Didn't Fritz 10 just come out? There is an 11 already?
I'm still on 8 and it does the trick just fine for me. Do they really think they can get more money from me everytime they sqeeze 10 more rating points out of their software and add a few bells and whistles to the interface. puh-leeze.
Where are you getting your information from? When I search online I find websites that say Fritz 9 was released in October 2005 (a couple years ago) and Fritz 10 was released in February of 2007 about 9-10 months ago.
I was certainly unfair in saying that the rating doesn't go up much with each release. Between Fritz 8, 9 and 10 are rated 2746, 2803, and 2856 respectively by SSDF. So it seems the engine strength increases about 50 points with each release. Luckily, 2746 is good enough for me and I don't feel the need to shell out for more.
I saw an ad for it at wholesalechess.com, or just follow this link:
http://www.wholesalechess.com/chess/Fritz+11+Chess+Software+for+PC
I hadn't even seen anything at the Chessbase website, so this is a surprise to me as well.
My time-line on the Fritz 10 was obviously off. I was working from memory, but that is obviously flawed. Sorry.
I thought you were asking about where I got my information about Fritz 11.
Although Rybka is stronger, I'm not sure that there is a commercial, user friendly version of the program that includes all of the training features of Fritz. I think that most people choose Fritz for that reason, and for the database it includes.
Does Chessbase Light 2007 include an engine as well as training features, or is it just a database?
It appears that Rybka requires additional applications in order for you to use it. Something about a graphical interface...? I'm not that computer-literate. Here is the information from the Rybka website:
What is Rybka?
Rybka is a standalone UCI chess engine which can be used to play chess games or to analyze chess positions.
What is a chess engine?
A chess engine recommends moves and provides evaluation scores for chess positions. It should be used together with a chess graphical user interface (GUI), which will provide intuitive graphical interaction with the engine.
What graphical user interface should I use with Rybka?
The major chess graphical user interfaces (in no particular order) are:
· Arena
· Chessbase/Fritz
· Chess Assistant
· Shredder
· Chess Partner
SOURCE: http://www.rybkachess.com/index.php?auswahl=FAQ
Rybka is stronger. I have matched them together in the fritz 10 program (you can load other engines too) and rybka dominates. I didn't try fritz 11 but I wouldn't be surprised if rybka would win :)
Chessbase light 2007 is nice too. What blows my mind is there hasn't been an update to chessbase 9 that incorporates the 'anti aliasing' feature of chessbase light 2007 which makes the pieces look so much nicer and less 'cut out'
There are different versions of Rybka programs. Some of them are "standalone programs" and some of them are "not standalone programs". Standalone program has Rybkas own graphical user interface (GUI) and not standalone program do not have, but you can legally download free Arena graphical user interface, and then use that "not standalone" Rybka. http://store.convekta.com/shop_model.asp?gid=122&sView=Catalog
I have Chessmaster 10th Edition for PC and the new edition for Nintendo DS. The DS one is fantastic just by virtue of its portable nature. Since the graphics and sound issues are light, the battery life is days long. I don't plan on purchasing another chess program for my PC until I have to upgrade to Vista one day (hopefully well after service pack 2 is out) because I hear that Vista won't play Chessmaster 10.
Just what is the deal? Why should you need another version of Fritz or Chessmaster if the version that you have plays at a GM level? I'm a beginning player, more or less, so the first version of Chessmaster can destroy me. As far as bells and whistles, I just want to be able to play some chess to learn more, and Chessmaster 10 is perfect for that.
So if you want to spend some money on some chess software that is nothing like what you have, PLEASE go and buy a Nintendo DS and get the Chessmaster for the DS. That is $160 well spent.
EEShelton wrote: I know chess.com is advertising for ChessMaster, but is anyone planning on getting the newest version of Fritz instead? Most strong players use Fritz, but being a fish, I probably will go with ChessMaster.
...being a fish...
...you should use Rybka, because it means little fish in the Czech language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rybka
Good one minasina!
I'm still unsure which one I will get, but I picked-up 99 rating points yesterday at a tournament! That sure felt good.
What is illegal, Fritz 11, or english version of it? It is legal. The manufacturer of Fritz is ChessBase, and this is ChessBase's own shop http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=358
and there you can read: " Now available in English!
Available in Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian from 30. November "
What is illegal, Fritz 11, or english version of it? It is legal. The manufacturer of Fritz is ChessBase, and this is ChessBase's own shop http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=358
and there you can read: " Now available in English!
Available in Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian from 30. November "
I have both ChessMaster 10 and Fritz 9. I use them both. I’m a relatively new player.
CM has a long list of computerized opponents from rating 23 (not a typo) to 2000+. You can choose your opponent. It’s rewarding to see yourself beat higher rated opponents as you progress. I started around 850, am in the high 1100 now and trying to break into beating the 1200 players. (Certainly not bragging. Just illustrating the experience for a new player.)
As other’s have mentioned, CM has a complete set of tutorials, mostly in the beginner and novice levels, but still very good, covers tactics, strategy, pawn structures, end game. Fritz 9 does come with a tiny bit of multimedia tutorials. You have to put in disk 2 to get the audio and video. Nothing compared to CM though. You’d have to pay extra for the other chessbase tutorials
Fritz has very good analysis tools. That’s the reason to buy Fritz IMO. You can run infinite analysis on a game, and Fritz will develop alternate lines where your play was not ideal. You can cut and paste PGN in and out of the program of course, so you can analyze games that were played elsewhere, like CM or chess.com. Do read the manual, or at least portions of interest, as it’s not intuitive. Not hard though, if you read the manual.
Also in Fritz you can play one chess engine against another in a game or in a positional setup of your choosing. For example, I was watching a Josh Waitzkin tutorial on pawn structures in CM. He develops the ideas and tactics leading to a long pawn chain with the King supporting the base of the chain and one rook for white. Black has three pawn islands and one rook. White should be winning. So I’m thinking, I wonder if I could win for white against a strong player, given equal material but superior pawn structure? So I set it up in Fritz. I play white against the engine as black, and can’t win for the life of me. Take back moves, get hints, still can’t win. So I then do two things. 1. Run an infinite analysis on the game and get alternative lines I should have played at certain points in the game (they are in square brackets in the notation window. You can click on the alternative lines and watch them played through.) 2. I go back to the beginning positions and play engine against engine, and watch very carefully the moves for both colors, knowing they must be good moves as it’s engine against engine.
If you can play GM against GM (highest rated player, equivalent to engine against engine) in ChessMaster, I’m not aware how. Also in Fritz 9, if you can play 9 engine against 9 engine, I’m not aware how. I have to play 9 against 5.32. That’s ok. I just pick 5.32 for the side I think should be winning. If 5.32 wins, then I figure I was right, and now have a better understanding of how to carry out the win.
In summary. CM for ease of use, computerized opponents, and tutorials. Fritz for analysis as you get more and more curious about how you could have better played a position or a game.
Paul
I know chess.com is advertising for ChessMaster, but is anyone planning on getting the newest version of Fritz instead? Most strong players use Fritz, but being a fish, I probably will go with ChessMaster.