I'm not going to respond to any individual comments here but will share a statistic from the December 2014 month of the Prodigy Program. Note that all of these instructors are excellent.
I no longer have time to teach many lessons but I try to occasionally teach in the Prodigy Program due to this and many other statistics we've collected from students.
Play some games on this site get your 2200+ whatever rating and you wont have to deal with people like me "hating" anymore. Until then, get off your high horse.
My peak rating was 2000, my floor 1900, and I have a draw against Asa Hoffman that tied me for first with him in a Manhattan Quad, taking $12.50 out of his pocket.
Not my fault I preferred messing around with hypnosis and beautiful women for 20 years before giving that up for chess. In fact, there's a hypnotist who was supposed to make me a video for chess improvement. That led to a lawsuit which will reveal my real name, which I hate to giver out for reasons made clear in the lawsuit.
I've been forced into isolation due to age, health, and idiots lying about me on the internet, so training 14 hours a day is really easy, and I'm getting REALLY good at this game. My ultimate goal is to absorb all computer knowledge and get to 3300 as fast as possible. In arcades it used to take 2-3 years to do, this should be 5-6.
As for the hypnosis thing, maybe some other players can find a sexy female hypnotist to program them hypnotically to turn into a "chess killer" like I had hoped. Of course, now I'm motivaetd by knowing that if I get to 3300, I'll have groupies again, probably a few sexy hypnotists in the bunch (there were several in my previous chess incarnation).
Of course, when I reveal my real name, I don't return to a site, so you get your curiosity satisfied but you lose me forever, as you can no longer be trusted, sorry:
http://www.toosmarttofail.com/jacqpot.html
Jacqueline Faye "Jacqui" Holland is an actress who was born on May 15, 1981, and is currently thirty-four years old (I say that because someone keeps deleting it from her Wiki).
There will be other hypnotists, as women age like milk and more and more of them are learning the skill. Check out Kismet Video for some incredible work that WILL help your chess. Ashlee Schull in particular.
"Ray Gordon"
a/k/a He Who Shall Not Be Named
He sounds an awful lot like Sam Sloan, another blowhard chess fraud on the internet.
PP3, your original post makes a case for a coach rather than a training program aimed at students being taught in groups. Had you titled your thread, "advantages of a coach"...
That may have been a little too transparent.
I actually have no problem with the statistic above. My teacher is incredibly strong but never got to GM even though he probably well could have. He basically trained Max Dlugy and was taught by Bobby Fischer's teacher. He inspired a young Keaton Kierwa. He also taught me one very important thing which is that rating doesn't matter. It shouldn't affect anyone but you. You are the only one who determines what your rating means.
PP3, your original post makes a case for a coach rather than a training program aimed at students being taught in groups. Had you titled your thread, "advantages of a coach"...
That may have been a little too transparent.
You left out the best part:
Your pretension to some sort of objective analysis and statistical comparison now is an effort to paddle upriver and change the course of the stream where you have already sullied the banks.
Math has all the answers but none of the questions. A flawed coach will ask flawed questions that his flawed students won't even realize are flawed.
Math doesn't make one any smarter than using the alphabet makes them a better writer.
Chess is nothing BUT "muscle memory" at this point. All the theory is there, just waiting to be plucked by someone who can meld their mind with Fritz's, and I know how to do this.
I'm 48 years old and starting to think I could take ANOTHER decade off and still become world champion, but I'm on a roll this time and won't quit until I'm at least 2400 USCF.
Why is there no Ray Gordon on USCF's ratings list?
https://encyclopediadramatica.se/Ray_Gordon
I am a student in the Prodigy Program, and am very happy with the course so far.
I just found this topic. I had been out of touch with the OP for over a year and he recently contacted me to help promote his new study plan....
