Chess.com/TV and University

Hey all,

I wanted to get a thread going -- trying to get some feedback -- on what everyone thinks about Chess.com/TV -- and our idea of creating a series of "Live Lectures" (Chess.com University). If you check out this blog I wrote, you will have a better idea, but the main thing is that we are trying to add something new to Chess.com/TV: Rather than our broadcasts being mainly for "event coverage" and entertainment -- the "course" idea would be to give participants a consistent series of broadcasts on the same topic with the same coach. This instructor would remain with you  -- only in spirit of course :) as we aren't yet taking house calls -- through out the course period -- basically providing personal advice support..

What I am asking is 1 -- for your level of interest, if any, 2 -- what you would like to see covered, and MOST IMPORTANTLY -- 3 -- if you leave a serious comment (making fun of Danny is OK too), please just let me know what your level of play and experience is so that we know who we are dealing with ;) Thanks in advance to everyone who gets involved!!!

1. Level of interest - High.

2. What to cover?

What to do with pawns! They get in the way of my pieces! And yes, I am watching all of your pawn structure videos (IQP + the new series)  and taking notes, however, pawn breaks in the middle game are a big mystery to me. I also get confused when other beginners start pushing wing pawns, i.e. a2-a3 followed by b2-b4. How should I respond? You see, even with your lessons on pawns, how to respond to a2-a3, b2-b4 is still a mystery.

3. Beginner

Making fun of Danny, who? 

I don't know if I have said this before anywhere, I think it is terrific idea, but you know, student life, I'm broke . For those who can I think it's great opportunity to get a master approach to the game.

Pdela -- Chess.com just wouldn't be the same without your teasing :)

Anyway, maybe we will develop a student loan program for our "University"! Just joking for now -- but who knows -- maybe we can become the first online credited University for chess... How sweet would that be? :)

I would LOVE to see more video lectures on just about anything. I found the live sessions series very interesting and instructive. The series on pawn structures are also a great help. For reference, I guess I'd say I'm a solid intermediate player.

     FIrst of all, we are not going to make fun of your new short haircut.  It looks
great(for someone who cut it himself in a darkened room with a salad bowl on his
head using hedge trimmers while listening to Pink Floyd).  Seriously, for some odd
reason the ladies think you're handsome.
     I have been looking forward to the return of ChessTV after about a 2-month
hiatus.  I understand Livestream raised its rates and also the GM house disbanded(we all want to know what happened to the couch) so it has been tough to broadcast.

1)  Are we talking about the Chess University concept here?  I think it is a nice
concept although I am divorced and have no money.  It makes sense to stay with
the same topic and the same teacher just like in college.

2)  The main topic I would like to see is taking control of the center.  This is
evidently the key to all chess happiness and yet most amateurs really don't know
exactly what it entails.

3)  As far as level of experience I am an intermediate player.  For some reason I
was my high school champion(beating the 12th graders when I was in 7th grade)
and my coach said I was one of the best junior players he had ever seen.  Then
I quit for 30+ years and started again 2 years ago and it is as if I don't grasp the
game or "see" the board at all.  I blame excess alcohol and rock concerts in the
70's and 80's as the culprits.  I was wondering if there is a study method for
someone in my unique situation to improve once again?

I would also love to see some lectures from some of the other rated players
such as IM Silman that are members of Chess.com but we haven't seen yet.

I would be pretty interested in the university, but I simply can't afford the proposed prices (even though I understand why they are as high as they are). Maybe once the class is done, you could allow others to watch recordings of the sessions (but without the feedback from the teachers) after the entire class is over for a much reduced rate?

What is the cost? I'm a diamond member. Perhaps I am missing something here.

I think  --  225$   -20% off for diamond membership first course--  180$

level - advanced beginner lol

Interest - High

I woud like info on pawn structures and exploiting dark or light square weakness

Listening to all the comments -- can't respond to all.

zankfrappa, you are hysterical man :)

If you look into what International and Grand Masters charge hourly for lessons -- whether online or in person -- you may see an opportunity like Chess.com/TV and University for what it really is financially: Pennies on the dollar!

I don't really like discussing what I charge for lessons in public, but I would talk about this in private messages with anyone. Obviously I am starting to sound like a salesman :) -- but I (we speaking for Chess.com) wouldn't want anyone to commit to something they weren't ready for (financially and otherwise) anyway. I am just being totally honest...

Chess.com University is for chess players/enthusiasts who are likely already investing in their chess to a certain extent -- and are perhaps considering taking their "game" and "investment" in their chess educations to the next level...

