Fun and Play With Coach Jay

Recently, I spent some time with iPad app "Coach Jay's Chess Academy." If you're looking for a puzzle workout (or something educational to occupy the kids in the backseat as you drive to Thanksgiving dinner), this might be for you. Here's a preview:

This is a chess puzzle app for beginning to intermediate students. You won't be playing full chess games or watching lessons - you''ll page through an explanation of a concept, then complete a series of puzzles based on what you just learned.

The "Academy" is grouped into cute sports & military-themed "disciplines," each designed to give you a thorough workout in one of 5 important aspects of your game: Checkmate, Defense, Endgame, Strategy & Tactics.

As you solve puzzles correctly, you'll unlock more lessons - eventually earning a martial arts themed "belt" for each of 5 levels.

Pros:

Plenty of puzzles! Each "discipline" contains several brief lessons followed by about 5-15 puzzles to drive each point home - about 50 puzzles at a time.

Fun graphics. The sports & military-themed icons are cute & make the app seem like a competition.
Easy-to-follow levels make the app feel more like a game and less like a lesson. You'll have to solve each of the puzzles on the first try to earn your "achievement" for each section. I was almost late to work because I wanted to finish the level!
There's more than just chess moves. If your child actually reads the sidebar notes, you'll be impressed with the questions he'll be asking you - about the USCF, the Swiss System and more... Better study up parents!
It's an inexpensive & mobile tool. I'm sure your child will be much more interested in playing an app than opening a chess book (and those cost double or triple the price!).
A coach with a sense of humor. I don't know Coach Jay, but his silly, tie-wearing caricature graphics - along with the fact that he recently dressed up as one of them for Halloween - make me think he's a pretty fun coach!

Coach Jay, going as himself for Halloween?

Areas needing improvement:

The continuous music during the menu screens and lessons may drive your siblings and parents crazy (especially if you're in the backseat of a minivan), but at least it feels like the soundtrack to an upcoming 'Karate Kid' movie as you train for your next martial arts belt level!
You have to "drag & drop" the pieces - so you better have kid-sized fingers!
The opening "Learn How to Play Chess" section is wordy - but most kids (or anyone who's had a basic chess introduction), will probably skip straight to the puzzles anyway.
The chess boards are nicely designed and easy to understand, but the graphics are pretty static considering it's on the iPad. There's a lot of reading involved and you'll need to use some visualization in the lessons.
You can't go back just one screen. If you want to see something again, you'll have to start the lesson over.

"Coach Jay's Chess Academy" is available for iPad, iPhone & Android devices. The free version will entertain you for hours and gives a good feel of how the "Academy" is laid out. You can complete the first white belt discipline "Checkmate" and sample lessons and puzzles in each of the other four. (Perfect if Thanksgiving at grandma's house is a 3-hour drive or less.)

The paid version ($4.99) opens up much more material and is guaranteed to occupy you for days (more than 150 lessons and 1250 puzzles). The one-time purchase unlocks everything in the app, but you'll still need to master each level to move ahead - there's no skipping ahead to the more advanced concepts. (Good for a full, multi-state road trip.)

As with all first versions, there's always a few kinks to iron out - and I've been told an update is already in the works.

All in all, the app is fun, feels like a game and is easy to play. I'm happy I had to get the paid version to write this review, because now I personally can't wait to go earn all my belt levels!

Happy puzzle solving!