Customer Feedback to Chess Mentor^®

M.W., Pennsylvania:

P.S. ZACH'S RATING WENT FROM 1100 WHEN WE BOUGHT THE
PROGRAM TO 1600  (AND THE TOP 50 LIST) IN LESS THAN SEVEN MONTHS.  PRETTY GOOD ENDORSEMENT FOR THE PRODUCT.

T.G., Montana:

Chess Mentor is great! It is so much easier to learn...the lessons tells you what the basic idea is and provides clues ranging in how much they give away.  The way that Chess Mentor reviews the studies that you didn't do well on is great! I wouldn't mind seeing a complete opening Supplementary Course...thanks for a great product.

S.B., New Hampshire:

Just a note to let you know that I recently purchased and installed Chess Mentor comprehensive.  I LOVE THIS PROGRAM! I've honed my game more effectively, quickly, and enjoyably with just a few hours with Chess Master than with a small library of chess books.  Others may disagree with me, but for me, Chess Mentor is THE most effective way to learn and improve the game.  My 7 year old daughter has greatly improved her game by using Chess Mentor, too.

Just wanted to thank you and everyone else at Aficionado for offering such a fantastic product.

R.S., Georgia:

I just ordered the supplemental course on positional understanding. I am very pleased with the basic course! Nearly every night I spend at least 20 minutes "in class". I am playing in my first major tournament in Atlanta, since ordering the course, next weekend. I expect to do well. Your product is the best!

A.B., Alabama:

I am very new at chess( 4 months ) and have tried many things and read about 5 books. Chess Mentor comprehensive chess course made me play so much better. We have a small group of players at work and i can beat them all. Ti seems to make you learn when you try to solve them. Please keep up the good work

J.R., Florida:

I am interested in your chess course. I have a few already and I'm very pleased with them. Who needs chess books anymore? And, trust me, I have many. Please, add me to your mailing list and keep me up to date on any new products.

After using Chess Mentor I have really increased my won/tie record against Chessmaster 5000.

Chess Mentor is surely the 21st century way to learn chess and I am very very pleased with it. Intend to get *all* the courses that are released for it.

I called earlier today to receive help loading the Chess Openings course. I downloaded the installer program from your website, as per your instructions, and all is well.

Thank you very much for your courteous help. Thank you for your fine product. I am an elementary school teacher and chess coach and Chess Mentor has not only taught me a lot about chess, but also about good teaching technique!

I look forward to purchasing more modules and updates in the future. Thanks again for your help.

I am very happy! My Chess Mentor program is running now. I think that this program is at the moment the best chess trainer you can buy. I have only problems with the english languagee. So I can train two things at once. Learning better chess and learning better English.

I spoke to you briefly at a Lake Tahoe tournament when you were just getting started. Your product is super, thanks for placing the Black pieces correct when it's Black to move. It is very frustrating to see the white pieces at the bottom when it's Black to move. My friends Love your program it is like having a Master Instructor at your beck and call.

I must say I'm very impressed!!

I was impressed with the program, now I'm even more impressed with The Customer Service area! I'll do my darnest to pass the word around!

I love this product and am improving rapidly as a result of its use. Suggestions: the course does not provide a way to really learn the openings in a comprehensive way and yet the learning environment it provides seems ideal for that. I have "A Kaleidoscope..." and while instructive, it seems that the intent was not to provide a comprehensive opening repertoire to the learner. Also, how about a glossary? I had to buy a book of chess terms; for instance, what are "hanging pawns"? Finally, how about applying this technology to teaching physics, chemistry, differential equations. I wish I could learn many things by this method. Thanks and keep it up!

Your product is all I had hoped for, but more uniquely, your customer support is beyond reproach. I talked to John on the phone and he resolved my problems installing Chess Mentor with much patience and understanding. Thank you for an exceptional product, but most of all for the great customer support. It will be my pleasure to share my impressions of Chess Mentor with my chess computer usenet group and relate my positive experience to potential customers.