Anyway, I know/think there is some, perhaps playful, bad blood between the OP and Mr. KJ but that isn't the issue here. What is the issue is anyone who teaches chess is a colleague to all other chess instructors. There are plenty of students for all, especially if you have what it takes to retain them. Personally, i started a program on YouYube nearly 4 years ago which teaches you how to teach yourself how to become a chess master. This allows anyone to attempt to duplicate my success. It's 100% free. There are hundreds of free videos I've made which explain how to assess a position like a chess master. My video lessons group is the 2nd largest group on chess.com. Even though my program is free, I get constant requests to take on students for private lessons. Currently, I have over 50 of them taking online lessons. Some are on a set schedule with me, many request a lesson a few days in advance and I fit them in. I've made the claim, and I am 100% confident in it, I am the top selling coach on chess.com and have been for 3 years now. All I do now is teach chess, privately and in schools. I earn more money than I did teaching public school, and I live a lifestyle I enjoy. I have a beautiful fiance, and she's learning chess from me too. One of my students is on track to meet his goal of becoming the youngest chess master in US history. We have had 135 online lessons since December 2014. One year of USCF play and he's over 1600. He's holding his own with the higher rateds. Just a child mind you, but let's see what the future brings....
Anyway, I know nothing of the contents of the prodigy program. if you belong and like it, stick with it. My students who take lessons from me do just that. I'm sure plenty of other coaches have a loyal following and succeed as well. More success among chess coaches and their students will bring more children into the game. This will keep the chess coaches employed. for years to come.
Can't we all get along?
Question ... by what standards do you measure "top-selling coach"? Are there any citations for this, or do you measure this by testiminonials, inflow of cash?
Also, I thought that Kairav Joshi was the "top-selling coach on chess.com", as advertised in the Prodigy Program. What's going on with this?
I'm just curious, and don't intend to impugne your voracity.
Good day,
~TT
The proper term is "teachded".
Question ... by what standards do you measure "top-selling coach"? Are there any citations for this, or do you measure this by testiminonials, inflow of cash?
Also, I thought that Kairav Joshi was the "top-selling coach on chess.com", as advertised in the Prodigy Program. What's going on with this?
I'm just curious, and don't intend to impugne your voracity.
Good day,
~TT
Chess.com used to keep track of the top selling coaches, but stopped 3 years ago March. Students paid chess.com for coach lessons, who in turn remitted the balance to the coaches each month. Every time a coaching service was purchased, you got a "point", which allowed potential manipulation. I sold a $200 lesson package and got credit for 1 sale. Someone could sell 200 $1 packages and get 200 sales. Each makes the same, but one coach goes way ahead of the other...
Anyway, V2 still has this link ranking the coaches by sales, but it will never be updated: https://www.chess.com/coaches?sortby=sold I can't list the non-titled players, but last I saw, KJ was on top. Remember, that link is 3 years outdated. I hit the #4 rank in just 11 months of selling among titled players. I know what I sold that first year and how much I sold after. Come summer 2013 things really took off. KJ claims he has no private students now. I have over 50. I am in touch with IM Attila Turzo, who is above me on the titled list, and he has nowhere near my student base.
No one can prove they are the top seller but I confidentally make the claim.
"Personally, i started a program on YouYube nearly 4 years ago which teaches you how to teach yourself how to become a chess master. This allows anyone to attempt to duplicate my success. It's 100% free."
That's all well and good, but if you provided a free way to become a master, then people wouldn't need to contact you for private lessons. Let's call a spade a spade. You are promoting yourself with free content and earning some income along the way with privates. There is absolutely nothing wrong about this, but let's ease on the hope aspect of people who want to become a master. The reality is you most likely won't be able to become a master exclusively from videos. However, with hard work, regular practice and a coach that goal will be realistically attainable.
What I would like to see is a teacher present a study plan. There are too many freebies out there that regurgitate the basics. The basics definitely won't get you to tournament level. Sites like chess24.com focus only on one aspect without enough Q and A to explore other parts related.
