Chess.com University's Prodigy Program *Updates*
On October 1st, we announced our upcoming Chess.com University Prodigy Program:
http://www.chess.com/news/chesscom-universitys-prodigy-program-1217
This program has received a great response so far and we are getting emails with questions and suggestions every day. We have revised the program and would like to inform you regarding the changes we have made.
(1) In the initial October 1st announcement, we expressed our interest in starting this program with two groups at two different rating levels: 0 meaning new to chess or about 900 ELO. However, many higher rated players are interested in this program too so we have decided to change things a bit. There will still be two groups:
Group A: 1200 ELO or above.
Group B: 900 ELO or under but not below 500 ELO.
Note: ELO refers to the standard over-the-board rating system. Rating systems that are used by FIDE, USCF, CFC, etc., are ELO or similiar to ELO. Online ratings tend to be inflated, sometimes heavily.
(2) What about those who don't have ELO rating and are not sure which group is best for them? Is a 1200 Chess.com correspondence rating high enough for our 1200 group? A 1200 Chess.com correspondence rating would be closer to 900 ELO but we have a better solution than simply guessing how ratings translate across different systems.
We will create an entrance exam for the 1200 section. Those who pass this exam are eligible to enroll in this section. The only other way to join the 1200 section is by having an official 1200+ rating such as USCF or FIDE. Everybody else would be advised to join the 900 section. There is no minimum rating required to join the 900 section. It is simply "900 or under" however, students must know the rules and basics of the game. We will create a concise entrance exam for the 900 section as well.
What should a 1100 USCF rated player who didn't pass the 1200 section's entrance exam do? In this case the player would have two options: sign up for the 900 section or join the 900 section after the class has moved on to material suitable for 1000-1100 players.
Similiarly, for a 1450 USCF rated player, the 1200 section would be a bit basic. In this case, the player could join the 1200 section immediately or wait several months until the class reaches 1400-level material.
(3) The Chess.com University Prodigy Program is no longer just a prodigy program for youth players. More adults seem to be interested than kids so this is a general Beginner to Master Program at this point. This program is open to all chess players, regardless of age. We can use university terminology and say that the Prodigy Program has been cross-listed as the Beginner to Master Program. :)
(4) We had offered November 1st, 2014 as a possible starting date but we will need more time to get enough students. We need a solid marketing plan before we can get this program off the ground. We have decided to start this program on November 8th, 2014 if we have enough students; otherwise, we will delay the program till November 29th, 2014.
Don't know what our prodigy program is all about? Read our announcement from October 1st:
http://www.chess.com/news/chesscom-universitys-prodigy-program-1217
Besides the revisions I have included in this news post, all information from the initial announcement is valid. We believe our main revision will make many intermediate players happy!
We are ready to start this program as far as chess instruction is concerned. We need help in marketing this program. Please tell your friends about our program. Spread the word at your local chess club too! Please let us know if are willing to help us get this amazing program started.
If you have any questions or suggestions, message GeniusKJ on Chess.com or send an email to kairavjoshi@chess.com
