There probably has been on, but I would love to see some tournaments posted in which there was an mutual agreement not to use a data base in the course of the game.  If someone has Chess Base, the big program, it will give you an evaluation over every possible move in every possible context and the percent of wins and losses given that situation.  NO it's not a chess engine, but I can't see how an engine could be much stronger.

bruhudson wrote: There probably has been on, but I would love to see some tournaments posted in which there was an mutual agreement not to use a data base in the course of the game.  ....

Perhaps you could set one up. Circle of Trust must have several of these in motion, surely?

bruhudson wrote:

There probably has been on, but I would love to see some tournaments posted in which there was an mutual agreement not to use a data base in the course of the game.  If someone has Chess Base, the big program, it will give you an evaluation over every possible move in every possible context and the percent of wins and losses given that situation.  NO it's not a chess engine, but I can't see how an engine could be much stronger.

Even the biggest database will not give an evaluation of every possible move in every possible position. If such a database existed chess would already be a solved game. I find I am generally out of databse around move 8 if not before and not generally with a won game.

Have you got the Chessbase big data base?

In a way, even if someone does use such tools, they would not be improving themselves, just frigging the rankings a bit. I could not not enjoy my chess if i did that.

bruhudson> If someone has Chess Base, the big program, it will give you an evaluation over every possible move in every possible context and the percent of wins and losses given that situation.  NO it's not a chess engine, but I can't see how an engine could be much stronger.

The Chessbase "Big Database" helps for the opening phase of the game only, not the middlegame where most amateur games are decided. Also, it doesn't evaluate opening positions, it simply provides statistics (which may lead you down the wrong path).

• A 1417 using CB plays like a 1442 and is following chess.com rules.
• A 1417 using CB plays like a 2700+ and will get banned quickly.
  

Feel free to join the Circle of Trust group who plays chess without databases.

Using a database is like using a book. The player still has to make evaluations and choose the correct lines. Given how poorly many people play openings it can be a big help but after around move 7 or 8 it does not matter.

I am playing a game where I used a book (and I assume my opponent did as well) where he made a move after the line said = and is not winning.

is this cheating? No not in correspondence games. Banning databases is fine but you should also ban books in that case.  What is good about using books and databases is that you usually get a good complicated middlegame which makes the games exciting.