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hosted by Chess Queen™ & 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk
 
Thursday, December 4, 2014
From Chess Beginner to Club Player in $21!
Hello chess blog friends, are you happy with your chess progress? Or, are you stuck at the chess beginner level and want to progress to club level with least effort and fast? Check out this very cool piece of chess software:
From Beginner to Club Player This teaching program is a kind of guide. It will introduce you to the rules and laws of chess and let you work your way of improvement from the level of Beginner to the one of Club Player.
In the course 100 chess topics are considered including rules of chess game; methods of playing in opening, middle game and ending; combinational techniques and basic elements of strategy. All in all, the course contains500 teaching examples and 700 exercises useful for consolidation of acquired knowledge.
A built-in playing program makes your own additional training possible and provides you with an opportunity to get answers while solving the exercises.
Languages: English
System Requirements: IBM-compatible PC, 256 Mb RAM, Hard Disk 100 Mb of free disk space, Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7/8. No additional software required.
Hello chess blog friends, chess has amazing levelling power. You're as good as you are in a particular game on a particular day. There are at least three things which you can do to never be afraid of a Grandmaster again! Remember how you hate those first rounds at open tournaments where you have to meet highly rated players just because you're low down on the list? No more chess jitters now. Trust us and try these three tips.
Photo: Incredible Hulk library 1- Train at chess hard: Okay, let's look at it this way. There are just those 64 squares and just those 32 pieces that you've got to keep track of and that your GM opponent has got to keep track of. So, if you are human, he's human enough as well. The only difference is that he has come ready for battle after training hard. So, what stops you from training equally hard? Pick up a cool chess software, fire it up on your computer, find the books for the openings you play or, invest in opening DVDs... just 3 - 5 not a truckload to begin with. Get going and you're well on your way to facing a GM fearlessly. Keep a focused chess training programme in mind. Stay slow, but stay steady. It works. 2- Improve your physical fitness: This is one of the best-kept secrets in chess training. Your brain gets tired just that wee bit late as compared to your opponent if you have built your stamina and strength. One flash of an indiscretion is enough to lose a game, lose an almost-won game or, turn around a lost game. Take up any form of physical exercise whether it's yoga or dancing. Get moving and you will be surprised how your chess improves. That will help you face any GM with courage.
3- Never be worried about losing: This is the first thing you should tell your kids if you're a chess parent. Then, repeat it for yourself. Never, ever ever ever fear losing. There will always be another game to play and you will learn faster, retain chess knowledge quickly and longer if you stay fearless in the face of defeat. As altruistic as it sounds, remember every loss is as much a way forward as a victory. Analyse your lost games even if you skip a won game. Let the lost games be a feather in your cap in equal measure. It helps! Try it! Approach each game with a GM as a free classroom chess training session. :)
Complete Chess Course 3 DVD Set Save $35: Start Now, Start Right!
Hello chess blog friends, are you looking for a chess gift for a child or friend who's charmed with chess and don't know where to begin? Do you think learning chess the right way is necessary to improve fast? If yes, then check out this super chess dvd combo.
Chess King's Complete Chess Course 3 DVD Set is the quickest and easiest way to learn the chess basics, the patterns, tips, strategies, techniques which will turn you from a beginner into an accomplished chess player. The DVD video format makes it simple to improve your chess. Just watch, listen and learn. This Course is a fountain of knowledge for parents and coaches. The set contains close to 5 hours of structured instruction with over 100 ready-to-use examples of sound chess fundamentals. Recommended for players Unrated to 1500 Elo. Ideal for Junior and improving players to reach club player level. Useful for parents and coaches to gather material for their chess lessons. The high quality DVDs feature 12th Women's World Chess Champion and Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk and a portion of the proceeds go to support her Chess Fund.
Volume 1: Chess opening Principles. Demonstrates that you don't need to try to memorize hundreds of openings variations as long as you play the opening by following common basic ideas. 20 chapters, 100 minutes.
Volume 2: Basic Tactics and Strategy. You'll discover a variety of tactical weapons and strategy concepts that you could use over and over to win material and provide you with a lasting edge. 27 chapters, 120 minutes.
