Chess.com University's Prodigy Program - Final Details and Announcements
This is a fully detailed article regarding Chess.com University's Prodigy Program. Please read this post in its entirety whether you have already registered for the Prodigy Program or are reading about it for the first time.
Want your child to become a chess prodigy? Yes? So do we! Or are you an adult and want to master chess? Great, we will get you there! Read on to learn more.
*Presenting Chess.com University's Prodigy Program*
Master Chess at Any Age, Within 5 Years
This online super-coaching program by Chess.com University is designed to create chess prodigies out of youth players and take them, or any chess player, to master-level within 5 years. By offering high-quality live lessons, detailed study plans, relevant homework, and unlimited guidance from our world-class team of coaches, we have created a program that can take any chess player from beginner to master within 5 years! The Chess.com University Prodigy Program is not a program exclusively for youth players. As of November 12th, 2014, more adults have registered for the Prodigy Program than kids!
Important Information:
- Taught by Kairav Joshi, Chess.com's best-selling coach and President of Chess.com University, along with FM Dalton Perrine, NM Dane Mattson, and several GMs. Grandmasters that will most likely give live lectures include former USCF (U.S. Chess Federation) President GM Maxim Dlugy, former Ukrainian National Champion GM Valeriy Aveskulov, top Bulgarian trainer GM Dejan Bojkov, 2013 U.S. Open Co-Champion GM Mac Molner, and several other top players and coaches. Note that the GMs will only be guest instructors during the earlier stages of the program. They will be actively involved once the program reaches advanced material.
- 12 hours of live online classes per month spread out over 8 sessions. The live lessons will also be recorded so students can review them.
- Detailed weekly study plan (an awesome 7-page PDF sent each week!)
- An online tournament each month.
- A simul each month.
- Students' games analyzed.
- Full email support for all students. Unlimited guidance and tips!
- Tuition: $150/month per student.
- Live lessons mostly on weekends at 10 AM or 11 AM PST (Pacific Standard Time U.S./Canada) so that the times are convenient for European students too. Lessons may be held a little earlier or later at times but most will start between 9 AM and 11:30 AM PST.
- Chess.com University's Prodigy Program is starting on November 29th, 2014 at 10 AM PST with a live orientation session. There are two separate sections that start on November 29th, 2014: the 900 ELO section and the 1200 ELO section. More information regarding this is provided later in the article.
- There is a third section for 1500+ players that begins on January 10th, 2015 at 10 AM PST.
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.
Understand that what we are offering is indeed a prodigy program or in general, a beginner-to-master program. Adults who join the program have an excellent chance at achieving that elusive chess master distinction. Parents who sign up their kids can (and should) expect their children to improve at chess very quickly. We expect all students to become state champions for their age group and strong contenders for national and international titles. I myself have sent an 8-year-old student to the world youth championships and have numerous student competing and winning at the state and national levels. Let me tell you that we can certainly make your child a chess prodigy too!
Our prodigy program will continue for a long time. Students can join in or opt out at any time. We expect that youth players who study in our program for a few years will end up being among the best players in their age group. But those who only study with us for a few months will still improve by leaps and bounds. Our rate of $150/month offers unbeatable value. With our detailed, guided study plan in addition to the live lessons, the amount students learn each month may be equivalent to about 25-30 one-on-one hourly lessons with coaches. If the typical skilled coach charges $30/hr, that would cost $900/month!
With Chess.com University, it is $150/month and that is paying for the highest-quality of chess instruction available any where. That is paying for neverending tips and guidance. That is paying for the opportunity to learn from the best chess coaches while also getting a chance to interact with top chess players. Certainly, we will have super-GMs, perhaps even former world chess champions, as guest instructors too! If you truly love chess and want to get better quickly, sign up for the first month of the world's best chess-learning program!
