Forums

Is Ben Finegold as big a jerk as he seems in his videos?

Sort:
Avatar of varelse1
varelse1
Sep 16, 2017
0
#341
chessperson2222222 wrote:

This thread is just pathetic. It is actually the first result when you google Ben Finegold. The person who posted this no longer is on the website, so why couldn't this forum have died with the account. If anyone reading this works for chess.com, it would do everyone a great service just to kill this thread all together. How do you think Ben and his family feel that this is the first result that is displayed when he is googled? Please note, that I met Ben last year in St Louis; he is the nicest guy and the farthest thing from a jerk. If you do not like his sense of humor, do not watch his videos. But the fact that someones misguided opinion has to become something like this is horrible. 

This thread will die, with Ben Finegold.

Deal?

Avatar of chessperson2222222
chessperson2222222
Sep 16, 2017
0
#342
varelse1 wrote:
chessperson2222222 wrote:

This thread is just pathetic. It is actually the first result when you google Ben Finegold. The person who posted this no longer is on the website, so why couldn't this forum have died with the account. If anyone reading this works for chess.com, it would do everyone a great service just to kill this thread all together. How do you think Ben and his family feel that this is the first result that is displayed when he is googled? Please note, that I met Ben last year in St Louis; he is the nicest guy and the farthest thing from a jerk. If you do not like his sense of humor, do not watch his videos. But the fact that someones misguided opinion has to become something like this is horrible. 

This thread will die, with Ben Finegold.

Deal?

If Ben was 85 years old, then I would consider it. But nope. No deal.

Avatar of TadrodderTots
TadrodderTots
Sep 17, 2017
0
#343

You do know that Ben posted in this thread recently, right?

He seemed .... suspiciously okay .... with the tone/tenor of the banter.

Avatar of uplaner
uplaner
Sep 17, 2017
0
#344
chessperson2222222 wrote:

This thread is just pathetic. It is actually the first result when you google Ben Finegold. The person who posted this no longer is on the website, so why couldn't this forum have died with the account. If anyone reading this works for chess.com, it would do everyone a great service just to kill this thread all together. How do you think Ben and his family feel that this is the first result that is displayed when he is googled? Please note, that I met Ben last year in St Louis; he is the nicest guy and the farthest thing from a jerk. If you do not like his sense of humor, do not watch his videos. But the fact that someones misguided opinion has to become something like this is horrible. 

hahahahahaha Maybe you need some humour like Ben does. Taking everything seriously escpecially on the internet is detrimental to your health. Don't forget to smile and have a nice day!

Avatar of chessperson2222222
chessperson2222222
Sep 18, 2017
0
#345
uplaner wrote:
chessperson2222222 wrote:

This thread is just pathetic. It is actually the first result when you google Ben Finegold. The person who posted this no longer is on the website, so why couldn't this forum have died with the account. If anyone reading this works for chess.com, it would do everyone a great service just to kill this thread all together. How do you think Ben and his family feel that this is the first result that is displayed when he is googled? Please note, that I met Ben last year in St Louis; he is the nicest guy and the farthest thing from a jerk. If you do not like his sense of humor, do not watch his videos. But the fact that someones misguided opinion has to become something like this is horrible. 

hahahahahaha Maybe you need some humour like Ben does. Taking everything seriously escpecially on the internet is detrimental to your health. Don't forget to smile and have a nice day!

The problem is that this thread was not intended to be humorous. 

Avatar of BoldAmerican
BoldAmerican
Sep 19, 2017
0
#346

 Ben is the Don Rickles of chess. I don't think St. Louis kids are as thin skinned as we might think. I'd image they are actually enjoying the lectures more than you think. Chess is an extremely tough mental skill and psychological toughness is part of any part of it. Soft timid players don't do that well. Jeremy Silman addresses this in The Amateur Mind.

Avatar of tmodel66
tmodel66
Sep 19, 2017
0
#347
BoldAmerican wrote:

 Ben is the Don Rickles of chess. I don't think St. Louis kids are as thin skinned as we might think. I'd image they are actually enjoying the lectures more than you think. Chess is an extremely tough mental skill and psychological toughness is part of any part of it. Soft timid players don't do that well. Jeremy Silman addresses this in The Amateur Mind.