I'm satisfied with the second best- when I can't have Mr. Jeremy Silman, in person, as a private teacher of chess.

I have been in contact with the people at Chess Mentor before, and as I promised, I'm ready to report the effect Chess Mentor has had on my play. When I started on Chess Mentor, I was at the bottom of the ladder. My rating was low, it was going up and I couldn't understand why. I didn't know what there was to that I could possibly be missing. Well, Chess Mentor showed me. I've only been at it about eight months now, and it has totally changed my outlook on chess. I understand now what I need to do in a game.

I have it (Chess Mentor) and I find it better than books because when I look at a puzzle in a book I often find myself saying, for example, "What's wrong with NxeS and why isn't it better than h3?". The point being that if the puzzle is challenging enough to be doing, you can't expect to understand every solution. Chess Mentor addresses both good moves and bad moves and gives explanations for all of them.

As for real improvement. When I first got it I used (played?) it quite a bit and went through some of the intermediate material. I found it very challenging and I found (because it kinda pounds things > into you) that there were certain tactical position that I had a blindspot for. In any event, my blitz rating on the FICS went from about 1250 to 1330 and has stayed pretty consistently above 1300. I haven't spent that much time with it, but I think it did help.

I'd recommend it.

I recently bought Chess Mentor and am quite impressed and pleased by it. I've known how to move the pieces for years, but I never found chess to be the engaging enterprise that it is until now. Thanks for making a product that's easy to use and makes it easy to learn.

Dear Sir/Madam, Have recently recieved demonstration version of Chess Mentor. I am dropping you a line to tell you that I am impressed with it. I have not been a strong learner of the game and have found the ploughing through of Chess theory books stultifyingly boring. Your program has helped me improve my chess. Thank you. I shall be purchasing the full version soon. My best wishes to you

I have to say that the Chess Mentor program has helped me considerably. I now can get to a stalemate against a computer game. Not bad considering prior to getting it I used to get trounced on, badly. Your company's product is excellent. I am hooked, and so are all my co-workers who use the program on my computer. I almost have to take a number and it's my computer! I recommend it to everyone and so far everyone who tries it gets wrapped up in it. Pass all this along to your co-workers, you all should be proud. Keep up the great efforts in programming. Thanks for a great product.

I bought the Chess Mentor comprehensive course a month or so ago, and have completed almost all the puzzles. Although I haven't seen the exact puzzle positions come up in RL games, I have caught a couple of mates because they were similar to the Chess Mentor positions. My tactical ability has increased a lot thanks to Chess Mentor. I don't know if the demo has all the endgame puzzles that appear in the full version, but those too have been of immense help in my own game. I was able to force a stalemate in an ICS game the other day against a much better opponent who was poised to mate, mainly because of the endgame drills in Chess Mentor.

Your company is really a class act, and I as I have said before I hope in the future to buy more of your chess modules as they are very addictive and fascinating. It is interesting for instance, to read the Kasparov - Deep Blue module, with its key moments, and then compare that analysis with the analysis of others.

D.R., Self Employed Investor, Colorado:

Chess Mentor is a new and fresh approach to learning chess. Far better than "play the computer" methods. I am a beginner but expect to advance rapidly using this software.

D.B., Attorney, Illinois:

A while back I wrote you with some questions I had on Chess Mentor. You patiently replied to me. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I did indeed browbeat my brother to get me this for Xmas -- and I wanted to tell you just how much I enjoy it!

First of all, it installed effortlessly on my home computer -- a Pentium with Windows95, and also on my notebook computer at work -- a 486 with Windows 3.1.

I had previously used TASC -- but you know -- that just wasn't very much fun. Dialogue was a bare minimum, graphics were crude, there was no reply of moves, no saving of where you were in the series of puzzles.

