ChessBase Encyclopedia 2013 or Big Database 2013

Hello,

after a long time without playing chess I started again. Currently I try to improve my opening konwledge and I am searching for a comprehensive opening database providing a graphical interface. I have got recommended the ChessBase Opening Encyclopedia 2013 with the ChessBase Reader. On the other hand, I got the recommendation to test the ChessBase Starter package including the ChessBase 12 programm and the Big Database 2013. What is the difference between the databases ChessBase Opening Encyclopedia 2013 and Big Database 2013 ? Is the Big Database 2013 recommendable to improve the opening knowledge?

What´s about the HIARCS Chess Explorer? This is much cheaper than the ChessBase Products. Is it also recommendable?

Thank you and kind regards,

Mooni

yes i also had the question, by the way what exactly is the difference between the starter package and the more expensive chessbase chessbases??

and what is the difference between chessbase and just getting the big database alone??

i think the most important difference is that a more expensive version gives you annotated games while the "cheap" one doenst

If you are looking to improve your openings knowlage then the openings encyclopaedia is the way to go. Although the big database may have more games this is mostly due to the amount of junior under 8 games that are not included in the openings database. Also the openings encyclopaedia has a lot more articles on openings than the big database and you are likely to find an article on most opening systems (even obscure ones) in the openings encyclopaedia.

The main difference is the special search functions,  and the extra included software.  

Big Database is simply a database with 5.3 million games.

Mega Database is the same database,  but it comes with annotations for over 67,000 of the included games.

Chessbase Starter Package is actually Chessbase 12 with Big Database.  The Chessbase 12 program itself handles the Big Database navigation a lot better because it offers advanced search features that don't come with Big Database alone,  or any of the other products from the "Fritz" family of chess programs.

Chessbase Mega Package is actually Chessbase 12 with Mega Database.  Once again,  the only difference is that you will have 67,000 annotated games with Mega Database.

Chessbase Premium Package is the same as Chessbase Mega Package with the addition of Fritz Endgame Turbo 3 (The Nalimov Tablebases),  and Chessbase Corr 2013 (a seperate database of over a million chess correspondance games).  

I researched all of this because I, also didn't really understand the differences in prices for all of those products.

Great, a lot of useful answers, thanks. But there is still one questions open. Does it make sense to purchase the ChessBase Opening Encyclopedia and additional ChessBase 12 to handle the database? Or is the free of charge reader perfectly enough to handle the opening database?

Kind regards,

Mooni

I think that you would get the MOST out of it with Chessbase 12,  but I don't think it's mandatory at all.  Personally,  I think Chessbase Encyclopedia would be perfect with Fritz,  or any of the "Fritz Family" of programs.  I say this because with one of those programs not only can you access the database,  but you can also see the opening's tree,  and actually play through your own games using these openings.

Just my $.02.

Hi kkbell420,

opening trees are a must for me. I contacted the ChessBase hotline and they told me that a position tree established on the basis of the database is provided with the Opening Encyclopedia 2013. It might be a good idea for me starting with the Opening Encyclopedia 2013 only and check how much benefit I can get from it. Later I can still purchase ChessBase 12.

What´s about the Hiarcs programs/databases. I have the impression that they are in general cheaper than the ChessBase products.

Kind regards,

Mooni

I don't know why you think that the Hiarcs programs/databases are in general,  cheaper than the ChessBase products.  You do realize that ChessBase actually sells Hiarcs products:

http://chessbase-shop.com/en/categories/109

Yes, and you can get the Hiarcs Professional Opening Book for 27.50€ vs. 99€ for the ChessBase Opening Encyclopedia.

http://chessbase-shop.com/en/products/hiarcs_13_book

vs.

http://chessbase-shop.com/en/products/opening_encyclopedia_2013

Kind regards,

Mooni

i believe its an opening book for the hiarcs computer engine. So when you let hiarcs play it uses them, but im not sure.

This at least could explain why it is about 1/4 of the Opening Encyclopedia.....

Kind regards,

Mooni

I agree.  I don't know much about Hiarcs,  but it looks as if this opening book is designed and optimized for Hiarcs.  It seems to be a much better book than the one that initially comes with Hiarcs.  It says in the description that it "adds up to 50 Elo to the strength of the program".  

What I can't seem to figure out is why that opening book isn't included with Hiarcs.  That web page actually refers to the opening book that comes with Hiarcs as "Hiarcs Opening Book Lite".  

Smh.  

ChessBase sells another opening book for Fritz called Powerbook, but Powerbook's focus is completely different.  Powerbook expands the amount of openings that Fritz uses,  but it isn't necessarily optimized for play against other chess engines.  It's actually designed for the user to play against in order to practice against openings that a human would use in a tournament situation as opposed to optimized chess openings that a chess engine would use against another chess engine.

This is what Steve Lopez had to say about Fritz Powerbook:

" It's a much larger opening book which isn't "tuned" to favor the way a computer program plays chess. If you load Powerbook as your chess program's default opening book, you're going to see your chess engine play a much wider array of openings than it plays with its normal opening book which comes with the program."

https://www.chesscentral.com/Articles.asp?ID=463

Powerbook actually seems to serve a purpose where Hiarcs Professional Opening Book seems like something that should have been included with Hiarcs.