Mentor: 2 suggested improvements

1.  be useful to have notes, same way as can make notes on games

2.  on list of courses, as well as % complete, be useful to have average score % column

Yes, I too would like to see a notes feature. I have been making notes on the openings that appear from time to time in my Mentor lessons the old fashioned way on paper. I believe that a notes feature would allow me to accelerate my learning curve.

yes its there, but i mean here:

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/courses.html

so that when you return to a course you can go straight to problems you didnt get first time round..

I know this may have been mentioned before:  I would like to see CM not rate so highly.  For example, i'm 1800+ because I've done well with "Basic Checkmates and More" + "intro to tactics."  That hardly qualifies me for 1800 rating.  As a result, the adaptive mode will throw at me stuff that's way over my skill level.    Note: that I have "reset" everything and started over, so I can keep getting better.  I think the rating was reset as well @ 1200 but perhaps it should be started @ 800?   

  Anyway, I LOVE CM!!!!!  This is the only think I think is wonky, but not enough for me to stop using it.  It is the BEST instruction you can possibly have aside from having Silman or Patrick Wolff at your side coaching you.  

If this topic is currently being addressed in upcoming updates and this has already been address forgive the repetition. 

PawnMower

Mark

CM rating is just on its own scale, I doubt it will ever align with otb rating.

Yes, its probably too high, so why not just multiply by a factor of say x0.6 to get a dampened down score if you want..... what difference does it make to anything anyway?

If one were so inclined, one could critique the % score for a problem too

- I think the learning effect (if any occurs ;)) not the score is what matters in CM...

It would be nice in chess mentor to be able to see the analysis in the same you can in tactics trainer. Sometimes I can't figure out what was wrong with a move.

Yes, CM certainly is generous in conferring rating numbers. Apparently CM wants to encourage us to continue in our training efforts. I've just reached past 1800 with the CM trainer. Now I face the challenge of living up to my 1800 plus.

Billy_M wrote: "CM rating is just on its own scale, I doubt it will ever align with otb rating. Yes, its probably too high, so why not just multiply by a factor of say x0.6 to get a dampened down score if you want..... what difference does it make to anything anyway? If one were so inclined, one could critique the % score for a problem too"

good points. I agree it's on its own scale and ok with that...I'm just saying as a consequence adaptive mode is almost rendered useless because it will throw at you exercises that require you to be 1800+ (if that's your current CM rating). Therefore the rating really only matters if you care to train in adaptive mode.  So I agree with you overall. 

I've figured out a fix. In the options for training you can cap the rating to your level and that seems fine.

The best way to check your progress is the progress report. 

yea, i guess there are two schools of thought on this - give really high scores to encourage people, or give them really low scores to encourage them.  Kind of bad cop/good cop or friendly teacher/tough teacher approaches ;) 

My rating continues to climb, but now it is becoming a steep slippery slope. I am able to move up some rating points followed by backward slides. My progression has slowed. Today I ascended into the lower 1900's then just slid down to 1899. The policeman is showing some kindness then his partner the bad cop shoves me back downward. This reveals to me my weaknesses. Be that as it may, I am improving. Though battered my efforts continue. 

that's very funny

It's dunking donuts. I've been dunked 12 points down from my peak. My 30 day progress graph could easily take the shape of tall steep upstart mountain who's former peak has cratered. The bad cop might push me into the molten lava where I will roast. My last lesson was rated at 2000. I exited from it at 1899. I've a feeling that I am in over my head and that my trajectory has slipped into reverse.

Sounds like you might want to report the incident to Help and Support..........

I sure will if it happens to me. That's about 100 hard won points. Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Agree on the notes.

I also have issues with the rating implementation.  You shouldn't be getting + rating for getting a problem correct on the second try when the problem is well below your rating level, just because your first try didn't lose enough % to get you below 50% on the problem.

No, I have no complaints. I have well deserved my demotions in lesson rating points. My rating points have been hard won and it does hurt to loose them. Often point loss is a cost that we must endure in our learning process. I have ascended considerably since last posting on this thread, and right now I am down in excess of 40 points from my all time peak lesson rating. Lesson points keep me motivated. In my case they bear scant resemblance to my game rating. For me a rise in my game rating could be a very long ways off. I want to learn. Better play will come my way eventually.