If the average IM/GM charges $50 an hour for online lessons (which is standard and likely conservative in most cases) -- and Chess.com University is 8-12 2 hour classes, plus personal instruction and advice in private "topic related" forums throughout the course period (couple months I guess), what would that type of time run a student at the rate I listed above? I am not sayin' -- I'm just sayin' ;)

Thoughts?

Am player returning to game after loooooooonnnnng break!

Interesting idea - but price is off-putting imo.

Good luck with it though!

IM Rensch,

Yes, I'm not just good-looking and athletic I'm also a laugh riot as well.  I'm amazed everyday I'm not a famous celebrity.  I'm literally a proverbial legend in my own mind.  Exclamovich!!!(you're right, that saying never gets old).

I have mentioned this concept to other members of your staff at Chess.com. in
previous posts.  You have superior products but people here are not correctly
perceiving the VALUE of your products.  For example, Chess Mentor is top-notch
and with Tactics Trainer and Video Lessons $100 is a deal, as it is probably worth
$300 in reality.  However, people PERCEIVE the value at $50-75 or they would
purchase it, as everyone loves a deal.  I was a Diamond until recently but I haven't
renewed yet. 

Now, everyone who is posting say they love Chess University but they think the
cost is too high.  That is tough to overcome but I think you are on the right
track comparing the value to private chess lessons.  I think people know how hard
it is to improve and really want to know they will increase their rating, which of
course can't be guaranteed.

One other thought as well.  Chess.com has to worry now about becoming too
large and impersonal.  For example, we had a contest last year to guess the
1,000,000th member and everyone got involved and it was a lot of fun.  This year
I had a thread to guess the 2,000,000th member and there was a more apathetic
response.  I hope Chess.com never gets too big where we start to feel like
a number.

I hope these comments are constructive and help out.

have I already said I think it is  ~180$ for you

ok

I paid $150.00 for three (one hour) golf lessons.

Before the lessons, I spent hundreds of dollars on books, magazines and videos. This coach fixed my swing in three lessons because he knew exactly what I needed. I couldn't fix my swing on my own.

As a band and orchestra teacher there is NO substitute for lessons with another human being.

A kid can watch videos on guitar playing for years, download tabs and other forms of notation, but it's not going to fix the bad habits that an experienced teacher can spot in the first moments of instruction - and sadly - the aspiring guitar player will never reach his or her full potential.

I did some math.

$180.00 tuition for 8-12 2 hour classes. Let's go on the high side first and say 8 classes. 180 divided by 16 hours = $11.25 per hour. Now for 12 classes. 180 divided by 24 hours = $7.50.

Hmm...what is minimum wage in California? Googling....... $8.00.

So, we would be paying the University less than minimum wage for the lessons plus the hand holding stuff, i.e., personal instruction and advice in private "topic related" forums throughout the course period.

This hand holding package will reduce the compensation to about 4 bucks an hour - knowing how much we like to pester Danny.

I agree with bsrasmus, I don't, even for a second, think that the rates are too high for what you are getting. Personal instruction isn't cheap. All I'm saying is that right now, I'm not able to pay that, and a less expensive, but also less beneficial method (like turning the "lectures" into pay-per-view chess.com/tv shows or something similar after the fact), might be nice. Please please please don't think I'm suggesting that the prices should be dropped or that David, or Danny, or whoever else (as I'm assuming that most of the money goes directly to the teachers) don't deserve to be well compensated for their time.

Good point.

Now, I did pay my golf instructor up front  $150.00. It's also standard practice for a private music teacher to charge a full month of private lessons before the first lesson begins. A teacher friend is paying me a month in advance to give his son piano lessons and I didn't even ask for the money up front. It's just standard practice.

I'm a public school band and orchestra teacher and have gotten paid by the month for 25 years no matter how well I taught. Government jobs tend to work this way...tenure and all.

In the private sector, it's important to get the money up front, or half down - half on completion) otherwise you run the risk of making a commitment but face a cancellation without compensation. Also, unlike a government job, someone in the private sector must produce something to get paid and there are not the same safeguards. I know. Both of my brothers work in the private sector.

Many years ago I would charge by the week at a music store for private lessons. Well, sometimes I ended up sitting there in the practice room and not getting paid because a student didn't show up at the scheduled time that I had committed to.  We can buy more money with time than we can buy time with money. 

I think Chess.com University is a great idea.  I also think the cost is reasonable (but perhaps market forces will eventually move the price up or down).

That being said, it's not something I would personally use, at least not at this point in my life.  But if I were the kind of person looking seriously to improve my game, would I be jumping at the chance to work closely with a chess master?  Totally !  So I'm hoping this idea works out for everyone on both sides of the board, as it were.

Amy

Ouch!, Danny, you have a trophy of mine in your trophy room. That's not proper of me. I should have been passing trough a difficult period!