Fritz 17 Annoyances
I'm a very casual player of nearly fifty years. Over the past ten, I've purchased Fritz 12, 16, and now 17. I want to like this software, but feel constantly annoyed by little (and sometimes major) issues with the program. Many of these are with the interface, and could probably be fixed with a modest amount of developer time per issue.
So this post is for the developers of Fritz to read through and hopefully address in Fritz 18.
Three Different interfaces: EasyGame, Analysis, Classic Menu
I understand the benefit of having an adaptive EasyGame for new users to quickly access and play. However I find myself flipping between the three different interfaces, and it's annoying. Especially because it appears to be the same executable with different menu options for each interface. For instance, after playing an EasyGame I need to copy the PGN, and then open either of the other two interfaces to analyze the game. And the only way to practice using the new openings features in version 17 (the reason I bought the new version) is by playing the EasyGame version and running the drills. But in the EasyGame mode, I don't have access to other tools like Explain All Moves or playing against a specific engine.
Requires An Active Internet Connection
My ISP had some unplanned downtime, so I loaded up Fritz to practice openings. Nope, wasn't going to happen. Loading white/black moves or from the standard repertoire requires an active Internet connection to login to Chessbase. Why? Can't these be stored as a local file for offline use? Especially the Standard Repertoire. Does the mainline Ruy Lopez change so frequently or is the database so large to benefit from storing it in the cloud? Offer an offline function.
Playing Standard Repertoire Free Drills As Black is Not Intuitive
It took way too long to figure out how to do this. I wanted to try the King's Indian Defense from the standard openings as black. I loaded the repertoire from the included Black Standard Repertoires, but every time I then ran the Free Drills, it would have me playing as white. WTF?
I looked in Help, searched the Internet, and tried different methods like starting a new game as Black. All with no luck. It wasn't until I accidentally clicked on a white first move, therefore making black as the next move, and then running the Free Drills function that I was able to run the drills as black. This was not easy to figure out (took about two hours of trial and error, and led to this blog post).
Other Issues With Running Opening Free Drills
While I like that the system smoothly transition into a game versus the engine when I hit the end of an opening variation, I would also like it to alert me when that transition occurs. It does so visually by changing to a green check mark at the end of the line, but if I'm looking at the board I often do not notice that for another few moves. A simple audible tone to alert when the line is done would be sufficient. I can then choose to continue playing against the engine, replay the line again to practice it, or try a fresh variation. (Yes, I spelled Audible wrong in my graphic.)
Also, and this is a nitpick, why is there so much free space in the dialog box? Because the dialog box is an always-on-top and not a docked window, it can block other information, like the game notations below.
In addition, I'm not quite sure what the green progress bar is supposed to reflect. The line is "finished" but the progress bar is incomplete. Why?
Finally, if a user is running "drills" they may not want to be put automatically into a game,, but continue repeating drills to learn lines. A switch to enable an automatic restart at the end of a completed line would be very useful.
Either Drills Do Not Work How I'd Think "Drills" Would Work, Of The Software Is Broken.
I created a line for white with the following moves.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nc6 4. d4 Bg4 (4... Nf6 5. d5 Ne5 6. Nxe5 dxe5 )5. d5 Ne5 6. Nxe5 Bxd1 7. Bb5+ Qd7 8. Bxd7+ Kd8 9. Nxf7+ Kxd7 10. Kxd1 *
One mainline with one variant branching off on the fourth move for black. Black will either play Nf6 or Bg4. When I run ""Drills for white" ten out of ten times it played 4. .. Bg4.
Maybe I am misunderstanding how this should work, but if I am trying to memorize lines with multiple variations, shouldn't it drill me on all the variations?
Repertoire Uploads And Backups
The menu has a function to upload repertoires and backups to My Moves, but how does this work? The Help section has limited info, especially on the backups part. Before I build a repertoire to learn and practice, being able to make backups to play with different styles first would be a definite nice to have. Maybe I'm not understanding something?
Wait wait wait ... I may have figured this out after a week while writing this. I make a PGN and I can save that? Is that how????
