Diamond Membership a Waste of Money and other things

I've been a diamond member of chess.com for one year, and it saddens me to make the following complaints.

Why is there not more substantive discussion about chess? In General Discusion, "I want to be your friend" has 89 posts. "Is chess useful for anything else than chess?" has 128 posts.

This site, sadly, is degenerating into something other than a place for good discussions about chess. I'm all for humor, and I have nothing against people wanting to post silly stuff, but please create forum headers like "Spam" and "More Spam" for these discussions. I'm NOT kidding and it can be fun for everyone. I belonged to another gaming forum where those topic headers were in place (Spam - More Spam) so people could feel free to ramble on about absolute utter nonsense. Even I participated when the mood struck. With topic headers like Spam and More Spam in place, the heart and soul of this chess site can be protected for on-topic, serious discussions about chess.

Also, having been a member of this site for one year, I am truly surprised by the rude talk on a chess site forum, of all things. I belonged to a site about five years ago where personal attacks (flaming) were NEVER tolerated. The moderators were all in their 20's and had zero patience for it and kicked people off the forum. Members did not even need to lodge a complaint. I've been the subject of personal attacks twice, and I do need to give credit for chess.com for removing those rude comments about me, but the members still kept their memberships. What does that teach all of us here at this place we call community? It teaches all of us that we can get away with attacking someone personally and get away with it. Personal attacks are not cool. Period. 

IM Rensch has a video series titled Pawn Structure 101: Caro-Slav for the intermediate player. I've viewed the entire series. Daniel is an excellent and entertaining teacher. However, what does chess.com consider to be an intermediate player, 1400 to 2000? Daniel's instruction was not appropriate for my playing strength. There is very little video instruction for the beginning chess player. It's a token effort at best. Usually, the "beginning" video will be for the beginning/intermediate chess player. This series by Daniel is definitely not for the under 1200 beginner. I'm an under 1200 blitz player and an under 1600 turn-based player. Even at the under 1600 level, I rarely see opening theory or Soltis pawn structures applied. It's just one crazy out of book move after another.

Where is the video series on the fundamentals of chess? Even the intermediate players could benefit from a course on the fundamentals, as it will close the gaps that exist.

I want to see a video series on pawns for the under 1200 beginner. The blitz game I played today (with a distracting amount of lag) should explain everything. My opponent made a very strange pawn move (3...f5?) that I had not seen before. I could only find one game in a 4.5 million game ChessBase online database with this strange move.  Fritz 12 says that the move was a mistake and that I should have captured the pawn with the immediate (4.exf5), but I don't know why, as the f5 pawn is defended by the e6 pawn. I would like to see a 101 pawn lesson for beginners. If I see this, then I may pay again for the diamond membership, otherwise, I would just be throwing money down the drain.

Bottom line on the chess.com videos: make more instructional videos for the majority of amatuer chess players in the world (under 1800/under Class A). The F.M., I.M. and G.M. video authors may find this a bit boring, but then being a beginning music teacher myself, I found a way to teach beginning band and orchestra students in a way that is most satisfying.

This can be rewarding financially for you as well. If you wish to create more teaching opportunities, then I suggest reaching out to the vast majority of amatuer chess players, the ones under 1800 U.S.C.F. Perhaps then, more people on this site would pay for a diamond membership.

I enjoy listening to GM Roman Dzindzichashvilli, but Roman, I am not ready yet to fully understand what you are talking about, even when you say your video is for beginners. Pretend that you are talking to a first year player about how to play chess, then I will understand. I am a college educated adult, a teacher, but just take a look at my most recent blitz game and you will understand what I know and don't know about chess. I am truly one of the real beginning chess players, and there are many of us that you could help with all of your stored wisdom.

Roman, I purchased two books co-authored by you, Chess Openings for White, Explained and Chess Openings for Black, Explained. I am serious about becoming a better chess player. If you decide to offer a video series for the beginning chess player, then I will pay for another year for the privilege of being taught by you, a Grand Master.

For everyone here at this site, if you see the diamond symbol removed from my name, it's because I will be learning how to play chess from Dan Heisman over at ICC.