The Chess.com University Prodigy Program can take someone who is playing chess for the first time to expert or master level within five years. How is that possible? Like this:
Year 1: 0 --> 1100
Year 2: 1100 --> 1550
Year 3: 1550 --> 1850
Year 4: 1850 --> 2050
Year 5: 2050 --> 2200
Is that really possible? Actually, probable. 12 hours of chess lessons per month with the best chess coaches amounts to 720 hours of fun, amazing, live chess learning in 5 years! Let's add 10 hours of chess homework per week. That's 2,600 hours of studying chess during those 5 years in addition to taking 720 hours of lessons. And don't forget that all of that studying is based on our recommendations meaning it is all highly beneficial studying.For some, only a few years would be enough to reach master-level!
For parents considering whether to enroll their children, do you know that some universities award scholarships (even full-ride scholarships) for excellence in chess? Completing our program may lead to excellent savings in college. Actively studying and playing chess stimulates the mind immensely. This exercises the brain, enhances it, and keeps it healthy! In fact, playing chess has been linked to reducing the chances for getting Alzheimer's and Dementia. In education circles, playing chess has been linked to academic benefits. Many countries are integrating chess into their school curriculum. Armenia has made chess a mandatory school subject for k-12 students. Playing and studying chess is indeed highly beneficial. But in addition to all that, it is a fun hobby! As an educator and educational entrepreneur in the process of founding a fully accredited university, let me tell you that an investment in chess is well worth it, especially for the youth.
Sections and the Placement Exam:
There are two separate sections that start on November 29th, 2014:
Group A: 1200 ELO or above.
Group B: Near 900 ELO or under but not below 500 ELO.
A third section for 1500+ ELO players is starting on January 10th, 2015 at 10 AM PST with a live orientation session.
Don't have an official over-the-board rating?
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 have written a placement exam. Individuals without official ratings who want to join the 1200+ or 1500+ sections should complete the placement exam and achieve a satisfactory score. Those who do not score high enough for the 1200+ or 1500+ sections are advised to join the 900 section. There is no minimum rating required to join the 900 section. However, students must know the rules and basics of the game.
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 one or two months later. Though, it is better to join right from the beginning. For a 1700+ USCF rated player, all of our sections would be a bit basic. In this case, the player can join the 1500 section immediately or wait a few months until the class reaches 1600+ material. If you would like to sign up for the first month of the Prodigy Program but don't have an official rating and don't know which section is best for you, go ahead and take the placement exam.
The placement exam has been posted in the Chess.com University group on Chess.com:
http://www.chess.com/news/prodigy-program-placement-exam-ready-3294
That link will only work for Chess.com University members. If you are not a member, click here to join and then follow the link given above.
Registration:
Registration for Chess.com University's Prodigy Program is now open. We are accepting payment for the first month (December, 2014) for the 900 and 1200 sections.
We are also now accepting payments for the 1500+ ELO section that starts on January 10th.
Payment methods include:
- Money Order or Check
- Credit or Debit Card.
- PayPal.
- Bitcoin.
Sending Payment:
Message GeniusKJ on Chess.com or send an email to kairavjoshi@chess.com if you would like to pay using a check, money order, or Bitcoin. Checks and money orders should be paid to the order of Kairav Joshi. Message GeniusKJ to get the mailing address for sending the check or money order.
If you would like to use your credit/debit card or PayPal balance to sign up for the first month of the 900 section or 1200 section (Dec 2014), use this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4BNJR7TRGFKL6
If you would like to use your credit/debit card or PayPal balance to sign up for the first month of the 1500 section (Jan 2015), use this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CTXJKKR5BUZSG
If you pay online, please message GeniusKJ on Chess.com or email kairavjoshi@chess.com immediately after you send payment to confirm your PayPal email address. Also include your real name and the email address you would like us to use to contact you. Please also mention which section you want to join.
Discounts and Commissions:
Please let us know if you want to help us spread the word and get more students. We've made flyers which you can take to clubs and tournaments! We're even offering commission on referrals.
Are you a long-term Chess.com University patron? Specifically, have you taken Chess.com University's 1st Online Summer Chess Camp (featuring Boris Gelfand) live? Or, have you taken Chess 012, Chess 013, Chess 014, or Chess 024 from Chess.com University? If so, you are eligible for a special discount!
Sign up for the first month of the Prodigy Program today and start your journey of becoming a chess master!
Contact Chess.com University by sending a message on Chess.com to GeniusKJ or sending an email to kairavjoshi@chess.com.