Chess Mentor, on the other hand, is just fun! I simply love to go through the exercises! I like having it at work -- I can go through a few of them, after work, to relax, before I head on home.

My hearfelt congratulations on putting together a fine, user-friendly -- if you know Windows, you instinctively know what to do -- and enjoyable product.

S.S., CPA/Attorney, Minnesota:

Excellent concept and great selection of authors. Finally a chess tool that helps one learn. Explanations of wrong moves are at least as important as the explanations of correct moves.

R.S. Physician:

Thanks for the email message. You know, it actually made me feel good to hear that there's someone else out there that really loves chess who's not a wiz at it. Also, it was a bit of a kick getting a note from the president of a company that makes a product I buy. The world's getting too big for that kind of personal touch these days. Anyway, you guys have made a hit with me all around. First, Chess Mentor is for me exactly what I think your team intended it to be: A chess mentor, not a chess tormentor. Then, Jason (I'm pretty sure it was he who answered my yell for help) shows me, click-bang, how to reconfigure my graphics so Chess Mentor works right. Probably very straight-forward for Jason but I was pretty impressed. Finally, the president of the company emails me to assure me that he's not laughing at my chess rating! You guys have a fan out here. Please keep doing what you're doing.

Best regards,

R.S.

W.C., Accountant, California:

The Demo I downloaded off the Internet convinced me that this would be a great teaching program.

RS, Professor, Hong Kong: (Internet discussion group posting)

I use Chess Mentor as part of my instruction for primary school children. They like the format. The challenge increases according to their ability, so students can progress at their own pace. It's like having a pocket full of chess masters as assistant instructors!

Cheers, RS

M.B., Retired Military, Oregon:

Great program. Very user friendly with no eye strain. Love it!!

A.A., Associate Professor, Hong Kong:

I am most impressed with Chess Mentor -- it does seem to promote learning. I look forward to seeing the new modules.

T.T., Consultant, Pennsylvania

PS One of my 8 year olds was playing at the local library's chess club when she got rotated to a 12 or 13 year old boy. The kid was almost rolling up his sleeves, tasting an easy victory, when one of his buddies walked by, slowed down and said "You are dead meat, you know??". "WHAT" the kid says, "I' m playing a second grade GIRL!!" "Yeah, I know, " the other kid shoots back. "You just don't know WHICH second grade girl you're playing". He lost.
Chess Mentor is her "most awesome" computer game.
Neat work, people!
Oh, yes, and my game has improved to the point where I've been drafted as assistant chess coach. Is this good or bad?

J.J., Physician, New York:

I wish to congratulate you on a brilliantly innovated and executed achievement in your Chess Mentor program. It has given me more hours of pleasure and intellectual stimulation than any other program I've used.

R.K., Attorney, California:

Learning is seeing, and seeing on Chess Mentor, you can't miss. It really helps the chess student 'get it' instantly, and even my kids (12,9, & 6) with their short attention spans, can get it. It's a great teaching device.

R.J., Computer Programmer, Florida:

Chess Mentor is the best application of computer based instruction that I've ever seen.

M.R., Retired, Colorado:

I just want to compliment you on your marvelous software package. I have been struggling to gain experience and skills at playing chess for a month now. I was getting nowhere. Several people were willing to play chess with me -- and promptly beat my socks off. I was getting very discouraged until I came across your demo. Though I did know the basic moves, I started from scratch and picked up some additional tips. The basics are explained very clearly with encouragement thrown in here and there. The novice challenges set up have been very helpful. By the way, I am a 53-year-old female who only played a few games in her pre-teen years. Thanks again for providing aspiring chess players with a clear and concise method in which to improve their game. Before Chess Mentor I had only found software that mowed you down and made you feel totally inadequate. It is a joy to find a product aimed at teaching me to be a better player and not just to show that the computer is faster and smarter than I am.