In "Explain All Moves", Limit Search Depth And Move The Evaluation Value
I love this feature. It provides a plain English evaluation of potential moves. But I don't really need it to evaluate 20+ levels deep. An option to evaluate to a maximum depth, with the ability to override it if I did want a greater depth search, would be appreciated. Instead, it just continues to chug and chug away wasting CPU cycles, energy, slowing my system, and making it run hot. And if the laptop is on my lap or chest (when laying down), I'd rather it not run hot. Also sometimes I get distracted with nuisances (like work), and I just don't need this to keep chugging away.
Also, placing the computed evaluation at the far right makes it difficult to compare between moves. Especially if these windows are docked on the right side.
Here is an example where I wanted to compare a position I just played in a game on Chess.com. The computed evaluation cannot even be seen on my screen even when I rearrange the layout.
Make Game Notation More Readable
This notation would be much easier to read through and to find a specific move if the move number was in a bold typeface. If I'm an experienced, younger player this might bother me less. But I have aging eyes and a slow mind, so improved readability is a plus.
I've tried the score sheet view as well, and this format is much better. Except it then takes up screen real estate with information I don't need like Match & Round that I cannot hide.
Layout And Marked Options Do Not Persist Between Sessions
Above is my preferred layout when I am playing in the Classic Menu. I've closed the clock and engine windows, and enabled Explain All Moves and located it to the right. Even when I have saved this layout, closing and reopening the game puts me back in the standard layout (below). Clock and engine windows are returned, and my Explain All Moves is now gone. Even if I load my saved layout, I have to reconfigure the option to enable Explain All Moves and close the other windows.
Bad Ethnic Accents Are Out Of Place In 2020
I grew up in the 70s & 80s, and was raised on a diet of Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, and other offensive comedy. But hearing the voice actor attempt poor ethnic accents for the talk-back is out of place for professional software in 2020. There's about 800 audio clips in the /TALK directory, and after listening through about 50-60 or so I found these.
38,130 - Italian?
1031, 158, 172, 225, 355 - Chinese?
154, 253 - French?
201, 260, 340, 368 - Mexican?
I normally keep these voice clips turned off, and only discovered them while trying to get an audible alert when finishing a drill. But now that I've found them, they just feel out of step with modern society. Also, #240 refers to Intel Pentiums. Intel's flagship processor line has been the Core line since about 2006.
Hire A Technical Writer For Your Help Section
Who writes like this?
"Our recommendation for beginners is to decide at the start on specific systems and after that decision to be continually building up a little repertoire. Chess is not possible without a basic knowledge of theory; Fritz 17 cannot relieve you of the decision as to how deeply you wish to go into theory. But the program offers you comprehensive support when it comes to quickly and efficiently learning the variations you have selected."
If I'm a beginner, I don't know what you are talking about. A specific system of what? And how can a beginner even decide if they are a beginner? And FYI, chess is possible without a basic knowledge of theory, just maybe not great chess. Try something like...
"Opening theory in chess refers to the initial moves of a game that are believed to maximize a players chance of winning, and playing chess well requires knowledge of these openings. We recommend beginners start with one opening, and then build upon it to make their own repertoire of openings to play. Fritz cannot tell you what openings to choose or how many moves deep to learn them, this is your choice. But the program provides tools for you to quickly and efficiently learn the variations you select."
But the bigger problem with your help sections is that it doesn't look to be comprehensive enough. Like above when I spent several ours trying to figure out how to run a free drill with the standard repertoire as black
This Just Pops Up And I Don't Want It
I'm about at the final straw with this software. I can't run drills unless I am in the Easy Game and as I continue a line into a game this blinky thing suddenly pops up. Not even sure what it was supposed to be. Can't right-click and get rid of it. Right-click doesn't even say what it is. Finally have to look in help, can't get rid of it. It's an eye sore. But I am stuck with it because opening drills are forced to be practiced in Easy Game instead of the classic interface that the adults use.
So now, after taking back a move trying to figure out what move I missed, somehow it's now asking me to make moves as black when I started he game as white.
Did anyone actually test this program?!?!?
Also: "What is particularly nice is the display of the facial expression of the piece in the “Easy Game Info” window. ". No, I'm not a child. It's not nice to look at.
No Upgrade Pricing
Finally, this is just a little frustrating. I've purchased Fritz 12, 16, and now 17. Why don't they provide upgrade pricing for people who bought recent versions?
Conclusion
I'm fed up with this piece of crap software.
