Chess for Absolute Beginners
On this DVD, I teach beginners basic chess knowledge including pieces, points, rules and moves. I, along with my teaching helpers, Champion and King Harold, set a fun stage for learning chess. Also included is a brief history of chess, my short biography, and “Fun Facts” about Chess. Don’t miss added DVD-ROM features if you use this DVD in your computer.
This is one of the best selling chess instructional DVDs of all time.
It came out in 2005 and every new release has been sold out quickly. The latest edition with captions in English, Spanish, French and German is now available!
This DVD is being used by many coaches, parents and libraries across the country and in a number of countries. This COOL animated Chess Learning DVD is recommended for children age 4 and up! Kids WILL love it! Countless schools and libraries across the country carry it.
Review from Video Librarian Publication
The Video Review Magazine for Libraries
Produced and hosted by the renowned chess grandmaster Susan Polgar (who has won multiple World Championships and Olympic Gold medals), Learning Chess the Easy Way is a fun and informative introduction to the game.
Animated chess pieces King Harold and Champion the Knight help Polgar guide viewers through basic information (learning about the chess board, the pieces and their respective movements, rules of the games, etc.), before tackling more complex concepts of strategy, such as trying to anticipate an opponent’s moves.Also included are a brief history of chess, a biography of Polgar, and “Fun Facts” about the game.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 3.5 stars / 4
It can be ordered here. For substantial volume purchase discount for schools, clubs and libraries, please send me an email at SusanPolgar@aol.com.
Review by Sean Marsh:
Learn Chess in 30 Minutes
Chess for Absolute Beginners
By GM Susan Polgar
Chess on DVD
This DVD runs for 80 minutes and is split into several chapters. Namely:
GM Polgar narrates a brief history of chess, showing some historical archive material from the World Chess Hall of Fame in Florida. One of the features on show is a table used in the Fischer v Spassky match; another is a magnificent display covering the life of GM Polgar herself.
The Queen of Chess
The full tale of GM Susan Polgar’s remarkable life and chess achievements could, of course, fill several DVDs. This is a neat little summary of her story so far.
This short section looks at the benefits of chess for children. A number of brief interview snippets with juniors all reveal a positive attitude and an enjoyment of chess competitions. The importance of a sporting attitude is highlighted too. This is summed up by GM Polgar with one of her favourite phrases: ‘Win with grace, lose with dignity’.
Let’s Learn Chess
When it comes to teaching the actual chess, Susan is helped by her friends ‘Champion’ and ‘King Harold‘, two animated characters; one is a horse, the other a King. The graphics are great and clearly designed to be attractive to children.
Let’s Play Chess
Fine Tune Your Game
Basic Tricks and Advice
Captures in One Move
Checkmates in One Move
Chess Terms and Notation
This is an excellent DVD package and one which should prove especially useful to junior novices and their parents. ‘Fun Facts‘ pop up throughout the lessons and the bite-sized chunks keep the presentation fresh and interesting.
One particular aspect to come across is the way the presenters are not afraid to highlight the achievements of GM Polgar. It’s something we are particularly bad at, here in England, where supporting the underdog is a fine art and maintaining an ambivalent to champions is de rigueur. If we could cultivate positive, successful role models in this country we could improve things immeasurably. Meanwhile, we’ll just have to watch DVDs such as these.
Winning a Major Mainstream Award
Congratulations Chess DVDS! You have won the PTPA Seal of Approval which means your Learn Chess in 30 minutes has earned the recognition of being Parent Tested and Parent Approved! www.ptpamedia.com
This is a major mainstream award and recognition for this best-selling DVD!
Panel of Parents comments
Q1 Was this DVD enjoyable for you and your child to watch?
I used this DVD to teach my class of 13 year old students about Chess. Out of my 8 students I would say 6 of them really enjoyed the DVD and were very interested as they all wanted to learn how to play Chess.
Yes, it was enjoyable to watch. We especially liked the cartoon King and horse.
It was more enjoyable for me, I know nothing about chess and I wanted to learn. My daughter has played chess before so she did lose some interest in the DVD. I played the DVD for my niece and nephew and they were very interested as was I.
Q2 Did this DVD teach you the beginner basic chess knowledge?
Yes, yes, yes, we learned a lot
I feel that it was really helpful in teaching them the basic skills of Chess. We set up our Chess set and set up teams to play and it was a ton of fun.
Yes. Both my 8 year old son and myself only knew a VERY little about chess before. Now we at least know how all the pieces move, how to set up a chess board, etc.
I do feel that we learned about the chess board and a lot about the chess pieces (I knew nothing about chess so It did really help).
Q3 Is this DVD priced fairly?
Yes great price and you actually learn how to play Chess!
I do think that the price if a fair price. For the knowledge that you get it is definitely worth it!
Q4 The quality of the DVD met your requirements?
Yes – it is high quality and well presented as well.
I think that the quality was very good. Very professionally done
Q5 Do you feel this DVD taught the basics of Chess in a fun and entertaining way? Did it keep your child’s interest?
We had a tough crowd to test this on, 13 year olds can lose interest quickly. We had discussed a segment on learning Chess and I was happy to see how quickly most caught on. After we set up our chess board we referred to the DVD and have now set up a weekly Friday chess game instead of watching a movie.
My girls enjoyed the animation, we all enjoyed the information shared in the DVD.
Yes, it was fun and entertaining. The quizzes at the end of each chapter is a great idea. This DVD taught us the basics very easily. The cartoon characters were fun and even some of the possible answers
I do feel that the DVD did teach us the basics of chess and I found it fun and entertaining. My kids did not stay interested in the entire DVD but my niece and nephew were more interested as they had no idea how to play chess.
Q6 Would you recommend this product to friends or family?
Yes – for anyone who expresses interest in learning Chess
Yes, I would recommend this to family and friends. It is a great beginning to learn Chess. It is great to learn all the pieces and the moves by seeing the pieces on the board and seeing the highlighted areas that they can move.
Q7 The product met your expectations.
Ya bet you. It kept the students attention and taught them the skills they need to play chess. (helped to refresh my chess skills as well, cheers to that)
Yes we all learned most of the basics. Me and my husband the most! My girls are well on their way. The beauty of having the DVD is we can keep referring to it as we learn as a family.
Yes. My son and I have been very eager to learn how to play chess. Using this DVD, we learned the names of all the pieces, how to set up a chess board, some special moves, etc.
It did meet my expectations, it was very informative and was taught on a great beginner level, which I am.
Q8 What did you like best about this product?
The format was well done, very thorough without being boring. Having the chess board which shows each piece movement is key especially when teaching kids who have never played.
The amount of time it took to learn, and the animation quality. I was not expecting the girls and I to learn so much in such a short time.
The cartoonish characters of the King and Champion (horse). They were cute and funny and fun to watch and listen to.
I loved the quizzes at the end of the chapters. I also love how in the beginning it shows the chess board and highlights the moves that the chess pieces can move. I love the visuals. I also liked the chess piece characters helping out.
I run an aftercare program in our school for grade 5 through 8 graders. I am going to take this DVD for the kids that want to learn chess. I think that they will enjoy it. Thanks
http://www.ptpamedia.com/winning_products.php?category=Educational
This is a fantastic DVD, the highest quality of all the DVDs out there.