G.O., Astrophysicist, Maryland:

Chess Mentor is a way to study chess and learn from your successes as much as from your mistakes as you go through its "challenges" because expert commentary not only accompanies the "right" move, but also the "not so right" moves one may try. Rather than a "raspberry" if you don't pick the "right" move, you get feedback, and usually a hint. Chess Mentor by now has a wealth of challenges, especially on tactical and strategic situations in the middle game -- the type of situations that are not taught easily in other ways. And Chess Mentor is non-linear in the sense that it tests you again on challenges you have trouble with, and not on those you cruise right through. Most importantly, the underlying principles are explained in the commentary, by such superb teachers as IM J. Silman and others. (I like Silman's approach best). So, you learn principles and how to apply them, rather than memorize "moves" and "positions" that just clutter your brain (unless you have a photographic memory). When you are through a challenge, it simply makes sense as you look back -- and you look forward to applying what you learned. Don't be surprised if you win more and lose less. To my knowledge, Chess Mentor is unique. And I found it superbly effective -- and fun.

D.P., Texas:

I bought Chess Mentor 1.0 about a month ago. This program is fantastic. I am an intermediate player and have thought about trying to hire a teacher to give me private lessons, but Chess Mentor is like having my own instructor.

W.R., Professor, South Carolina:

After using the initial release of Chess Mentor, I took my ICS/FICS rating from 1400's to over 1800!

J.R., Credit Union Employee, Idaho:

You have a great product! I find it challenging and beneficial to go to the end of a problem, even when it says I can go on. It teaches how to follow up completely - even after you've found the key move.

E.S., Supply Clerk, Florida:

I anticipate many enlightening learning experiences in chess and your other offerings.

M.B., Telephone Technician, New York:

I truly enjoy this product. My game has improved and I can spot tactical strengths and weaknesses better.

G.K., Manager, Nevada:

I feel Chess Mentor to be the best tool for improving my play as well as being entertaining.

S.G., Retired Electrical Engineer, California:

Thank you for creating Chess Mentor. I have about 110 chess books, but I just don't read them. With Chess Mentor I am learning and look forward to it every day!

S.B., Service Technician, Louisiana:

There are plenty of chess playing programs and database programs, but very few chess teaching programs. I love Chess Mentor and recommend it to all of my chess friends and students. My favorite author is Jeremy Silman, so I was glad to see his modules. I can think of no other program that has a better quality of lessons.

K.T., Electrical Engineer, California:

This product is the best chess learning software that I have seen so far. I own virtually all the chess programs available, and I have learned more with your product than with any other that I own.

J.B., Truck Driver, Oklahoma:

This product helps steer my thinking into areas of challenge. It also provokes me to look deeper for the answers!

J.C., Georgia:

Enclosed is payment for the 8 latest Modules and the free upgrade to Chess Mentor 1.1. I believe Chess Mentor is the best software for learning chess on the market! Keep up the good work!

L.S., Washington:

On June 10, 1995 I received your Preliminary Version 0.9.2 of the "Chess Mentor". It is indeed a work of art, and obviously a work of love, as well! ... Hope everything is progressing okay. Such a well designed product needs to be in the hands of every chess player to increase the level of skill and make the games more enjoyable.

A.A., Software Engineer, Texas:

This is the finest windows program I've ever seen -- and I'm a programmer!

D.M., Retired, Pennsylvania:

I purchased the original version and have gone through the upgrades as the program has been refined until the latest version which is 1.1 -- the one being sold now. It is absolutely FABULOUS and I would recommend it to anyone under the GM category. Unlike most books on positions, this program allows you to try a move and if it's the wrong move it tells you why. If there are two "correct" moves it will tell you if you choose either. There is the ability to get 3 levels of hints if you are stuck, with each hint giving the ultimate solution away to a greater degree, so that you can add to your knowledge with a little nudge from Chess Mentor. There is a scoring system, which allows you to keep track of your ability and progress.

