DVDs (Fritztrainer, Polgar, Roman)

Hi all, 

Do I need to download chessbase in order to play a Fritztrainer DVD or just a DVD player?  Does it work on a DVD player on a macintosh?  Here are the system requirements for chessbase DVDs, but I don't understand how a DVD needs to be Windows-compatible (I am computer illiterate, sorry): System requirements: Pentium-Processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DVD drive, mouse, soundcard.

Any good DVD's recommended for my level (and a few hundred points beyond)? I have heard Danny King's Powerplay series is good, but maybe it is too advanced, but then again that may be good to watch many times over the course of months even if advanced.

Any other instructional chess DVD's that anyone thinks are good (such as Polgar's or Roman's or any other series)?  

I can't seem to find an excuse to use the elliptical, but maybe I would if I could watch some chess DVDs and therefore kill 2 stones with 1 bird.   Thanks.

Chessbase DVDs always include game database archives in .cbh format.  Even if there is video, it is synced to the games in an archive.  You can use recent versions of Fritz or Chessbase to view Chessbase media files, and the DVDs may include a .cbh reader program.  There are no Chessbase programs for a Mac though.  You could set up a Windows emulator like Parallels or VMWare on a Mac, and then run a chessbase reader from inside Windows.

Chess videos sound like a good idea, but in my opinion, it is mostly just a novelty at this point.  It's always going to be hard to find material pitched at exactly your level, and a lot of GMs, while fascinating players, are not that interesting to watch on video.  You get more useful information from a good book.

Thanks for the info.  

I do have Windows on my Mac via Parallels.  I don't doubt your "good book" point, but I have gained some weight, and to push myself to exercise I would like to watch chess DVDs while on the elliptical.     

So I guess I'll download chessbase light in Windows, order a Fritztrainer DVD and see how that goes.  

Is there a particular series of DVDs that you (or anyone else) recommend even if none are going to be perfect?  I guess I prefer a series that kind of covers lots of things to have variety and breadth.  

as i skim through the fritztrainer smaples in fritz12,

i rekon that most of the DVD are quite specific, there's no 'genral' ones.

e.g. there's only one disc about queen's gambit, and one just about pawn structure.

Yeah, many of them seem quite specific.  

It seems that some of these Fritz DVDs are subdivided into "mini-series" consisting a few or several DVD's, like the "ABC" series, or Danny King's Power Play series which has at least 13 DVDs covering everything, or Aagard's Attacking Chess 1 and 2.  I am quite certain Aagard is way advanced for me, but don't know about Danny King or the ABCs.  

Outside of Fritztrainer, I have no idea how easy, hard, or good the Polgar DVDs are, nor do I know how easy, hard, or good Roman's DVDs are, but these are all the instructional chess DVDs that I am aware of.  

I don't know all of them, but Daniel King is a very good teacher.

Thanks, hicetnunc.  Your endorsement is enough to convince me.  Now I just need some !@#% $$$$...

Out of curiosity, I took a brief look at DVD's by Danny King, Roman Dzindzichihashvili and Jacob Aagard this morning.  They are all in a similar style, the same as in the Chessbase DVDs by Kasparov, Anand and Shirov.  The speaker puts up a position from a game related to the theme they are discussing, and then works through various moves.  All of them try to keep it simple, focusing on the actual position and possible continuations, just briefly touching on the relevant features of the position without really going into the theory at all.  I don't think you would have much trouble understanding any of these videos, so maybe you should get whichever one strikes your fancy.

just stay away from romans dvds:)

Thanks rigamagician for the very helpful comments.  

Tigergutt, I have heard mixed things about Roman's DVDs (some say they are terrible, others say they like his style)...anything in particular that you think are bad about them, especially for a low-level player would notice?   His DVDs are somewhat appealing superficially because they seem to be comprehensive (28 DVDs) and cover not just openings abut also middlegames, strategy, and endgames.  

Roman recommends a slow boring positional approach with an eye towards the endgame.  A lot of other teachers tend to recommend that beginners start off learning tactics and how to attack in gambit games, but he is the exact opposite.  To his credit though, he calls in Larry Christiansen for some of the DVDs to explain a bit more about dynamic attacking chess.  Aagard or King are probably better though if you want to learn how to play interesting chess.

i like romans dvds but wouldnt advise them for beginners. you need to have a fundamental understanding of strategy to understand what he's saying because he draws his conclusions quite quickly.

Several years ago I bought (on ebay) what was then the complete Roman set-volumes 1-20 plus his 4 volume set of essential chess openings  all for about $300.  I watched his first 2 dvds and came away with absolutely nothing for my 8 hours.  I did not like his style and he went way too fast for a beginner to follow.  No way could you follow them while on your elliptical.  They still sit on a shelf and maybe I will give them a second chance some day. 

roman have a good understanding of chess and if he have dvds on middlegames and endgames im not suprised if they are useful, but he ommits very important things in openings. here its john watsons review of one of the books http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/jwatsonbkrev77.html

i once bought the dvd on english openings and the material looked good but for some reason you saw the game from blacks perspective with white on top so it was strange studying white that way. on that dvd there were stuff he said he refused to answer to like the maroczybind because it had been on another dvd on the acc dragon he made once. i never seen that dvd but i heard from some other people that the maroczylines on that dvd were only lines that won for black so if thats the case i would have felt very tricked if i bought it

if i remember right on one of those dvds with many openings he used alot ot time of explaining an opening before he noticed that he had the rook on the wrong square and he started over and in one dvd he coughed all the time. but i have read the book chessopenings for black by roman. its is very good so maybe some of it is good. but why bother when everything by danny king is fantastic. nigel davies is very good with us clubplayers and explains alot. i have never seen anything by aagard but i love the books

Great comments everyone, thanks.  Danny King is getting multiple ringing endorsements.  Aagard also got a few.  I'll check out Nigel Davies stuff on the website, too.  Roman --> nay for now.  Can't wait for July (and for some more money...guess I gotta keep my day job)...

Anyone know anything about the Polgar's DVDs?  Are they too basic to last more than a few months?  Nothing is too basic for me obviously, but I have basic instuctional books and software, and before dropping a few hundred dollars on a DVD series, I'd like to know that I'd get more and more out of a good DVD series with time (like with a good book when people say that start to understand concepts that they didn't before as they get stronger).

Thanks algernonn (like the name).  So I can just pop these Fritztrainer CD's in my DVD-drive and it should work like any other?...That would be very good.  Another endorsement for Danny King. 

I agree with you on the passivity of such media, but it seems better than nothing for while [theoretically] exercising...it is much harder to control a mouse or read a chess book while I am drenched in my own filth and sweat.  

i bought alot of chessdvds and on every single one of them all i needed to play them was on the dvd:)

Thanks again, algernonn.

I have a diamond membership and therefore have access to all the great chess.com videos, but unfortunately I do not have internet access in my home where my elliptical machine is, so I plan to watch chess DVD's as an alternative while attempting to become a fit fighting chess machine, but perhaps it may be cheaper to get internet access at home before dropping hundreds of dollars on chess DVDs.

I didn't know that I could download the videos on this site and still view them without internet access...thanks for letting me know that.  You have altered my life drastically, but for the better.  

Well, it may be technically feasible, but I doubt it's allowed...