I've really enjoyed and felt I've benefited from the mentor, Franken. But, as a noob I may just not know enough to know what training is good or bad.
joey, I will send that email along, thanks. The mentor does say this is not a move you'll see from good players, but they're covering it there.
http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course?id=271
You can see it there in FOB008.
Hey Everyone --
Interesting thread! My opinion (if we care 
) is:
Yes, Joey is right -- 8...Bxf3 is definitely the best move. Both theoretically, and "positionally against the IQP". Both of those "concepts" go together. Of course, those two ideas should go hand in hand (meaning, modern theory IS "modern theory" because we understand these things like this better: how to attack an IQP; how to be more accurate in the face of a sharp opening BUT still keep a good "long term positional eye" on the future; etc)
The main thing that's wrong with the Mentor Course is that it isn't up-to-date in terms of the modern approach to the position (like maybe the Author got lazy??? I don't know... lord knows I've made lots of mistakes in my videos and Mentor Courses)...
Does that help at all?
Danny
Learning basic black openings in the chess mentor, and I'm confused in this one.
I put my questions after move 8.
After this move, the mentor gives me a hint about me thinking about which side I want to castle on. I do not know which side would be best. I'm instructed to avoid Bxf3 because I can't take the d4 pawn with my Q because of white's trap of Bxc6+.
So, my next move is to be Nf6. After that move, here's the text:
"How the queen is protected so White really has to worry about the pawn at d4. If White castles, Black captures at c3 and should then castle kingside."
I don't get that first sentence at all. I don't understand why I should capture at c3, and I don't understand why I should have been thinking about castling kingside.
Thanks for any help.