I've used the free trial and really thought it was great! By the way, you always have to go backwards before you can go forwards so you losing your 100 points is probably going to increase another 200 points. :)
Chess Mentor = useful?
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It is very helpful and can make a big difference to your game. It's interactive based on your level and there are plenty of lessons (hundreds) at every level. I looked at it this way: I could have bought 2 or 3 more chess books (I've got 30+ on the shelf) or signed up for this one very engaging and interactive learning tool. I haven't regretted it. I feel I can see deeper into the board when I play now.
Thanks Guys. I'm really looking for specifics - how much would you say it has helped your rating? How long do you use it per day? Can you drill tactics with it?
Thanks alot!
chessoholicalien> Can it help with tactics too?
There are several well-written lessons by GM Wolff that explain common tactical motifs and provide a variety of interesting positions for you to solve:
- Clearance Sacrifice
- Deflecting the Defender
- Discovered Check & Double Check
- Forks
- Pins and Skewers
- Double Attacks
chessoholicalien> Can you drill tactics with it?
The Tactics Trainer is the drilling tool.
chessoholicalien> Has much of the material gone over your heads?
No.
I'd really like to know about success or even failure stories before I upgrade as well.
What I am wondering is, if it actually is improving the way you think and making you a much better player--or if it is simply less efficient than a chess book or something.
my somewhat biased 2 cents :D -> Chess Mentor is way more effective than a chess book because it solves the one fundamental flaw in every other training method (except actual live coaching): don't simply tell me that my move is wrong, tell me why what i think is wrong. in a given position there are many candidate moves. generally one (or more) is correct, but then there are a ton of moves that people also consider for various reasons. in most other training systems or books they don't address those moves, only saying "wrong". but chess mentor gives you feedback on every move, so it can correct your game. also, books don't give you detailed report card that covers 100+ chess themes and how well you score in each of them.
and... aww... i could go on all day. you get the point!
try it out, you have nothing to lose. there is a 30-day money-back guarantee!
yes, it is useful, I am going throught it now, from the lesson one, maybe it takes me about 6 months to study all of them.
How can you expect any body here say it is not useful ? so this topic is not worth to be discussed more.
so:
This forum topic has been locked.
OK, thanks guys for the feedback. You sold me on the 30-day trial, Erik!
I'm looking for more opinions tho... specific examples not a generic "oh it's useful" ... I need more feedback than that. Such as "Oh it helped me achieve this, and I never thought it could happen" or "It has helped but not as much as I expected."
Just finished the course on Tactics by Silman et al. Among other things it highlighted to me the need to sharpen up my basic checkmates...
In one word: Yes
In more words: I covers every part of the game you could possible want to improve on, be it tactics, endgames, positional play, opening, attacks, etc. My rating is just about as high as ever, in big part because I've started using Chess Mentor.
I see that you've gone diamond, meaning you have full access to the software. Great decision.
Chess Mentor is incredibly useful as a tool. Remember that in your journey to improve in Chess, you may not immediately see an increase in rating. In fact, sometimes it can even take a dip as your brain "re-tools" itself and adjusts to a new mode of thinking.
But rest assured, if you stay dedicated, improvement WILL come. And eventually, the rating points will come as well.
Chess Mentor is not perfect. But it is by far the best interactive tool I've seen...and there is loads of content. Better than what you would get for commercial products like Chess Master or signing up for different services like ICC. You'll keep yourself busy indefinitely.
Good luck!
I have lots of chess books, but Chess Mentor has two advantages over them :
- it's interactive : you have to think about the positions, so you understand and remember better
- the examples are not to be found elsewhere
As I'm curious about chess, I like a training tool which automatically selects challenging and useful to know positions for my everyday homework.
Hi Guys,
I'm considering upgrading from Platinum to Diamond membership, mainly so I can use Chess Mentor. For those of you using it, how much has it helped you? Can it help with tactics too? Has much of the material gone over your heads?
Have you seen real improvements in your ratings since you began using it? How long do you use it per day?
I've been using the Tactics Trainer feature of the site almost everyday, as well as solving puzzles from books. But my LiveChess rating has actually fallen 100 points...
I'm hoping CM can help me get back on a roll. Thanks for your feedback :-)