Author: Lawrence S. Tamarkin
Date: 16:42:12 12/24/98
Go up one level in this thread
On December 24, 1998 at 15:00:30, C.M.A. wrote: >Would appreciate anyone's comments on the relative merits of these 5 chess >training programs mentioned by mrslug. > Also what books has Dvorsky written, suitable for the 2000-2100 player? > Thanks, CMA I can't easily compare all the ins & outs of these programs. I own all of them accept for Chess Academy, so I have taken the liberty of copying the relevant add material from each page. I have done some very minor editing of it. While Komputer Korner would likely (and correctly), point out that this only highlights the good features of the various programs, and ignores all the bugs and limitations of use, I will leave that to his excellent reviews here at the computer resource center. Except that I dissagree with his two thumps down review of, Encyclopidia of Middlegames. For a more objective review of this product (and other software reviews), go to The Chess Widower's home page, http://hometown.aol.com/rjpawlak/ch_widow.html 1. Chess Mentor http://www.chess.com/ Chess Mentor is unlike any other chess product available on the market. Chess Mentor will teach you chess. Chess Mentor is currently available in five configurations, each of which can accept additional Supplementary Chess Courses, as desired: Exploring & Appreciating Chess (A Course for Beginners) by Chess Mentor: Entry level for absolute beginners. Chess Mentor - Basic Chess Course: For beginners and novices. Chess Mentor - Comprehensive Chess Course: For beginning to experienced players. Chess Mentor for Advanced Players: For very experienced players. Chess Mentor Deluxe - 11sc: For those who want all available material up thru June, 1998 (Comprehensive + 11 Supplementary Courses) in one easy install. Aficionado has a growing list of Supplementary Chess Courses for those who wish to add to their Chess Mentor modular learning system. Chess Mentor is an instructive and enjoyable program for learning chess. Learning with our method is a lot like receiving lessons from a master chess teacher. The current collection of courses are authored by the following chess authors, teachers, and players: IM Jeremy Silman, IM John Grefe, IM Eric Tangborn, IM Marc Leski, FM Thomas Wolski, FM Mike Arne, and FM Craig Mar. When solving Chess Mentor's challenges, you can use as many advice and hint tools as you need, and your performance is tracked accordingly. Your good moves and your bad moves both receive comments. With Chess Mentor, your learning can be at any time of the day or night, and as long or as brief as you want. Chess Mentor automatically adjusts to your individual pace of learning and never forgets what you have already mastered, and where you need more review. Download a free demo The demo is a fully functional copy of the Chess Mentor software, and contains 41 carefully selected samples of challenges with difficulties ranging from beginner to master. 2. Chess Base Training CD's and Tactics on CBM magazine www.chessbase.com and, www.chessbaseusa.com material copied from the usa page; The Trompowsky Attack - $27 CD-ROM. The first in a new series of opening training CD's. Includes database text explanations, repertoire games, keys, opening tree, training positions, and video commentary by top experts on the opening. Includes ChessBase Light. Robert Hubner: World Champion Alekhine - $27 CD-ROM. One of the most comprehensive collections of Alekhine's games ever published (total over 1700 games, most with analysis). Hubner has critically examined the written works of Alekhine, especially his analysis. The CD also contains historical documents and pictures, as well as interviews with today's top players on Alekhine. Unfortunately, Hubner's articles and analyses are in German only. Includes ChessBase Lite. Lubomir Ftacnik: Winning in 20 moves- 333 short games - $27 CD-ROM. An instructive and highly entertaining CD. The games, ranging from six(!) to twenty moves long, are annotated and contain training questions. Special tactical theme key included. Rainer Knaak: Mate attack against 0-0 - $27 CD-ROM. New extended edition in CBH format. The main idea behind the disk lies in playing the positions against Fritz, trying to execute real mating attacks against the castled enemy king. The introduction explains typical mating combinations and patterns, and contains training questions. Daniel King: Check and Mate! - $27 CD-ROM. An excellent training disk! Daniel King guides you through ten actual games in which one side attacks the other with mate as the eventual outcome. Each game is set up in the opening - by the middlegame, you are instructed to move for the attacking side, recieving points according to the correctness of your move. When you finish the game, a detailed overview awaits to explain the ideas behind the moves played, plus several additional games containing similar ideas to the game just studied. A training technique recommended by many of history's top players! 