Hurin,

Keep us updated. I'm interested in joining around New Year when I will have more free time.

Can you tell us a bit more about the initial test? How long is it? Is it online or you have to email it back?

Does anyone have any updates on how their experience with the International Chess School is going? Thanks!

Great to find this! I just joined last week, and because the material is sort of disogranized I thought I would start a forum devoted to discussing progress at the International Chess School. It is here:
International Chess School Forum

So far it is basically a Wiki where I am discussing my experiences, criticisms, thoughts, about the course. I really wish others would join me as it would make it more fun to work through ICS!

Note I am not affiliated with ICS, they are not sponsoring the forum, endorsing it, or anything like that. I'm just a fellow patzer who is sick of sucking at chess.

I just joined ICS forum. Hopefully, others will follow so it won't be so lonely over there.

Yes. So far it's just me and fanat.

It will take time to build. I literally started the forum two days ago, and announced it at my blog yesterday.

I have to admit that ICS is probably the best resource for improving I have ever seen, for any serious player who intends to read FM level of play this course is a must . the only bad thing is lack of communication, I hope they improve that soon .

I wouldn't count on it from these wacky Romanians.

To say the course is a "must" is a bit of an overstatement, eh? Slow games with good postmortems with a personal coach is probably the best way to improve quickly.

I already have a personal coach, Tried 13 different GM's last year till i found someone I am comfortable with (a GM who actually knows how to teach not just a strong player) , a coach is definitely important in improving your game, but no coach will give you the material you see in that course (or book for that matter), this course has been worked out almost to perfection in the middle game section of the game, a "Must" is a fair statement in my opinion, knowing that I joined the school with an ELO rating for 2115, and found most of the material extremely useful .

OK, you are wrong at a few levels here (and note I really like the course, but I also like logic):

1. Plenty of people became IM and GM before this course was invented, and without the use of this course. Hence, this course cannot be a "must" to reach such a level.
2. I have only done the first month, but what is good about the course is not that it has material that I haven't seen elsewhere (I have), but that it is pulled together in such a useful way.
3. Assume it is true that you would not get this material from a coach. We know there exist coaches that have helped people get to GM or IM. Therefore, the material in this course is not required to reach GM or IM. Hence, either the material is required to reach IM/GM and you will get it from a coach, or it is not so required.

Note I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you are drastically overstating the importance of a disorganized course written in stilted and unedited English, that includes some great material.

As I said, I really like the course, and I even started a forum for people working through it (International Chess School Forum). However, overblown hype doesn't do them any favors.

BDK, please explain how can someone reach IM/GM level without the material in that course, that is one story I would like to hear !

(FYI : the middle game material covers everything from Nimzowitch to Pachman to Soltis)