yes, overhaul of computer workout positions are coming very soon. just bother David if you want them even sooner. :)

As for the site making sense, I think it makes a lot of sense.  My kids are 5 and 7 (K and 2nd Grade).  They have the Chesster intro software which is good.  But they like to do problems and it's great to have a site where they can get things geared at their level.  They swiped my Renfield book even though they can't do most of those   I've had them do some of the easy Chess Mentor lessons on chess.com and they like that to.  They also like easier checkmate problems so maybe the kids site can have more of those.  I've also noticed they are very likely to overlook threats and there's not a lot of easy problems like that on chess.com tactics trainer.  More of those on the kids site would be great.  They might watch some video lessons geared for kids, the articles are the least likely to get attention.

excellent feedback, jlueke! have your kids tried the site yet? was it easy for them to get around?

jlueke-"They might watch some video lessons geared for kids, the articles are the least likely to get attention." maybe it could have a cartoon character in it ?

Hello Erik,

Thanks a loads for this new site. I am gonna open an A/c for my Sis, as I wnt her 2understand wht chess is! She's 17yrs. and all she know is, Chess is a game of Black and White Pieces. Will U allow her? I hope U do. And m I eligible for parents A/c as except me nobody else understand the Game? Pls reply.

Thanks agn

I'm a teacher. Teaching chess to kids .. Can i join?

"Improve your IQ & sportsmanship!"

Sportsmanship, yes, but IQ, I'm not sure. Is chess known for improving IQ?

erik, yes they can get around.  They'll associate the graphics with the tool so that shouldn't be an issue. 

kco, articles are a bit tricky.  Obviously a Kindergardener can only read 3 letter words.  By age 8-10 reading won't be an issue, but I don't know if there's a lot of ches sliterature geared for children that young.  The visual stuff in computer workout and tactics trainer is easier.  But articles for older kids makes sense they just need to be written right.  Same with videos really, you may not want IM Rensch going full speed for a kid.  Maybe a little slower, shorter and calmer :-)

One thing my kids to respond to is levels.  I don't know if you could add a pawn-king icon scale to match the rating (in the chesster video games elos are little bugs).  That way they could start out as pawns and every two hundred points move up. 

What would be really nice, but probably hard to code in a web based interface, would be if tactics trainer stopped after a mistake and then showed the category of tactic that was missed and after looking at the solution offered a similar problem.  Adults can handle this on their own but for kids a guided lesson on what they missed and a second problem to reenforce the concept might work well.

Parents/Coaches now start with a 1200 rating, and the highest rating bug being 1200 when you're rated 600 to start is now fixed. thanks!

play vs computer has also been improved and new computer workout problems added!

Hold on...can't you transfer our current usernames/passwords/game archives/Elo rating/forum posts etc. on there? I don't really want to create a second account on a sister site.

nope - we can't. the sites aren't really meant to overlap like that. its a site for kids and parents and coaches, and you interact differently there. 

I am CuriousLizard!!!

*groans*

I forgot my username.

SO hard to remember

Lil chess partner now announces checkmate which is great, but it still doesnt announce check.  Also, "easy" is definitely too hard for the bottom level.  

I just have to look of my wife as mine is "FatBacon"