And, yet, a lecturer like Yasser Seirawan can speak to the same audience and convey similar comments without being insulting.  I get it that there are "different strokes for different folks" and various ways of communicating, but as I said earlier in this thread, I don't think Ben means to be a jerk, but he sort of is, especially when dealing with kids or players well beneath his level.  Take a guy like Peter Svidler. Svidler is a much stronger player than Finegold, but he doesn't need to insult you to show it.  Someone like Ginger GM Williams also has humor in his teaching, but doesn't do it in a way that insults his audience.  

Avatar of aThinkingThing
aThinkingThing
Sep 19, 2017
0
#348

"Svidler on the roof" - Ben Finegold

Avatar of Lawdoginator
Lawdoginator
Sep 19, 2017
0
#349

Laughing

Avatar of TadrodderTots
TadrodderTots
Sep 19, 2017
0
#350

Too bad that Chess.com doesn't do sketch comedy.

There'd be a whole range of possibilities involving a personality reacting to the style of each GM:

Samuel L. Jackson takes Chess Lessons  from :

1)  Ben Finegold


after twenty minutes:
"SAY 'Suspicious" ONE MORE TIME, M*TH*R*UCK*R, I DARE YOU

 null

 

which leads to this:

null

2)  Yasser Seriwan:

after 20 minutes

null

and so forth.


-

Avatar of TadrodderTots
TadrodderTots
Sep 19, 2017
0
#351

Kafkaesque Comedy:

Magnus Carlson wakes up one morning and finds that he can only move like a knight.    He discovers it takes him six moves to get to the bathroom, but he's on the wrong square,  next to the toilet.  So he has to recalculate how to move so he gets to where he needs to be.  Next scene at the kitchen door, figuring out how to get to the refrigerator. and so forth.    Cut to Wesley So in his apartment moving like a Bishop.

...

I don't know if GMs have senses of humor and would play along.  

Hell, I don't know if *I* have a sense of humor.  Let's ask Grand Master Ken West and find out

.... Terrible!

Avatar of robrichter15
robrichter15
Sep 19, 2017
0
#352

Guys Ben's sense of humor makes watching these videos entertaining as well as informative. Are the kids damaged or harmed in some way "Ich don't think so"

Avatar of Toohey_Dee
Toohey_Dee
Sep 21, 2017
0
#353
Faith56 wrote:

Finegold probably grew up in a household that just liked busting balls.  But I have never watched one of his videos where Ben gets mean spirited or insults anyone.

Love ya Ben!

 

 Nothing wrong with being a funny ball buster.

 

Avatar of Vicente9999
Vicente9999
Sep 21, 2017
0
#354

Yeah but kids may not like his humor. Aggressive and funny only to him. I think a more formal way of teaching would be more productive. Some people like stupidity, but, chess is not a stupid game. 

Avatar of greenibex
greenibex
Sep 25, 2017
0
#355

usually big people tend me friendly

like fat albert was really friendly

Avatar of punchy_mcbam
punchy_mcbam
Oct 1, 2017
0
#356
Finegold is one of my favorite lecturers. If you go throughout YouTube, you find many are the same. Finegold is a breath of fresh air. Rarely (extremely) do you find a mix of humor and chess lecture on this scale. It is just a matter of if the humor is the kind you prefer. But, it keeps his audience's attention.

Also, side note, a do like the Ginger GM as well. Finegold and the Ginger GM will be having a grudge match early October based on an internet spat. October 4th maybe? Enjoy!
Avatar of Eseles
Eseles
Oct 1, 2017
0
#357

There are people addicted to GM Finegold videos!

 

Avatar of Frodsey
Frodsey
Oct 26, 2017
0
#358

I was looking for Ben Finegold merchandise, (a t-shirt with a rook in the corner loving REM, for example), when i came across this question. Nope, he's not a jerk if you ask me...but I guess I have to make my own BF merchandise. sad.png

Avatar of Kristoff92
Kristoff92
Oct 26, 2017
0
#359

Frodsey schreef:

I was looking for Ben Finegold merchandise, (a t-shirt with a rook in the corner loving REM, for example), when i came across this question. Nope, he's not a jerk if you ask me...but I guess I have to make my own BF merchandise. sad.png

Might be something he could follow-up with the "new" chess club in Atlanta. I'm sure there's enough material for a few different prints. Front: Cheat like a Grand Master! Back: Retreat like a Frenchman!

Avatar of KineticPawn
KineticPawn
Oct 27, 2017
0
#360

@kristoff92 I literally lol at that shirt idea.