Is Chess Mentor Totally Useless?

So I finally caved and paid five bucks so I could get more daily tactics problems. But I also went to play with Chess Mentor to see if it could improve my strategy.

Is it just me, or is it totally useless? It just asks what move I should make. IF I KNEW WHAT MOVE TO MAKE I WOULDN'T STILL BE RATED UNDER 1100!

I'd like to learn to understand chess, to understand positional play, but so far Chess Mentor just hasn't helped. I just randomly click pieces till it tells me I've made the right move. But I never understand what I am looking for or why the move is considered right once I find it.

It sounds like you are trying courses that are too difficult for your current level. They are all rated based on ratings.

What level lessons are you taking? Have you tried repeating the ones you did badly on?

try doing the beginner courses

Those are too easy. They are either too easy ("spot the mate in two!") or else just obscure to me ("How can white best use his space advantage?")

then do the ones at your level. i have taken like 2000 mentor courses

Even if you screw up the move on chess mentor, it TELLS you what you did wrong and why it was wrong. It's not a test; it's a teacher. If you use it the right way, it's like having a coach at your elbow.

MSteen: I know that is the idea behind it. Maybe I am expecting too much. If it were human I could ask it questions. But the explanations I get are just too obscure to me. I want very much to understand chess and become an excellent player but sometimes I get frustrated. 

How do you do the ones at your level?  Chess Mentor is having me do the beginner courses after 400 lessons taken.

35 lessons just isn't enough to judge it by.  Let me give you links to two of my favorite courses :Here's the only relatively easy course Sam Shankland has written but it's still useful for most of us.

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course?id=334

One thing a lot of beginners do with the ChessMentor is fail to realize they can choose any lesson of any course they want to try.  You're not limited to the sequential/adaptive dance.  Choose View Courses and just pick something that looks interesting.  I like Joel Banawa's 2 courses because he bends over backwards to encourage us and give great explanations.

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course?id=329

Hope you find something more to your liking.

Don't click on Start Training (the big orange button).  Click on View Courses instead.  Do whatever you want.  Enjoy!

I didnt realise there were any start training button! I always did this.

Yes, i was clicking the start lessons button.  Clicked on view lessons and am back to challenging lessons.  Tnx baddogno.