The DVDs are zone "0" or "ALL" which means they are guaranteed play anywhere in the world (including USA zone 1, Europe zone 2, etc.), and they work on any normal DVD player or PC or Mac.
Volume 3: Endgames. When few pieces are left on the board, knowing the proper procedures can spell the difference between victory and defeat. 22 chapters, 70 minutes.
Your GM Coach at Home: How to Analyse your Chess Games with Chess King 4
Hello chess blog friends, not everyone has a chess GM coach living round the corner and available to help. Get your own most-affordable super-strong GM at home - Chess King! Here's a nice video to help you understand Game Analysis with Houdini in Chess King 4 for PC/Mac. This video (part of a playlist of 25 tutorial videos about the chess software Chess King 4 by chess guru Steve Lopez and chess queen and Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk) shows us Game Analysis with Houdini in the chess software Chess King 4.
Stuck below 1500 elo? Try Chess King Complete Course 3 DVD Set
Hello everyone,
Are you stuck in the below-1500 elo chess rating slab? This is the perfect 3-DVD set to take you to the next level in just over 230 hours! -- that is, if you complete this course.
Chess King's Complete Chess Course is the quickest and easiest way to learn the chess basics, the patterns, tips, strategies, techniques which will turn you from a beginner into an accomplished chess player. The DVD video format makes it super simple to improve your chess. Just watch, listen and learn. This Course is a fountain of knowledge for parents and coaches. The set contains over 4 hours of structured instruction with hundreds of ready-to-use examples of sound chess fundamentals.
Volume 1: Chess opening Principles. Demonstrates that you don't need to try to memorize hundreds of openings variations as long as you play the opening by following common basic ideas. You'll learn all about fast development, centralization, mobility, and defense, all of which will help you get a good position which will lead directly into a playable middle game. 20 chapters, 90 minutes.
Volume 2: Basic Tactics and Strategy. You'll discover a variety of tactical weapons that you could use over and over to win material and gain an advantage over your opponents. You'll also learn all about chess strategy, plans and formations that will provide you with a lasting edge. 27 chapters, 100 minutes.
Volume 3: Endgames. When few pieces are left on the board, knowing the proper procedures can spell the difference between victory and defeat. 22 chapters, 45 minutes + bonus material.
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2014
Hello everyone,
Chess King is the perfect platform for your complete Chess960 training, analyzing, and playing! We are sure Fischer would have recommended it. The debate on the issue of draws in chess was never so intense until lately. Give it to former world Chess Champion Bobby Fischer for having foreseen it all. He recommended Chess960 (or Fischer Random Chess). It was introduced in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in June 1996. The game employs the same board and pieces as standard chess, but the starting position of the pieces along the players’ first rank is randomized. The random setup makes the prospect of obtaining an advantage through the memorization of opening lines impracticable, compelling players to rely instead on their talent and creativity.
Randomizing the main pieces had long been known as Shuffle Chess, but Chess960 introduced new rules preserving full castling options in all starting positions, resulting in 960 unique positions. To maintain the character of standard chess, a player’s bishops start on opposite-color squares, and the king starts on a square between the rooks.
Online chess servers already run Chess960 tourneys and games. Chess King has a fantastic Chess960 training and playing option with the world’s strongest chess engine Houdini. Check out this video tutorial by Steve Lopez.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Begin the week with a nice chess puzzle brought to you by Chess King - your partner in super-strong chess training. White to play and win. Click on diagram to see the solution.
Become a Chess Master: Don't Remain Stuck Below 1700
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
The perfect combination of 13 hours of DVD instruction in all areas of chess, with over 3,000 interactive chess positions to test your knowledge. Includes full sets of Complete Chess Course (Opening Principles, Tactics and Strategy, and Endgames), Chess Opening Ideas (Open Games 1.e4 e5, Semi-Open Games 1.e4 non-e5, and Closed Games), and the popular interactive CD-ROM learning and testing programs.
