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Improving Chess Mentor

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whipsilk

I'm a new Platinum subscriber, having been a Gold member previously.  I've now been through some 30 lessons, in sequential mode - adaptive was way too confusing (I'm currently probably a 900-1000 player, a real novice) and have a few suggestions for improvement:

  • Reduce the highly artificial 'ratings' so a 900 player like myself won't be rated 1600 after a series of successful simple lessons.
  • Resize the board, or remove the Chess.com menu from the top so I don't have to scroll down with EVERY new lesson.
  • Take better advantage of the technology.  Seems to me one great item would be a combination master game walkthrough analysis and puzzle - allow the student to walk through the game with text analysis (or even better audio analysis, which would reduce the dependence on alternate lines that's so intimidating to novice players - maybe an option to show alternate lines button?), stopping when a particularly strong or critical move is made and asking the student what move HE/SHE would make.  These 'game challenges' could be scattered through the various lesson modules.
  • Allow the software to repeat lessons that the student scored 50% or less on at some point on subsequent days (preferably not the NEXT day), and continue that until the student scores, say, 80% or better.  Even more helpful, allow the student to set their own thresholds for these two items.
  • Finally, show me where I am in a 'unit', or series of lessons, with a simple 'Lesson X of Y in this Chapter' or something of the sort, at least in sequential mode.  I'd like to finish a unit if I'm close to the end, but currently have no way of knowing how close I am to completing the unit I'm on.
arthurqq

Re: the analysis function. The overhauled Chess Mentor is fabulous and Kudos are in order for management and staff. One problem though. The analysis function does not work and it would be wonderul to have this to better follow lesson commentaries. Thank you

Conflagration_Planet

You're not a Platinum member.

RedTatsu256

I couldn't agree more about the rediculous ratings. Chess mentor is awesome except that one thing for me. I am 1500s player. When I try the puzzles rating 1800, I have no clue what to do. I usually give up and start checking all the hints and key squares and key pieces until it shows me the answer. Afterwards, I simply make the move they tell me and BAM +133 (or something crazy) to my rating. I find myself repeatedly deleting my Menter rating because the adaptive puzzles are way too advanced for me when im rated 18-something by Chess Menter. So....

 

 

PLEASE CHANGE THE RATING-SYSTEM FOR CHESS MENTOR! Thank You!

baddogno

Believe it or not, the Chess Mentor rating system used to be much worse.  In January 2011, I had a rating in the 2400's and I am just another patzer.  They might tweak it again, but I have a feeling there are other priorities.  Don't get hung up on the ratings; just enjoy the courses.  I've done some of them over a dozen times.  Hoping the information eventually sinks in!