New "LEARN" Module: Solitaire Chess

A very popular Chess Life column is Bruce Pandolfini's "Solitaire Chess", where readers analyze a master game and try to guess each move the master made. Points are awarded for each correct guess. I'd love to see chess.com add a new feature to the "Learn" tools/modules that would be similar. My thought would be to:

1. Show a diagram for the current move.

2. List 4 or 5 candidate move options, with a radio button next to each. Users can then indicate which of the listed moves they think the master made in the real game and press a submit button to send their choice to the chess.com server.

3. Chess.com would then show what move was actually made, along with bar charts showing how many users selected each of the previously listed options. And, a running percent-correct for the user in the current game, and perhaps, overall for all games.

4. Chess.com could even create a new "Solitaire Chess Rating" that would track somewhat statistically to standard Eco ratings (e.g. If a user is in the top 10% of all solitaire chess users, he/she would be given a rating that corresponds to the Eco for online chess players in the top 10% of online players...about 1700 in this example).

5. Rybka or similar chess engines could be used to create the list of candidate moves. Suggest one move as the actual move made, one or two that rybka really likes, and a couple that rybka liked with 4 or 5 plys, but didn't like after 15 or 20 plys analysis.

6. Perhaps comments could be added to some proposed moves to summarize why one might make that move...e.g. "post knight to strong outpost", or "tactical combination?".

7.  After displaying the updated results, provide a "Next Move" button to go to the diagram showing the game after the last move was made and the opponent made his reply (indicating the opponent's reply similar to the method used in regular on-line games).  And then repeat for each move of the game.

Studying master games is a good way to study and improve, and this type of feature would encourage players to really think about each move. The new rating would also encourage users to think hard before choosing.

As a beta-test to see if this idea has traction, the current "survey" feature could be easily modified to chain together a set of "survey questions" that closely replicate the proposed functionality, absent the ratings/running % complete features.

Chess.com could use this as one of their incentives for paying members.  Or, they could let all users play a couple games, gold members could play more (10 games?), and platinum could play as many as they like.  Or, perhaps only paying members would have their stats reported while free players could play through the game but would not get a rating or see their %-correct scores???

I would love to see a program that implemented something like this. If I was a better programmer and had more time I would do it as a standalone program

However, I don't think it should be multiple choice, not on the front-end at least. It should be just like the tactics trainer where you can make any legal move. On the back-end, you could get a score based on how good the move is, based on engine analysis. So you would still get points for moves that may not be the best, but still good, and you could lose points for blunders.

The chess mentor lessons you mention are good, but they pick only a key move or two from each game.  I'm proposing to go through a complete game from move 1 (or, perhaps, after a few opening moves are made) to the end.  Again, similar to Pandolfini's "Solitaire Chess" column.

I looked up the Khmelnitsky book on Amazon, and it looks like he pulls only a single "key" move from each game of several Fischer matches and asks you to determine the best move in that position. 

I prefer Pandolfini's approach - play through an entire Master-level game.  The problem I run into doing this from a PGN or game-collection book, is that it's too easy to go through the moves quickly, without really thinking hard on each move.  By using the "survey" mode I suggest (one multiple-choice survey question for each move in the game), and an associated rating calculation I'd be more motivated to spend more time really thinking hard about each move...and learn more in the process.

i'd luv 2 c solitaire chess on this site--something like pandolphini's columns & books wud b greeeaaate!

I strongly agree, It would be a great way to see how chess grandmasters view games.

I also agree that it should be seperate from chess mentor

This is a good idea.  I would use it.

totally support this! gotta tell you, it is a little inconvenient to do it off the magazine if i am studying by myself, as you have to use sheet of paper to cover up future moves. Online would be so much more convenient!

Lets all keep sending submissions to this forum until the staff around here gets the idea and implements this feature. If they add it to the premium membership deal, im sure they'll get some bites.

I use chessgames.com's Guess The Move tool and yes, I'd love to see it here.

There is now free software available called "Guess The Move." It works great!

Did the "new Chess.com" incorporate these member suggestions? 

Maybe a year ago there was a ChessMentor course in this format.  I had expected to see a veritable flood of new courses since every titled player has at least a few favorite games.  Alas it was one and done and I have no idea why.

https://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course?id=458