Well you blocked me, so I couldn't contact you directly. I honestly couldn't care less if you liked my methodology (direct and concise might offend people but it is efficient, which is what matters). Sorry you didn't appreciate the feedback. But calling me a liar is unacceptable- learn to conduct arguments focusing on the topic rather than the person. Because if ad hominem attacks are all you can do your out for a long haul in life.

You sir are talking nonsense.

The OP is not doing honest advertising.

You need to read the forum title again.

Criticism of Chess.com University Prodigy Program

^^^ He said the word Criticism. Which implys there is something wrong.

People give criticism when they think something is wrong or could be done better!

Yet the OP has no knowledge of the program. He is not a student of it and he is not an instructor of it.

He is making a general statement trying to shine negativity on this program with out any real knowledge of the program.

I am sorry but if you consider that an honorable trait or advertising.

Than I think you have no idea what the word honorable even means.

In response to text in Red.

Yes you are right when you act like a jerk and post negative things people do response to you fast, directly, and concise.

However, The response you will recieve will not be one you like.

Furthermore, They will tear apart your agruement which they have already done. Revailing that you are only talking nonsense and hot air. You have no real knowledge of anything. Which makes you look like a complete moron criticizing something you have no knowledge of.

Than you wonder why people have blocked you? Well genius what do you think happens to jerks who have no real knowledge of anything. People ignore them.

In response to text in Blue.

Furthermore, You don't have to say the word sorry because no one is going to listen to your feedback any way. You have been proven to be a jerk with your direct and concise nonsense.

Why should they listen to a jerk for feedback?

I am not even part of the program and I would not listen to you.

Why would anyone running a business listen to a person who is being a complete jerk with no knowledge of anything.

They are going to listen to people who are nice and/or people who have knowledge of the program for feedback.

What world are you living in? Where you think people are going to listen to a jerk with no knowledge.

In response to text in Orange.

Oh you are a liar. Watch me show you how fast of a liar you are.

Do you remember the below post you made on post number 1?

Look how fast I found you to be a liar sentence # 2 in your original post.

Please show us proof that chess.com university prodigy program has flaws in its mindset.

How do you know they have flaws in there mindset.

You are not a student of the program!

You are not an instructor of the program!

You are not even an observer of the program!

What evidence are you going to use to support such an outragious assumption?

There intro page?

You can not be serious right now.

Not all businesses/programs will post a detailed schedule of what they will do or will not do on an intro page. They keep some stuff secret so there competitors don't find out.

They will give a broad example on there intro page just to give people an idea of what they do to get people interested.

The intro page is generally used as an attention getter to get new students etc.

If you knew anything about business. You would know this.

Which means your assumption they have a flaw in there mindset falls flat.

An assumption which falls flat is considered a lie.

An since you said the lie, you are considered a liar.

TAAAA DAAAAA  see how we figured that out.

I can do it again watch me go again.

Look how you are a liar again sentence # 5 in your original post.

Where is your proof they do not do individual sessions?

What evidence do you have to support such an assumption.

Once again your assumption falls flat on its face.

Making your statement a lie again.

Making you a lair again.

Do you want me to keep going or do you see how big of a lair you are.

I am only on sentence number 5. You wrote over 100 of these sentence.

In response to text in Purple.

Learn to conduct feed back in a more friendly manner. You will than not have to worry about being attacked. You twitless worm.

I think CensoredReality is right. Calling it a prodigy program is probably a mistake considering it sounds like it is tailored to quite the opposite. However, calling it a prodigy program makes those who participate or are even just invited to participate feel validated. The fact that I can participate shows that it is not really a prodigy program.

Though it sounds pretty cool to me, as stated, marketing has taken a downward turn into misleading the public these days.

@totalnovice12,

The program was designed for kids to become chess prodigies but players of all ages who want to improve can benefit from it. The youth students are trying to improve and become prodigies. The adults are trying to improve and become masters.

Here is what we say at the beginning of our Prodigy Program announcements:

Want your child to become a chess prodigy? Yes? So do we! Or are you an adult and want to master chess yourself? Great, we will get you there! Read on to learn more about our program.

*Chess.com University's Prodigy Program*

Master Chess at Any Age, Within 5 Years

This online super-coaching program by Chess.com University is designed to create chess prodigies out of youth players and take them, or any chess player, to master-level within 5 years. By offering high-quality live lessons, detailed study plans, relevant homework, and unlimited guidance from our world-class team of coaches, we have created a program that can take any chess player from beginner to master within 5 years! The Chess.com University Prodigy Program is for kids as well as adults. It is open to chess players of all ages.

It seems like value for money to me, but it still requires an awful lot of dedication - I'd like to think that if anyone spent that much time & effort over 5 years studying something that they'd get pretty good at it. Consider this: how long does it take to earn an undergraduate degree at a university when studying part time?

Of course there's an element of marketing in here - I think most sensible people would realise that and bring their own judgement to the table. When the programme has been running for 4 years, it would be interesting to see whether the students who have put in the effort really are that much closer to being Masters; irrespective of the eventual outcome, it seems like one way to learn some really useful things about a game you (presumably) love.

