have you trained with The Woodpecker Method 2? Share your experience in the comments below – and let us know if you used PDFs, PGNs, or physical books to reach your goals. Buy the Quality Chess physical book + PDF

But Axel Smith didn’t stop there. He realized that advanced players needed more complexity, more strategic depth, and a larger dataset. That is precisely what The Woodpecker Method 2 delivers. While the first volume focused on sharp tactical motifs (forks, pins, skewers, checkmates), Volume 2 raises the bar dramatically. This is not a book for beginners. It is designed for players rated 1800 FIDE and above , though ambitious club players can still benefit.