I'm struggling a lot with these problem Bs. A few weeks ago, I went two contests in a row only solving 1 problem and lost over 100 rating points. I managed to reverse the damage completely and got up to 1477 rating, my peak. Then, these last two competitions hit and the same exact thing happened, now I'm back to low 1300s.
When I am solving problems outside of competitions, I can virtually always solve 1600-1900 rated problems within an hour. Why is it that I am getting tripped up on these seemingly easier lower rated problems?
I am probably going to have to do some targeted training on these kinds of lower rated but tricky problems, but for the time being I think I am going to be skipping problem B because I think I can solve C more often than not and many times D as well.
I had the exact same problems a few days ago, you can check my profile to make sure
So, I came up with a solution, I will not continue solving harder and harder ones, no I will try to solve 3 problems of rating 800 then 1000 then 1200 (later 1400) within 20-30 mins using an extension that helps creating contests like that, and finally after doing this a lot and many things and many prayers I finally just yday become an Expert. And yes, you can be Expert if u just solved first three fast in Div2. Just don't give up and keep solving
Congratulations on becoming an expert my friend! You were solving 3 1400 rated problems in 30 minutes? That's very impressive. Can you tell me the extension you use to simulate contests? That would be very helpful.
Thaanks bro, I hope u will be too soon ^__^
here you are: Extension Link
nope not 3 1400-rated problems
sometimes
800-1000-1200 and try to solve in 20 mins or 25 mins
sometimes
800 or 1000-1000 or 1200-1400 within 30 mins
sometimes just Div3s and 4
it is something very close to your level, and I was joining Zoom meetings with my friend to keep motivated and let it be fun Omarr.
I have also encountered this situation. Problem B serves as a watershed—its style is quite different from the subsequent problems and feels more similar to a brain-twister. To improve the ability to solve such problems, I believe targeted practice is essential: don’t assume that just because you can solve higher-rated problems, you can definitely solve lower-rated ones like this. In some areas I excel at, I can even tackle 2500s, yet I might still get stuck on a 1200-rated thinking problem. Secondly, it’s important to adjust your mindset—try not to overcomplicate it. You can boldly hypothesize an approach and then carefully verify it. The above are methods to improve your ability. However, if you are already stuck on Problem B during a contest, you can take a look at Problem C or D first. They might be easier for you than Problem B, and solving higher-value problems faster can help you score more points. This is exactly what I did in my last two contests.
Thanks for the advice, very insightful!