I have spent 10-15 years in ESL teaching and I have seen how curriculum building is essential to lesson delivery. This is evident especially when one teacher leaves and another replaces them. Both the school and students have to mold to the new teacher.
Hopefully, we can get away from the names of teachers and the promises schools give. Instead, focus on the curriculum. If you sign up today, you will study A, B and C week 1, and then E, F and G the following week and so on.
Another thing teachers should keep in mind is access. The best thing you could give a child before the internet were those Britannica encyclopedias and take them to the library. Now that we have internet, it boggles me why teachers won't share more games and give students a library of games to choose from.
Sign up today and receive 1,000+ games which will be used during your study program with (teacher's name). Stop this one game analysis stuff. Present a full annotated game of the masters instead. This will serve a greater purpose in the long run. I may not be a master chess player yet, but I do know how to teach and what needs to be "teached" .
If you watch my video lesson 1 on my YouTube playlist, I share in 37 minutes exactly how I achieved a master title and the methods I used. As I noted above, I show how you may duplicate my achievement; I teach you how to teach yourself how to be a better player. I created that video before I became active on chess.com and I still believe everything in it holds up today. I even state you don't have to look at any more videos, you know what to do, but i hope you'll stick around. It isn't geared specifically for the novice, more for the established player looking to improve. My video playlist offers an insight how I think and how I assess positions to come up with a plan. It's all there for free, take it or leave it.
Novices need coaches. I have exposure from my hard work and never have to wait more than a few days for a new inquiry for lessons. I am so swamped teaching, I haven't even been able to write more blogs and get further exposure.
I wanted to check out some of the videos by aww-rats on Youtube. Is his channel https://www.youtube.com/user/BobbyJFischer1943 ?
That's what comes up when I search for him. All I see are team match videos. Does he have any tactics/openings/endgame videos?
From that link, click the playlist tab. I haven't been able to make public videos frequently for some time now. I do have thousands of private lesson videos which I don't share publicly. Once I get a huge project out of the way, (I'm creating the advanced curriculum for a school which has chess as one of its core subjects), I have some pretty awesome stuff coming!
I've been in it for a long time and it is great
May I ask what impact it had on your OTB results and what you particularly like about the program ?
@uscftigerprowl,
We have the Prodigy Program every single month. You can stay up-to-date by following my blog:
https://www.chess.com/blog/GeniusKJ
@stephenson2,
I would suggest you read about what we do before posting a comment. The program is taught be the world's best chess coaches and features even world elite players including five-time world champion Vishy Anand as instructors.
We have a highly satisfied student base right now. Mastery means 2200 level.
Before I begin, I would like to express my distaste for the way PawnPusher3 handled KJGenius's response. It was a general response, that in my opinion, didn't really address the truth of the matter. I'm not going to get into it as seeing how you yourself are not going to man up and explain your accusation that Kairov did an ad hominem attack on you, when in actuality he didn't, as the evidence is sufficient to suggest that you have ulterior motives for writing this thread, as indeed you are a chess coach yourself. The fact that you no longer have time to coach is immaterial, and no one here knew that, especially from looking at your obviously outdated profile, according to what you say here at least...
I get a bit antsy when people say someone is commiting an ad hominem when there is no actual argument being made. The argument may have been interpreted into Kairav's words as a logical conclusion by the reader, but until you show us that being a chess coach yourself in no way gives you an ulterior motive to talk trash about a program you obviously know nothing about, your claim that Kairav is ad hominem attacking you holds no water, as clearly, from looking at your profile, you do indeed have a motive to talk trash about a program that is stealing your customers. Again your credentials are immaterial as none of us knew that. Now that we know, at least we think it may be true, as you might just be lying to save face, we can adjust our thoughts about your motives for writing this thread accordingly, though this very act of trash talking a program you know nothing about still begs the question nonetheless, "Why are you trash talking a program you know nothing about?" As far as I am concerned Kairav gave a sastifactory answer to your bogus claims. You can either hide behind your filth or take on the argument like a man and own up to your trash talk. Apparently all you know how to do is run your mouth. Prove me wrong. Write an actual rebuttal to Kairav's response. Fact of the matter is you can't. Because you know nothing. So now the real question is why are you running your mouth in the first place? Kairav gave his theory, but you say otherwise. So I am asking you, Why are you even bothering to write crap in a forum you already have a low opinion of when you obviously has a lot of stuff going on in your life already? There must be a reason....