Maybe all of my typing was a complete waste of time and this site was not set-up to offer video instruction for the absolute beginning chess player. My apologies if this is the case.

chess.com isn't for everyone but it seems to be working for a lot of people.

SerbianChessStar wrote:

You get what you paid for.. You actually think GMs know how to help first year chess players? This is why I recommend weaker players to look at NM videos or even just experts because it proves to be alot useful, I'm sorry you weren't satisfied.. Btw.. I want to be your friend.. ;)

I enjoy reading your posts and also your writing style. I'm a fan.

F.M. Charles Galofre is my favorite video author and I see your point. This F.M. does make the most sense than a G.M.  IM Rensch and IM Shankland talk way too fast, and only to the most experienced of chess players. Who here understands the five GM video authors?  Now, I will listen to Roman because he has a good sense of humor, but I don't know at all what he is talking about when it comes to chess. Lectures on Endgames? Way over my head.

IM Ginsburg and IM David Pruess are the very best video authors on this site for the new player. If I had the money, I would take private lessons from one of those two players. Sorry Danny and Sam. You guys talk too smart and too fast. Ya gotta dumb it down a bit for us of weaker minds.

@ ilikeflags and now, SerbianChessStar

I see that both of you do not have a diamond membership.  Only people rated above 1800 U.S.C.F. would maybe benefit from the extra expense based on my experience as a diamond member. So, for some reason, both of you chose not to add two benefits: 1. Chess Mentor Online Training and 2. Video Lessons w/ Top Players.

There are currently 2,305,981 members. That's a lot!

What percentage of those members would benefit from the added expense of a diamond membership to receive video lessons? 1 percent?  A very small percentage, since most of the video lessons are aimed at the over 1600 rated player. A few fall in the category of 1200-1600.

Dan Heisman just sent me a post offering his help.   He is by far the best chess teacher for the beginning chess player. He's also from my home state and a nice guy.  Nothing yet from chess.com, which I find surprising as I am possibly steering more people away from becoming diamond members. Yep. It looks like Dan Heisman will serve as my new chess coach, as I am firing Rensch and Shankland for not teaching me the fundamentals of chess. I'd like to keep FM Galofre on the payroll, but he is part of this huge coaching team. So, sadly, I must fire all of them.
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At the Live Chess page, when you click on "view players", you will find a bell curve where the majority of players in the distribution curve fall between 1000-1200.

My point is simple. One of the main benefits to becoming a diamond member is receiving video lessons. Having been a diamond member for one full year, I have found almost no videos that would help the under 1200 player, me.

Looking at the bell curve, I simply don't know why chess.com is not producing more video lessons for the vast majority of their membership. It does not even make sense from a business stand point. Sell the diamond membership to the vast majority. Make money!

Perhaps the leadership at chess.com are not capitalists at heart, but some socialist organization that has no interest in making money.

O.K. My one silly comment! 

After doing a few demos with chess mentor i am considering upgrading to diamond.  I admit though, I did not get diamond originally because I could not follow the videos I saw. 

Ultimatley it comes down to whether or not you think you're getting your money's worth. Obviously the diamond membership doesn't work for YOU.

Statements like "Only people rated above 1800 U.S.C.F. would maybe benefit from the extra expense based on my experience as a diamond member."  are utterly false.  I  just watched this VIDEO form IM Rensch and found it very informative and I'm nowhere near 1800 USCF. Yes I understood pretty much everything he said and I agree he does go fast but its pretty easy to go back and rewatch the bits you don't pick up the first time.

My suggestion to you would be to drop your membership down to gold and do your 25 tactics trainer everyday and focus on improving those. Also, the computer workout is a great tool available to gold memberships, believe me I know. Then you can go watch the other videos you enjoy and have the best of both worlds.

One more thing, I agree "Perhaps the leadership at chess.com are not capitalists at heart, but some socialist organization that has no interest in making money." is a very silly comment. It's pretty obvious Erik and company have done something right in creating IMHO the best chess community on the internet. I'd also be willing to bet that they have been pretty successful making money at it too.

Anyways I'm done going off on my tangent,  good luck with whatever decision you make

P.S. Before you refute my arguments by saying "well you don't have a diamond membership," believe me if I could afford it or had the time it takes to really jump into this crazy game I would.

