What about DVD's?  One of my very first was Yasser Seirawan's Pro Chess: The Video Chess mentor.  I still enjoy watching it, Yaz takes several positions from tournament games and after discussing the game sometimes he will go right to live coverage of the game as it went down.  There is a nice review of this DVD on chesscafe.com in their book review archives. 

Irina Krush' "Krushing Attacks" is another one of my first DVD's I still watch.  The video quality is not so great but there are some fascinating games and game fragments from Krush's early years.

Anybody else?

Isn't "pre-intermediate" just a fancy word for beginner? Like "sanitation engineer"?

DVD's would be my first choice as well for many things. Unfortunately, my local library only has a few chess VHS tapes from the late 80's-90's with Pandolfini in them and they are pretty introductory. I guess I'm going to have to find a website and purchase them if I want DVD's.

drd wrote:

Isn't "pre-intermediate" just a fancy word for beginner? Like "sanitation engineer"?

 Lol:)  Guess I was trying to describe the post beginner pre intermediate stage

Edit:  Its kind of a big gap a lot of people seem to fall into.

phishcake5 wrote:

What about DVD's?  One of my very first was Yasser Seirawan's Pro Chess: The Video Chess mentor.  I still enjoy watching it, Yaz takes several positions from tournament games and after discussing the game sometimes he will go right to live coverage of the game as it went down.  There is a nice review of this DVD on chesscafe.com in their book review archives. 

Irina Krush' "Krushing Attacks" is another one of my first DVD's I still watch.  The video quality is not so great but there are some fascinating games and game fragments from Krush's early years.

 I am a proactive fan of DVD's, can you somewhow give the links to your suggestions?

Karsten Mueller's Endgame DVDs from chessbase are really good.

I like a lot of the chessbase opening DVDs as well.

Generally I see "pre-intermediate" level players as someone below class B (1600+) and most beginner books are written for those people as they encompass the vast majority of chess players.

phishcake5 wrote:

drd wrote:

Isn't "pre-intermediate" just a fancy word for beginner? Like "sanitation engineer"?

 Lol:)  Guess I was trying to describe the post beginner pre intermediate stage

Edit:  Its kind of a big gap a lot of people seem to fall into.

OK that makes sense.

Below class B/ 1600 USCF or online? There is a biiiiggggg difference.

paul211 wrote:

phishcake5 wrote:

What about DVD's?  One of my very first was Yasser Seirawan's Pro Chess: The Video Chess mentor.  I still enjoy watching it, Yaz takes several positions from tournament games and after discussing the game sometimes he will go right to live coverage of the game as it went down.  There is a nice review of this DVD on chesscafe.com in their book review archives. 

Irina Krush' "Krushing Attacks" is another one of my first DVD's I still watch.  The video quality is not so great but there are some fascinating games and game fragments from Krush's early years.

 I am a proactive fan of DVD's, can you somewhow give the links to your suggestions?

 Certainly, those and more @ www.chessondvd.com

drd wrote:

phishcake5 wrote:

drd wrote:

Isn't "pre-intermediate" just a fancy word for beginner? Like "sanitation engineer"?

 Lol:)  Guess I was trying to describe the post beginner pre intermediate stage

Edit:  Its kind of a big gap a lot of people seem to fall into.

OK that makes sense.

Below class B/ 1600 USCF or online? There is a biiiiggggg difference.

 Not sure what eric meant but I would say 1600 Fide/USCF

well, i havent never used a dvd, but in books they give you tactics and other material that you can work on, but in dVds dont you have to memerize what they say for wht yuo have to do?

No they have demonstration boards--its a lot more visual.  Some people say you retain more from DVDs.  I like both.

Yes, I meant 1600 OTB...I always mean OTB whenever I talk about ratings.

I think books are a far better investment personally; because they will out-last the DVD's just like the Video Cassette Recorders (VCR's) are dying out because of new technology so to will the DVD system. Yet books have out lasted it and will the new DVD format too. But i think DVD is an easier way to learn perhaps then books untill its replaced with something else....

ericmittens wrote:

Yes, I meant 1600 OTB...I always mean OTB whenever I talk about ratings.