Topic Suggestions

     How about a course titled "Classical Versus Hypermodern?"

     This one might be difficult to put together but would be fascinating.
"What Would The Other Grandmaster Have Done?"
      A game by Morphy for example is analyzed, then it is predicted what
Fischer, Kasparov, and Karpov would have played on that move instead.

I agree with Mr. Pruess, light squares/dark squares

Chess mentor isn't only one move excercises! Check out the (superb!) Pawn endings course and you'll see that a lesson can extend thru several moves.  I know where you're coming from though... it's quite disappointing how some of the Chess Mentor authors haven't used the full teaching capability of the software. Silman's "Roots of Positional Understanding" is one position after another, one move questions. The positions themselves are for the most part interesting and educational, but they appear selected not for any thematic or didactic program but just: "here's a position from a Karpov game then another then another, now we'll look at a bunch of Fischer games, now Anand, now Keres" -- with nothing tying them together but the fact that it's Fischer, or Karpov or whomever -- and the "solution" typically isn't a combination, but a more positional type move -- and while there's some guidance as to how to think through to that move, but it's pretty minimal.  From a guy who made his name as a chess-teacher by actually teaching rather than just presenting material -- I expected more. And Chess Mentor is clearly capable of more (the pawn endings course being a case in point)... maybe you Chess.com staff/editorial types can encourage your authors to utilize CM more fully.

I second the request for a course on recognizing/creating/using color complexes

1. How about an exclusive set of thousands/millions of 2-move checkmates/tactics, all of which begin with a "quiet" non-forcing move? 

This way some of us newb patzers can learn to think in terms of recognizing a position that we would like to attain, rather than throwing out any check and capture out there in the hopes that something good will come of it? 

Then, of course, same idea but with 3-, 4-, 5-, etc. move combos.

2. Defensive tactics.

3. Comprehensive opening traps, starting from the lowest possible move number in a game and progressing incrementally by the game's move number.

For instance, the fool's mate is a trap that occurs on move #2 (already a chess mentor lesson).  Then there should be lessons on all of the known traps that occur on move #3, then those that occur on move #4 (Scholar's mate, for instance).  This doesn't limit anyone to any single opening system, but allows players to start recognizing traps/opening tactics in a variety of systems fairly comprehensively and complements an amateur's learning of tactics (specifically in the opening), opening principles (recognizing opponent's threats and exceptions to general opening principles based on specific line-by-line analysis), and even openings themselves in a practical useful fun way.

4. I support all of those in favor of "play for the draw."

5. Basics of positional play and strategy for beginners who can't understand any of the books out there, because we are not good enough.  Like Silman's positional play Mentor lessons, but for the <1500.

 It is exactly the kind of course I'm talking about, I just want more quantity.

Check out the new Chess Mentor course we just published:

Combinations of Alexander Alekhine

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course.html?id=320

Thank you!

What about a course on mega pawn centers (with d4 and e4) and when or when not to push the c or f pawn next to the center, and maybe pawn pushing in general! Maybe when to push that b pawn to gain space or drive a knight away, stuff like that. And I don't mean in totally closed centers, like in the KID particularly because then it's obvious you want to advance your pawns (though it wouldn't hurt to include that), but I mean more so in positions where the center isn't totally open but kind of static, like with pawns at e4 and e5, with an open d file.

I'm also interested in courses in defensive play, as well as positions with both sides attacking the opposite king requiring calculation of your opponent counterplay.

And I'd love to have a primer on the Old Indian Defense as white, as it's difficult to get verbal explanations of white set-ups here...

David,

I have two suggestions:

1. Elements of strategy,

you have nice courses with tactics elements, 50 lessons of deflection, 50 lessons with pin...

My suggestion is to make something similar with strategy for example 50 lessons how to open file, 50 lessons how to fight for open files, use advantage of having rooks on open files. Same for bishops and diagonals.

Then 50 lessons how to make support point for knight,50 lessons how to improve position of peaces, 50 lessons how to use advantage of bed placed opponent peace.

Then 50 lessons how to centralise your peaces, 50 lessons how to fight for center

etc.............., I hope you know better then me elements of strategy :)

2. Make connecton between video lessons and chess mentor courses:

You have video lectures about isolated queen pawn, give us 50 lessons to practice king attack in isolated queen pawn positions. 50 lessons how to use advantage that it pown is isolated ( to fight against isolated queen pown)

The same for two weeknesses course, give us lessons to practice making two weeknesses.

You made course about developmet, make chess mentor course to halp us practice ideas you gave us in video.

I was joking a bit with 50 lessons but I saw that new courses on chess mentor have 10-15 lessons and I think it is not enough for some serious topics.

I hope this will help

best regards

hehe 50, 50, 50. :-)

yeah, seriously, good ideas. would take a while to accomplish all this, but it's a good mission.

Oh, and I'd love to see a course on the sicilian hedgehog pawn structure (with white bishop on e2 or d3 rather than g2 like in the English)

2. Make connecton between video lessons and chess mentor courses:

I think that's a great idea - like a lecture followed by exercises. Maybe for some video lessons, the Chess Mentor courses already exist (for example - endings) => you could link to the Chess Mentor relevant sections in the video description.

Besides, it could help increase the # of Diamond users

How about How to Attack Sound Pawn Structures?

Thanks Paul. Also, if you have not already done so be sure to check out the Chess Mentor course below as it relates to your suggestion.

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course.html?id=292

That's a great course! Too bad you didn't add more such courses, with problems maybe a little more difficult.

Several Courses on the Caro-Kann Defense!!!

I would love to see a course either on the "Torre Attack" or on the "Scandinavian / Center Counter defense".

Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate the staff for the excellent Chess Mentor courses, which are the main reason why I went Diamond. I am going through all the courses one by one, starting from the lower rated and climbing the ladder: I think it is an excellent way to cover the gaps I have, I am learning interesting stuff even from problems rated 1000!

that's great Andrea. i commend you on your diligent study, particularly going through the lower-rated lessons first to make sure you don't have gaps in your fundamentals. i'm sure it will go well for you.