400 x Checkmate! - $27 CD-ROM. A basic course with checkmate sequences taken from real games. Mates in 1, 2, or 3 moves. German only. 3. Convekta's, Stategy, Studies, and Middle Game Encyclopidia www.chessassistant.com/ CA Training courses CHRISTMAS discounts! from 1st November 1998 till 15th January 1999 – three training courses (Encyclopedia of Middlegames, Strategy, Studies 2.0) – $98! + $7 S.H. ORDER NOW! Encyclopaedia of Middlegames Encyclopaedia of Middlegames contains two voluminous courses: TYPICAL PAWN STRUCTURES (the "Karlsbad" pawn structure, the "Hedgehog" system and etc) and TYPICAL PLANS AND METHODS IN THE MOST POPULAR OPENINGS (Sicilian Defense, Ruy Lopez Defense, Caro-Kann Defense, French Defense, English opening, Dutch Defense, Slav Defense, Catalan opening, Nimzo-Indian Defense, King’s Indian Defense, Benko Gambit and etc). More than 600 instructive examples, all of them are extensively annotated and thoroughly classified! And more than 1000 exercises for you to solve! If you fail to find the solution, the program helps you, suggesting alternative moves and prompting markers. Any time you can call your favorite chess playing program (Hiarcs, Rebel, MChessPro). But this is not all! About 400 typical positions, which you can play against the build-in playing program Dragon. ELO and statistics in a convenient graphic form may be estimated for each user. Strategy This chess program presents 1200 instructive positions with the most important strategic themes, including: Weak square, Weak pawns, Open files and diagonals, Central fields, Disposition of pieces, Isolated central pawn, Hanging pawns, etc. 100 extensively annotated examples for self-study. 800 carefully selected exercises for solving. 300 typical positions, which you can play against your favorite playing program On line help markers. User statistics gathering and ELO calculating. Built-in chess playing program Dragon. Compatibility with the best playing programs. Studies 2.0 (Endings) Contains about 1000 of the best endgame chess problems considered from 4 independent points of view: Chess problem ideas, Ending Studies, Gallery of Chess Compositors, Various grades by difficulty. Convenient prompt system and compatibility with top playing programs All training courses are for Win 95/98/NT on CD. 4. Tasc CD - Chessica & 5 tactics and chess game learning module's on one CD at a very low price. Tasc Chess CD http://www.tasc.nl/products/chesscd.html Two of the most popular Tasc chess products on one CD for the incredible price of DM 99,-- / US$ 65.-- / UK£ 40.--. Chess Tutor Using the famous Brunia/Van Wijgerden teaching method. All 5 steps in 4 languages: English, German, French and Dutch (first step in Spanish as well). Including all positions and exercises of the diskette-version. With at least 150 new positions per step extra. A total of 2,600 positions. No harddisk-installation necessary; does not use any harddisk-space; runs directly from the CD-ROM. 5. Chess Academy's Database, and training module's (currently 24 different courses available). http://hometown.aol.com/chessacad/en/index. Welcome to The advanced chess database, tutorial & training software and chess books. The most complete training system! Chess Academy Introduction Page Dear Chess Friend, We would like to present you our new project CHESS ACADEMY, developed by Intelinvest Co. in cooperation with the leading publisher Chess Informant and famous international grandmasters Vassily Ivanchuk, Iosif Dorfman, Oleg Romanishin, Adrian Mikhalchishin, Arshak Petrosian and other GMs and IMs. This project has been developed for a wide range of chess players and mainly consist of: an original Chess Academy TM Tutorial program intended for the intensive training of players of diverse skill Chess Academy Tutorial and Database for Windows combines the power of computer with effective learning and training methodics, developed and tested by Intelinvest Staff during the period 1987-1998. Chess Academy users learn chess and organize their training lessons through active participation and discovery with carefully selected and full annotated additional Chess Modules authored by top-class players and experienced coaches. and, 6. A special mention to Book-Up www.bookup.com/ which also has some exceptional values for the Holidays, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Welcome To BOOKUP Check out these four great Holiday Specials! MasterChess 98 – Over one million games, search engine and chess opponent in one great program. (CD ROM) $49.00 Ultimate Game Collection III – Over one million games for ChessBase and Chess Assistant. (CD ROM) $15.95 Buy BOOKUP for Windows ($199) or Macintosh($99) and get 3 books-on-disk for FREE! (Your choice, $87 value) $350 for the Complete Library of Books-on-Disk 20 outstanding books on the opening, middlegame, endgame and tactics. Works with BOOKUP (Win/Mac) or the free Viewer for Windows. Save $180! mrslug - the inkompetent chess software addict!
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