Watching the whole DVD courses and testing your skills are guaranteed to increase your level at chess significantly, especially if your rating is between 0 and 1700 Elo. Visit this Chess King shop link to delight yourself!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone,
Take a break from work to solve this neat chess puzzle brought to you by Chess King - your partner in super-strong chess training. It's White to play and checkmate in two. Click on diagram to cross-check your solution.
Have you tried the complete chess training course DVDs available at an amazing discount in the Chess King shop? Here's a video description of the super chess tutor DVDs.
Learn Chess Openings Like a GM in Less than Nine Hours!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
THIS IS IT: Your definitive chess opening course. Chess King's Opening Ideas DVD Course is the quickest way to learn the ideas, plans and goals behind the major chess openings. Just watch the moves and listen to their explanations. Over 8 hours of instruction in over 90 chapters in this amazing openings video encyclopedia! Recommended for players Unrated to 1700 Elo.
Ideal for Junior and improving players to reach club player level. Useful for parents and coaches to gather material for their chess lessons. The high quality DVDs feature 12th Women's World Chess Champion and Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk and a portion of the proceeds go to support her Chess Fund.
Endgame Chess Class: How to Win Queen versus Rook Endgame
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
When was the last time you got stuck in a Queen versus Rook endgame and did not know how to force a win with your Queen? No matter how many times that's happened before, you could learn to do it right the next time around in such a chess position.
First, above is the puzzle diagram. Try solving and understanding it by yourself. White to play and win.
Top-4 Chess Queen™ & Chess King™ Christmas Gifts: Check Your Shopping List
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone, We thought no Christmas shopping list is complete without a chess gift. So, here are top chess gift ideas from the Chess Queen™ and Chess King™ shop.
The must-possess chess book for any chess lover - particularly for girls who love chess - and... okay, yes! boys who love girls who love chess ;) - anywhere in the world!
The 12th Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk chronicles her rise to the top of the chess world in this introspective autobiographical work. Drawing from personal diaries kept during her youth, Kosteniuk takes the reader from the very dawn of her career as a child star in Russia, through triumph and disappointment, and finally to the pinnacle of success on the black-and-white battlefield. Along the way, we are treated to much more than an inside look into how a grandmaster approaches the royal game: we also learn the unique challenges posed to a young woman pulled at once by the diverging demands of professional chess, the glamour of the modeling lifestyle, and the joys of love and family life.
Part memoir and travelogue, part game collection, Diary of a Chess Queen features a selection of 64 annotated games with a wide range of world-class competitors, including male super-GM Sergey Karjakin and former female world champions Zhu Chen and Antoaneta Stefanova. (Published by Mongoose Press, 244 pages) Autographed personally by Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk. Price: $24.95
Sizes available S, M, L, XL. Flat rate shipping for any number of items ordered. Price: $12.99 There are several more designs available in the chess shop. Check out your favourite t-shirt now and tell the world you love chess like crazy.
Get all 3 DVDs by 12th Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk at a great discount. As you know, GM Kosteniuk is a blitz specialist and she just won the gold at the Sport Accord World Mind Games in Beijing, Chess Blitz Fever is just great to improve your blitz chess.
Old Price: $59.97 Price: $49.00 You save: $10.97! (18.29%)
Don’t be surprised in the opening! Chess King's Opening Ideas DVD Course is the quickest way to learn the ideas, plans and goals behind the major chess openings. Just watch the moves and listen to their explanations. Over 8 hours of instruction in over 90 chapters in this amazing openings video encyclopedia! Recommended for players Unrated to 1700 Elo. Just in case you cannot wait for the DVDs to reach you, buy an online viewing version!
Actually, there are lots of chess goodies on the Chess King shop website and you really need to explore it for a chess-y Christmas ahead! Check out the Chess King shop!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Chess King's Guide to Opening Ideas: No chess player likes to be surprised in the opening by an unfamiliar move. The trick is not to memorize moves but to learn and understand opening ideas. Chess King's Opening Ideas DVD Course is the quickest way to learn the ideas behind the major chess openings. You'll learn the plans and goals for both players in dozens of openings by watching the moves and listening to their explanations. Seven+ hours.
