Learning chess in 30 minutes

Learn Chess in 30 Minutes

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 presenation 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.