@uscftigerprowl,

Children in general are very intelligent and have high potential. An "average" child who loves the game and studies it diligently should be able to become a chess prodigy.

You say: "A true prodigy wouldn't need assistance." Are you kidding me? They will need a tremendous amount of assistance from books, parents, coaches, etc. If you think Magnus came out of his mother's womb as a 2800+ level player, you are wrong. He simply got obsessed with the game and his father fully supported him so that he could become a prodigy.

Send any 5-year-old child who loves chess to my house for a few months and he will leave as a chess prodigy.

@Caedrel,

Yep, it requires an awful lot of dedication for sure. We do our part but students have to do their part as well. They must review what they learn, complete all the homework, spend time reviewing their games, etc.

We have many students who simply take a month or two of the program, review/finish all the work over the next month or two, and then enroll again when they're all caught up. Clearly, not everybody has the time to keep up with such a fast-paced program. But still, those who have very limited time can enroll for a month here and there and learn a lot.

I don't think it's useful to debate the meaning of prodigy; if you feel like it, replace it with skilled chessplayer.

Prodigy Program sounds nice and concise. We don't intend to change the name.

Criticism of Chess.com University Prodigy Program

^^^^ This forum makes me laugh.

They started out with criticism on the chess.com university prodigy program.

Than when they realized they had no way of actually criticising the program because they have no knowledge of it.

They than decided to pick apart the word Prodigy

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

I got tears coming out of my eyes from laughing so hard. These guys are wonderful!

If all you can do is critize the word "Prodigy". Than you have hit a real low lol.

This is the funniest thing ever.

I have to say it "This is so nerdy lol."

When all esle fails go with the nerd route of critizing something.

I'll teach Chess.com University!

They used the wrong word.

It is not suppose to say Prodigy.

It is suppose to say Skilled.

They are technically inaccurate!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

This is so funny they whipped out there pocket protectors and found the defintion of the word Prodigy to show how it is being used wrongly lol.

This is so funny. If that is the only criticism they can muster than they have hit rock bottom.

In chess, prodigy doesn't hold such a strict definition. We don't have to be talking about Mozart. Any young player with exceptional ability to play chess at his or her age is considered a chess prodigy.

I understand the meaning of prodigy and know how it is used in the chess world quite commonly. Maybe I can draft up a definition for it.

Chess prodigy: someone who is exceptionally skilled at chess for his or her age.

So if our five year olds become masters at age ten, they would be chess prodigies who would likely go on to become IMs and GMs.

Again, folks, "Prodigy Program" sounds nice, is relevant (though not entirely as it is for players of all ages), and causes no harm to anyone. I'm sure new students read my entire Prodigy Program announcements before signing up.

We could call it the Chess.com University Beginner-to-Master Program, which at one point we considered, but that's too long and doesn't sound nice.

In the prehistory of software in the late-1980s to early-1990s, Prodigy was an ISP and the precursor to Google in its effort to be all things to all people.

I know you was outside of PP3 and GeniusKJ discussion.

I was not talking about you bb.

I was talking about tigerprowl lol. The person who tryed to agree with PP3 only to bring up this cheap trick.

I think the name Prodigy is completely fine.

They are obviously picking out this term because there agrument has fell flat on its face.

Trying to use low ball tactics on a word.

It is a sign of pure desperation.

"Prodigy Program" is just a bit of marketing speak: it might not be the strictly technically "correct" use of the word, but language is an elastic thing anyway: I hear my kids talking about the team they're versing on the weekend and silently groan to myself  But it does have a nice alliteration and punchiness to it: I've been on projects where they come up with the name first and then figure out an abbreviation to go with it (and where they've just picked a name and not thought about the abbreviation at all, like the Promotion Management System)

It occurs to me that calling it "Chess.com University" is another piece of marketing - I get it, they're trying to put together course material and a syllabus / curriculum that teaches chess, but so far I haven't seen any proposals for a Bachelor of Arts (Chess) - or should that be a B Sc (Chess)? 

@Caedrel,

Haha! Actually, we're trying to partner up with a fully accredited university right now. We would teach online chess classes for them and would have proctored exams too. We're not working on a chess degree program but we are trying to get colleges to offer chess classes for elective credit. Maybe by end of next year, we'll be offering classes for elective college credit. Stay tuned. :)

your spelling and grammar make me laugh. I was simply agreeing with one's statement about marketing in general and how it applies to this situation rather than criticising the program itself. The word prodigy has an implication of natural talent and saying it is a prodigy program and individually emailing all members of chess.com to join the prodigy program  probably makes some people feel special and gives them validation which makes them more likely to join the program.

While the use of prodigy doesn't bother me much (there's really not a better substitute that conveys the programs aims in few words), the responses of those involved with the program are quite disturbing. Your hasty and aggressive responses have convinved myself, and probably others, who were probably not going to join the program to absolutely not join the program.

Get your Chess Master's Degree at University of Phoenix Online!

Has anyone that is being negative towards chess.com's Prodigy Program actually taken it?