View Chess King’s Guide to Opening Ideas DVD Online
This is as cool as it gets: No waiting to start your chess opening training. Get access to the super chess training complete video set right now on your screen. Click on graphic to get started with your chess power training.
Secret Chess Discount Deals in Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk Newsletter: Sign Up Now
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Don't miss out on secret discount deals on super chess software in Chess Queen™ Alexandra Kosteniuk's newsletter only. To subscribe, click on snapshot below that takes you to the 12th Women's World Chess Champion's Facebook page. Follow the arrow sign to the envelope icon and sign up. You don't want to miss out on great chess goodies this season.
Strong Chess Training Strategy: No Need to Memorise Openings!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone,
The latest strong-chess training strategy news via Chess King is that you don't really need to memorise chess openings! Yes, that's true. Check out this Chess King video with details of a brand new chess training system that is sure to take your chess to the next level. A personal chess tutor not to be missed!
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Have you ordered the complete chess course with Chess King yet? Watch the video and check out all the details of the six new DVDs released by Chess King. You can now power your chess training with these super-strong and most affordable chess tutor programmes.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012
Hi everyone,
Chess King Training is pleased to announce 6 new chess DVD’s for all players Unrated to 1500-1700 Elo. The Complete Chess Course is guaranteed to increase your level of chess up to that of an accomplished chess player. It covers all areas of chess (openings, tactics, strategy and endgames), 5 hours of lessons in 69 easy to follow chapters with more than 100 examples.
The Chess King’s Guide to Opening Ideas will certainly increase your chess opening understanding and erudition, with over 8 hours of video in 93 chapters covering most chess openings. No emphasis on memorization, rather on the ideas one can find in the chess openings. This is an amazing chess openings encyclopedia which will give you confidence next time you are surprised in the opening by a variation you did not expect.
The series are easy to follow thanks to the masterful presentation by Steve Lopez and features 12th Women’s World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk.
For purchase details, videos, and fantastic discounts check out Chess King.
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone, Have you started your chess training with the super-strong and super-affordable Chess King software yet? Chess King comes with a special new feature of levels - never before used in games with chess puzzles! You get to move up once you complete a particular difficulty level - Perfect for chess training, perfect for chess fun and perfect for improving your chess strength. Meanwhile, here is a nice puzzle for you to solve. How can White win this position?
Click on diagram to find the correct answer with Chess King!
Best Chess Training Software: Top 6 Features to Look For
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012 Hi everyone,
Choosing the right chess software can save you plenty of extra effort and time in reaching your Grandmaster goals. In fact, using the right software is as important as finding a right trainer. But, what should you exactly look for? Here are some tips to help you find the right software.
1-Engine: There are scores of chess engines in the market. Definitely Houdini is the best chess engine. You could try any of the chess engines that you feel comfortable with, but Houdini could make a huge difference to your chess.
2-Games database: Not having a games' database is like preparing to play for the aliens. Eventually you need to know how the masters played their games and how the world's best chess players play today. You also need to be able to prepare for your next opponent in a tournament. Choose a software that seamlessly helps you do all this: prepare for an opponent, serve up any chess game played by any players from the beginning of time, and have the latest chess games available soon enough.
3-Track your chess training: Constantly playing against the strongest chess computer around is not really going to help you always. You need to adjust the playing strength of the chess training software as you go along and learn. It is great if a software can help you improve your chess as levels from beginners' to the strongest GM stage. A good chess software will help you move up step by step.
4-Tactics chess training: Tactics, tactics and more tactics are the best way to keep your eyes trained to spot those magic and killer moves on the chess board. How about a chess trainer with a huge database of chess puzzles that you can solve only stage by stage!
5-Chess is fun: Choose a software that lets you have fun - with settings, puzzles, features and more. Chess without fun is like music without passion. Maybe, even lets you put your own games on your blog!
6-Analysis: Easy input of your own games, pgn exports/imports, quick analysis, position search, etc. are very important features of a good chess training software.
You can find all these great features in Chess King.
By the way, 12th Women's World Chess Champion endorses Chess King.
Don't be shy about contacting me
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Best chess wishes to you! Alexandra Kosteniuk
12th Women's World Chess Champion
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