On and On and On. I think it's one of the best tools available, and the price is reasonable for what it offers and what it does for your ability.

I'll keep buying the new modules as they become available -- there's nothing like this product available anywhere else. Most of the books overlap, but this doesn't. BUY IT!!

A.C., Brasil:

I got my brand-new version of Chess Mentor today!! A wonderful job of yours! Congratulations. Thanks. Thanks indeed.

K.C., Journalist, Missouri:

I just received the update to Chess Mentor. The ability to customize the way the program presents its "Challenges" is an excellent improvement. I have setup up two training profiles, one for tactics and strategy, and one just for endgames. The endgame profile gives me a concentrated dose of endgame lessons, while the tactics and strategy profile simulates real game situations better. Going through the challenges and repeatedly being retested really improves your pattern recognition. I've found that when I play at the club I'm picking up loose pieces that I missed before. Suddenly, it seems, the combination just appears out of thin air.

D.C., Civil Engineer, Island of Mauritius:

Chess Mentor is really fantastic!! Continue the great work.

R.C., Teacher, South Carolina:

Yours is a first-rate product -- as instructive and helpful as it is FUN to use. Please keep me informed of all future updates and add-ons.

W.A., College Instructor, Illinois:

Extraordinary achievement -- clearly a breakthrough in chess instruction.

S.H., Phd. Student, Tennessee:

I love it! Please send me any information on any new modules.

L.A., Systems Analyst, Brasil:

Chess Mentor is an excellent coach!

G.B., Washington:

Chess Mentor's active approach to learning chess helps me grasp ideas much more quickly than other passive learning programs. It is impossible to find a quality human instructor that one can afford. Chess Mentor functions just as if it were a human instructor, with all the advantages of being a computer program. I am eagerly looking forward to purchasing future modules. Thanks!

D.C., Educator, Arizona:

Excellent training aid for our students.

R.D., Software Developer, Washington:

Excellent product, and NO BUGS!

M.G., Psychiatrist, Ohio:

Just received Chess Mentor, but enjoying it immensely already!

G.G., Development Manager, Queensland, Australia:

I am happy to recommend this product to schools and chess clubs and have already done this to several people.

J.W., Retired, Pennsylvania:

Very good software -- GREAT CONCEPT.

R.S., Computer Consultant, Missouri:

I think Chess Mentor is a great learning tool. I can now do a few problems when time allows, leave the program for an hour or couple days, and return without losing my place.

E.N., Store Owner, Minnesota:

Excellent program! Keep up the good work!

D.R., Self Employed, California:

An absolutely FABULOUS program! I love the teaching aspect and the excellent organization and structure of the challenges. This is the first chess program that I have found to be very helpful to me. Thanks for bringing a great idea to fruition.

S.G., Software Engineer, Colorado:

Outstanding package - the software is good, but the instruction is great. Easy to improve my skills without feeling less than intelligent.

F.R., California:

This is a great idea, a self-tutor for chess which helps people understand key concepts; I will be able to move up the food chain via Chess Mentor.

G.B., Minnesota: (from a discussion on the rec.games.chess.misc newsgroup)

The best way for him to learn is to buy Chess Mentor. It is by far the best computer teaching tool. Playing a computer that only plays games will destroy him and discourage him. Chess Mentor will really teach.

See http://www.chess.com for information AND a free demo.

K.S., Attorney, California:

Because your training / coaching program has thus far proven to be so useful to improving my game, I am sure I will be putting in many hours each week using Chess Mentor. The excellent chess commentary is what makes this program worth the time. However, I also would like to thank you and your company for the effort and careful attention to detail that went into making this chess aide such a pleasure to use. Without Chess Mentor's elegant interface, the insightful commentary that the program provides would be no more accessible than that of a book, perhaps even less so. Congratulations on your clever accomplishments.

p.s.: Your slogan / motto is well suited to your product.

Chess Mentor by Aficionado^®