The Prodigy program is broken into different sections. Every Year a new section is added. When I started there was a 900 section, a 1200 section, and a 1500 section. Now, there is a 1750 section. I am currently in the 1200 section. I started late last year and now I am playing catch up.
In the 1200 section the instructors cover what I believe to be a solid opening repertoire for both colors. The choice of the opening repertoire is based on the insight of masters. Rather than chosing openings that either take more skill or a lot more memorization rather than using chess opening principles, the masters to chose our repertoire hand picked the openings that are basic and easy to understand, as well as allow us to use the opening principles we are learning, and do not require a whole lot of memorization. In addition to that, the live instruction also includes tactics sessions where an instructor shows the students a problem, and we think about it for awhile, then we give our answers. The master leading the lesson will go over all the variations posted and explain why the wrong answers are wrong, and how to correct the thought process that lead you to the false conclusion. There are also general lessons as well. End Game study, counter attacking, you name it. i personally enjoyed Kairav's endgame lesson last year, as he gave us valuable insights, as well as simple little end game rules to know for king and pawn endgame, that are easy to remember, that you can apply to any king and pawn end game situation, it is just up to you to figure out which rule to use. The homework that Kairav mentions in his response actually goes along side with the live lessons that went on that week. With the live lessons and the homework combined with the games you ought to be playing on the side, along with your own analysis of those games, you should improve steadily as time goes by.
The Prodigy program is not a cookie cutter program. It's like stepping stones in a pond. You start out in the beginning of the pond, the 900 section is the first stone. When you use the opening repertoire and the techniques learned in that section you move on, and keep going until you are at the end. In the end, it is up to you, I believe, to develop your own repertoire. The repertoire that we use, I believe, is only for instructional purposes, to get better at chess. I personally do not like the Sicilian, but I play it, because I feel there is something to be learned by me playing it, as that is the opening I was instructed to use. Though I am told to use a paticular opening, I still have my own style of play. They do not tell us how to play, save for, always look for checks captures and threats! that is a given. I've improved a lot with the Prodigy program, especially over the board, as I am better OTB with medium time controls. I can say that I actually beat a formor master in chess, though I did have a big time advantage, but I was good enough to win multiple games!
In addition to the live lessons and homework there is a simul every month and you get to submit two games for analyse every month, and if your gutsy like me you can bother Kairav with game questions to! 
I currently play chess for fun. Right now I do not exactly know if I am going to go back to my day job or not. If I go back to my day job I won't have much time for chess, but I'll still play it, because after being in the prodigy program I started to understand more and more about chess. My actual game hasn't improved a whole lot, probably only 200 points, however, my insight in the game increased a whole lot I think, and it happened after I became a member of the prodigy program. My insight helps me know what to do to improve, as I know how much time I need to spend on tactics trainer now, and how much time I need to play games and analyse them, and more importantly, because of the prodigy program, I do a whole lot better in the opening. Though the openings I use are basic now, I know in the future they will just get more complex, as I get further along in the prodigy program. I am just at the second stone... 
Human coaches are 2800 at best. Computers are 3300.
A true prodigy will learn by example from the computers, without need for explanation, and will eventually be able to force a draw or better every game against the machine.
I did it to PacMan, Space Invaders, Centipede, Ms. PacMan, Asteroids, Defender, and can sure as hell do it to chess. If I can do it, so can others. Carlsen is going to be a joke in five years tops.
At least he has 5 years, you're a joke now.