Does anybody find it difficult to read through the games?

I found it really hard to read through the games and learn something from it. One, because the paragraphs are huge and pretty mashed up together, and two, because the english made me go back and reread it. Anybody have the same problem?

Oh, and I also find some typos and errors.

Yes, typos and errors (English translations) are quite plentiful.

I didn't struggle with the annotated games though... but I did use the browser versions; I couldn't cope with the PDFs -- I found myself struggling to just follow along let alone pick anything up from them.

Not a problem I just set it up on the board, and have fun figuring out what they are trying to say

I struggled even with the board on those PDFs... kwkingdom123 is right, the paragraphs are hard to deal with... at least in the PDFs anyway.

kwkingdom123 wrote:I found it really hard to read through the games and learn something from it. One, because the paragraphs are huge and pretty mashed up together, and two, because the english made me go back and reread it. Anybody have the same problem?

Oh, and I also find some typos and errors.

Very difficult!

For that reason I do most of my studying on the computer. When going over annotated games I find the game on my database software, put it in demo mode and click through, entering variations from the notes along with my own observations.

I've imported the opening repertoires into BookUp software which, after some minor editing, allows the user to scroll through opening lines and variations and review comments at key posiitions.

It is only when working the exercises that I set up a real board and do the stubby pencil thing.

I don't think I could have gotten through this first month without these tools.

So far, the typos and errors have been annoying but not difficult to work around in context. I just make the corrections in the notes and move on.

After a month or so you should be really good at translating, and then in another month you will find it very endearing I think.

I try as hard as I can to not use a board or computer at all... to try to improve my visualisation. That makes those errors even harder to cope with though ^^

i have a terrible time reading through the games. I find errors and it makes it difficult to follow.

I actually don't find the readings difficult at all. Of course I noticed the typos and grammatical errors; but its not like cracking some enigma code.

It is quite charming at times I think! (But the stilted English in the videos is a bit of a pain I agree). But I look at it this way...I have severe Englishman's disease (i.e. I can only speak English). It would be a lot harder for me if the course was written in their native Romanian! I am in awe of the fact that they can prepare this stuff in their non-native language.

I have managed to get along to a few Grandmaster tournaments to hear commentary/analysis and have come to the conclusion that basically if I want to hear about chess from the strongest players, I had better get used to Eastern European English.

I think you have to work with .pdfs and a real board. The ICS folk are quite insistant on this point, and they are the experts arn't they? (If not, why are you buying the course from them?)
VG

I'm trying to learn Russian now, so I could understand Russians in my club and open the door to chess books written in Russian.

I don't think I'm gonna get there. I seem to have the most difficult time learning new languages.

BorgQueen wrote:I'm trying to learn Russian now, so I could understand Russians in my club and open the door to chess books written in Russian.

I don't think I'm gonna get there. I seem to have the most difficult time learning new languages.

I also am an English only speaker, just a few phrases for countries I have visited.

In the US we used to have a magazine called "Chess Digest" which translated some of the Soviet Publications. Now long gone, but the time to translation is shortened greatly.

I tried Russian years ago, when some of the best books hadn't been translated. In particular I was working with Kasparyan's "Domination in 2545 Endame Studies" which is mostly diagrams and notation so wasn't too difficult to work through. I would never have been able to handle Lipnitsky's "Questions on Modern Chess Theory" with it's long naratives which has thankfully finally been translated. I just don't see the need to learn the language any longer (I'll certainly not be playing in Tal Memorial in my lifetime).

Yes, the books is probably not worth learning a language for, but understanding the Russians in my club would certainly be nice!