Need software for creating chess lessons

I need software for creating interactive chess lessons that I can distribute for my students. Would be better if the students do not need to buy anything, maybe a free interface to run the lessons.

I do not like the TRAINING function in Chessbase, it needs improvements. The program answers for a move is too fast in the training function; also it is not possible to customize the messages, I dont like it.

Why not try Chess Mentor? I haven't used it very much, but it seems to be very helpful. It seems match the description of what you need. The only problem is that it isn't free.

Hi Gato,

What features are you looking for in a program?

I've been coaching by using chess video lessons on youtube. The student can watch the lessons as many times he/she wants.

See: www.youtube.com/user/Majnu2006

I've also been coaching by sending commented pgn-files by mail.

Greetings,

The other Gato.

thanks guys!

I would like very much to use Chess Mentor, but I think that not all my students will buy it to see the lessons. If Chess Mentor had a free interface to run the lessons, I could buy it to make the lessons for my students.

Gato, I want the lessons be INTERACTIVE, not just for watching. I prefer the students MAKING MOVES on the board, also I want TO MAKE QUESTIONS for the students to answer, not just multiple choice questions, but also WRITING.

For example, in the same interface where the students can make moves and watch the lessons, I would like to have the possibility to ask questions like "PLEASE WRITE A GOOD PLAN FOR WHITE IN THIS POSITION". Then the student would WRITE in a field, and then could SEND TO ME using e-mail.

If such software with all this features does not exists, what do you recomend?

I see what you mean. It would be great to have those posibilities.

I've not come across something like it yet. I think that what comes closest to this idea is the "old fashioned" way: Sending a diagram to the student and asking him to send his ideas about the position.

Another option used by most major chess server is teaching online. This means that teacher and student must log in to the server at the same time. The teacher can load a game and communicate by written chat or voice chat (Skype) with the student while he is in control of the board panel. Unfortunately for this the teacher must pay and in some server the student needs a paying account as well.

Give Chess Position Trainer a try...it can do a lot of training functions...and best of all, it's free!

http://www.chesspositiontrainer.com/

It's listed as opening training software, but I have used it to create tactical studies and it does just fine. I'm sure you could make it fit what you need.

Edwaxx, thanks, could you send to me two or three of your tactical studies created in Chess Position Trainer? My e-mail is enviar_dados@yahoo.com.br

GatoNegro, thanks, the problem is that I have no time to give lessons online, I have to make them and send to my students.

I was watching one of your nice videos in Youtube, I have made some videos in the past, but that took a long work time (in one of the cases 6 months) to produce the videos. Videos are an important part of my lessons, I want to produce another ones, but in a way that does not spend so much time.

What screen capture softwate did you use to make your videos? I observed that you include the Chessbase highlights and variations. What did you first: you record the video while making the moves and highlights? Or you record the game with the highlights first, and then you record the sound?

thanks a lot!

Great, PerfectGent!!

I am ansious to see the result of your work.

congratulations!

I use windows media encoder to capture the screen. It's a free program.

Here is my video explaining how to make chess videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lG83-HN4Zk

Have you seen this:

http://www.chessbase.com/support/workshop.asp?ID=205

I'm perplexed at your comments. It is possible to customize both the messages and the solving time in ChessBase:

There is a free, open-source program called SCID that might provide some of the features you seek. It looks like it is not actively developed anymore, but the source is available and it does run on Windows, Linux, and pocket devices... that said, I haven't used it yet, so I can't provide any info on how well it works.

There are some problems in the TRAINING ANNOTATION function in Chessbase. I want to repeat ALL the game, but if I make a question in move 24, then when the game is opened, it starts with the test in move 24, and not with the first move.

I would like to repeat all the game, with the tests showing in the right time. Another problem is the next move after the test is made too fast by Chessbase (my version is 10).

Maybe in version 11 these problems are solved.

I have downloaded this program a second time, but still get the same crashing problems. I'm using the latest version, 3.3. The program is broken. It locks up my computer.  Any ideas?

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Update - I just read this:

Vista and Windows 7 work-around: Unless you follow the simple instructions from Ron CPT will freeze whenever you click on a toolbar button if you run CPT under Vista or Win 7. Have a look at this easy to follow instruction from Ron in the forum.

I am running Vista.

O.K. The work around sounds like a real hassle:

I actually did come up with a fix.  Vista has some great compatibility features for "legacy" programs.  By right-clicking on the shortcut in the start menu and going to properties and then to the compatibility tab you can access these features. 

I found that by setting it to run CPT in Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode and checking the boxes to disable desktop composition and visual themes that everything works perfectly (including menus, deleting moves, etc.)  That'll get me by until CPT 4 comes out.

Good grief!

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Update

There is/was a Beta 4 version, but good luck finding it. I can't find anything but scam downloads.

Hi Ziryab!

Is there a way to create interactive tactics/checkmating puzzles, like what chess.com's tactic trainer does, with ChessBase?

I have Chess Position Trainner, also in Vista. But the program is not what I'm looking for. There is not possible to put a good coment.

If the TRAINING ANNOTATION function in Chessbase be better, it solves the problem.

Hello,

Where is the Training Annotation function in ChessBase? I thought that it was just a database. Thanks.

Update - I found the training annotation, but can't figure it out. Is there a video tutorial on how to create interactive chess lessons using ChessBase?

Sorry for the confusion. The new version and website has been released in the meantime. It runs out-of-the-box under Windows 7 and  Vista and the download can be easily found now.

Stefan, author of CPT

If the youtube thing does not work, have you thought about using the Babas Chess interface since it is free and then making a pgn w/ comments that you can email to the students?