I started a thread while back, that stated that  I wished Chess Montor had more lessons aimed at the 1100 to 1400 or so, rated player, and Eric answered "Noted" but I don't know if anything will come of it. All of Chess Mentor's full courses are aimed at the 1800 or over player, which isn't very fair to beginners who pay the same for it, either.

Woodshover, you may want to try chessmaster.  I found those videos to be very good for learning all the way from how pawns move up to about 4 moves in the opening.  It didn't really rely on memorizing opens as much as why you would want to do this over that.  After i lost a chess kick i was on, i went back and started over at the initial levels and was reminded about a lot of the basic theories (like why rooks like open files). 

 Do you think Chess Master would help the OP?

This post belongs in the "Site Feedback & Suggestions" section of the forum.

 I just put it there for him.

Do you think Chess Master would help the OP?

Probably not with the complaints about the forum...but perhaps with the video lessons. I don't really know that much about his level of play.  Of course, there are a lot of highly rated players that recommend chessmaster too. 

I recommended it to you based on your comments about Chess Mentor.  I have not felt them too be so far above my level; certainly challenging and I need to go through the ones i have done again (perhaps more agains).  If you notice, on this site, I hover around 1500 turn based.  Admitedly, playing as Big Blue (IBM program?) against a GM seemed like a bit of trial by fire, though. 

 Chess Mentor does just fine for a while, then it jumps up to a much higher level. The full courses state their rating levels, which are at around 18 or 1900.

Hmmm, maybe they expect us to learn faster than we expect us to?  Thanks for the info.  I think i can upgrade and then downgrade again if i find that it is not worth it. 

Would you be so kind to give us examples of how it was in your good old days. As far as I can tell these forums have always been flooded mainly by American teens who don't care much about "Chess" except "how do I become good enough so that I can beat my seven year old sister", behaving either in a malicious or benign way.

You seem to be interested mainly in the video section. I don't know man, chess is not learned through online videos. I have yet to see a strong player who tells us he learnt the essentials of the game by watching a chessbase DVD or youtube videos. No, he just went out there and "played the game". Now I know you aren't completely intending to be an awesome chess bully, but you do enjoy the structure of this game and wish to understand more of what is going on. Then the best way, really, is to join a local real chess club, play real games, make real friends, have real fun. Forget about this online unreal video nonsense. Somebody else clicking around the pieces for you isn't going to make you a stronger player.

By the way, is the state of the video section worse than one year ago? I can't tell as I have only watched a handful of instruction videos. But something tells me it is much better at the moment than in the good olden days.

This message was brought to you by heinzie

The teenagers heinzie, are not all American.

It appears not all Americans are in their teens either :)

This world is made by people and many of us should know that. You have the chance to choose with who you want to play/chat.

I like chess.com for the opportunity of bringing people with the same passion together regardless of their social status/age/job/experience/wealth.I think the solution for you is to search for exclusivist chess sites to play on with a selective bunch of people.

This is my opinion about the matter.

Hello my musical "comrade".  I must tell you that I spend an awful lot of time in live chess just coaching people just like you.  I'll tend to play a lot of low rated players just because I'm lazy, but my USCF rating has peaked at around 2000 many years ago.  I'd guess my actual playing strength these days is more around 1800.  In any case what happens is I play some games and eventually my natural teaching instinct comes out and I end up talking my opponents through various openings and ideas.  It's fun for me and educational for them.  Any time you'd like just give me a "ping" and I'll be happy to give you some coaching.  You don't need an IM to understand how to improve your play when you're at the level you're at.  A nice class A, B or C player can help you out pretty well too. 

This is what I don't get. Why do you watch a video series on Caro-Slav Pawn Structures? As a beginner don't worry about elaborate opening theory, or complicated pawn structures. Just try to understand the general idea. 

I've been a chess teacher for a couple of years now, mainly instructing absolute beginners (mostly young children) and they benefit far more from being taught about tactics. By far, most games are decided tactically. I'm not sure whether this site's tactics trainer is ideal for training (I only get 3 tries a day), because I prefer a more personal approach that structurally improves your game.