DrFrank did you check the reviews at the link?
The Great Courses Chess Course from Silman
Sort:
Jan 22, 2016
0
#22
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-play-chess-lessons-from-an-international-master.html
DrFrank did you check the reviews at the link?
DrFrank did you check the reviews at the link?
Just finished checking the two links I posted above. It appears the site is playing games with the posted prices for the chess course. That is, the prices posted in the links keep getting revised (randomly it seems) by the site.
I suggest checking all the links posted in this thread to see which link gives the best posted sale price. Better still, just call them on the phone and tell them that you had seen the DVD/download versions listed for a sale price of $39.95 USD/$34.95 USD and that the sale had been advertised to end on Feb 11, and ask them to honor those sale prices.
the phone # is 800-832-2412 trygreatcourses.com
So I have watched the entire course. There's some really good advice by Silman and he presents many instructive examples. He even has lectures on imbalances and the amateur's mind. The accompanying PDF book is 407 pages long and contains a huge amount of puzzles and suggested reading, among other things.
The course is aimed at improving players and it's not going to turn you into an expert player by itself, but I think it's well worth watching at least once for someone of my level and I may watch some of the lessons again. Silman is also a very good presenter and the production values are quite high. It's entertaining. Worth the money if you're a lower rated player I think.
Agree with @ed1975. The production values are quite high. Shot in a studio resembling a chess club, the setting provides a refreshing change from the ubiquitous chess board and presenter in-a-box approach. I found Silman's presentation stilted at times (he's clearly reading from a tele-prompter), though his delivery is not so off-putting that it detracts from the content.
The course is clearly aimed at the novice player. As such, it provides a broad overview of key themes (tactics, end game, strategy, etc.) rather than a deep dive into any one topic. And he includes a fair number of interesting antidotes, chess history and player bios.
I think a novice would find the video series worthwhile. I can't comment on the PDF; I took the course on a free trial of the Great Courses web offering. The free trial offers unlimited access to all of the Great Courses online catalog, but excludes supplemental materials. For anyone interested in testing the waters, the free trial provides an inexpensive way to take the Silman course and sample Great Courses offerings.
How good is this course? I have other courses by other GM's and have watched many online videos. Is Silman's course better or worse than others that are available. Would appreciate a review of this course. I am an intermediate player and have many books and videos to go over. Should I skip them and go to Silman? I do like Silman's columns here on chess.com.