You can keep upgrading your Fritz to get improved verbal analysis but you really are looking at a dry well as there is no application out there (to my knowledge) that has made revolutionary strides in explaining positional "engine" evaluations in a "simple human-friendly language".
Until that happens, a strong-er friend/mentor/coach is still your best shot.
You can keep upgrading your Fritz to get improved verbal analysis but you really are looking at a dry well as there is no application out there (to my knowledge) that has made revolutionary strides in explaining positional "engine" evaluations in a "simple human-friendly language".
Until that happens, a strong-er friend/mentor/coach is still your best shot.
+1
I'm not aware of anything better, either. I don't think Hiarcs Explorer has plain English analysis, at least from what I've seen of the Hiarcs videos of HE.
You can keep upgrading your Fritz to get improved verbal analysis but you really are looking at a dry well as there is no application out there (to my knowledge) that has made revolutionary strides in explaining positional "engine" evaluations in a "simple human-friendly language".
Is that because it is so hard to implement, or have programmers simply not bothered thinking it is a niche feature not adding a lot of value to the program?
@fburton:
Beats me. Fritz's "explain each move" 1-liners have certainly been useful to some.
I have Fritz 13 and it will generate a "verbal" analysis of a game. I don't know of anything better (not that Fritz is the best .. don't know).
I did not buy the Houdini 3 so I don't know if that package includes a Fritz-like UCI or if it's just the engine to be added to one of the existing UCIs. The fact that Houdini 3 is perhaps the best engine at the present time is largely irrelevant if you are playing below GM level because there will be very few times when it varies from other strong engines, and then the analysis depth is far beyond our ability to follow OTB. What really matters, if I understand the OP, is how good is the verbal feedback, and I don't know of anything better than Fritz.
I have Fritz 13 and it will generate a "verbal" analysis of a game. I don't know of anything better (not that Fritz is the best .. don't know).
I did not buy the Houdini 3 so I don't know if that package includes a Fritz-like UCI or if it's just the engine to be added to one of the existing UCIs. The fact that Houdini 3 is perhaps the best engine at the present time is largely irrelevant if you are playing below GM level because there will be very few times when it varies from other strong engines, and then the analysis depth is far beyond our ability to follow OTB. What really matters, if I understand the OP, is how good is the verbal feedback, and I don't know of anything better than Fritz.
Yeah, that is what I was looking for. So I guess I will stick with Fritz 13. Thanks, guys!
Next question: The Viva Media version or the Chessbase version? 
Next question: The Viva Media version or the Chessbase version?
I bought the Chessbase version. I'm not familiar with the other, or the difference between them. The CB version does link online to their huge ongoing opening book library for one year if that matters. It also comes with a handful of videos.
Next question: The Viva Media version or the Chessbase version?
I bought the Chessbase version. I'm not familiar with the other, or the difference between them. The CB version does link online to their huge ongoing opening book library for one year if that matters. It also comes with a handful of videos.
I've been googling this, and found this answer on the redhotpawn forum:
"They are identical, except the more expensive one you get a premium membership to playchess.com, and thus get the playchess.com premium content. With the cheaper one, you can still play on playchess.com, but you have to pay for any premium content you might want. It appears that the premium content is mainly training stuff.
Recommendation: If you are going to be on playchess.com a lot and interested in the training presentations (usually by GMs) which are quite good I think, I would get the more expensive Frtiz. Otherwise, I would go with the more cheaper Fritz (black box). That's what a friend of mine did, and he is happy with it."
Fritz is a good interface, but I agree that you can't expect much from the "plain English" analysis. After the tenth time you read "doesn't get the kitten out of the tree" it gets a little stale. I have the feature turned off now.
Fritz is a good interface, but I agree that you can't expect much from the "plain English" analysis. After the tenth time you read "doesn't get the kitten out of the tree" it gets a little stale. I have the feature turned off now.
Does it ever say "Finally! The kitten is out of the tree" ?
That would be good
Next question: The Viva Media version or the Chessbase version?
I bought the Chessbase version. I'm not familiar with the other, or the difference between them. The CB version does link online to their huge ongoing opening book library for one year if that matters. It also comes with a handful of videos.
I've been googling this, and found this answer on the redhotpawn forum:
"They are identical, except the more expensive one you get a premium membership to playchess.com, and thus get the playchess.com premium content. With the cheaper one, you can still play on playchess.com, but you have to pay for any premium content you might want. It appears that the premium content is mainly training stuff.
Recommendation: If you are going to be on playchess.com a lot and interested in the training presentations (usually by GMs) which are quite good I think, I would get the more expensive Frtiz. Otherwise, I would go with the more cheaper Fritz (black box). That's what a friend of mine did, and he is happy with it."
Good to know! Thanks!
There is no 'verbal analysis' in Fritz - there are a bunch of stock phrases that appear when you win/ lose material or get a passed pawn or put a knight on an outpost square etc,etc. The best analysis is in the alternate variations that appear at points that Fritz considers critical but thats all moves, no words...
Your brains is the best analytical program that exists, and it's free, as well.
Your brains is the best analytical program that exists, and it's free, as well.
Hi IM pfren, but it's very hard "impossible" for lower player like me to find what is wrong with my play, and with engine i can find some tactical move which i miss
I find I must study the position before turning the engine on. You must know why the move is good, not just what the engine thinks is best. You can obtain the engine's opinion in 30 seconds. Your own choice might take 30 minutes to figure out but you will know why you picked that move.
Your brains is the best analytical program that exists, and it's free, as well.
It's so good, it blunders all the time 
Shoot, I had a recent game, now concluded, where I thought I had really good line, sacrificing a rook for a bishop, giving me a strong dark squared bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal and eventually giving me a strong attack on the king, or so I thought. I analyzed variations on the line off and on for about a week (probably 3 hours or so if you added it all together) until I decide the sac was sound enough.
However, the second move in that line, while not the wost possible one, left me with a slight disadvantage (computer analysis) where before I had a slight advantage (about half a pawn). If my opponent hadn't blundered, in a move that I thought wasn't even that bad, then I might have had a hard time recovering, if at all. Due to that blunder, which I didn't see as blunder (I was actually more worried about a later possible move), my analyzed line ended up being as strong as I thought it might be.
An engine can give a quick look to say that a move was bad. I don't look at the ensuing lines given and try to figure out why it was so bad (sometimes successfully) but until I get stronger, an engine is my method of getting a stronger player's opinion on the game. I'm sure others are in the same boat and that using an engine for analysis in this way can help one get stronger.
If I don't see a problem while at first analysis, I'm unlikely to see it when going over the game again. Apparently, my analytical program is a bit wonky 
(though I'm working on that).
Do not worry, pfren is just a jerk that loves to run his mouth.
It's quite apparent that my comment is applicable for people with brains- so you don't have to bother at all.
Agreed. Unfortunately, an engine doesn't tell you why a move was good or bad. You can spend time surfing through the alternate lines to see where they go, but most weak moves are instantly eliminated by the hashing so that you see only what the engine sees as the "best" candidates and none of the weak ones. The "best" move may also be the result of a tree branch that is so far removed that it is irrelevant to humans. An interesting alternative is to use more than one engine and see what other "best" moves might be out there. Sometimes one strong move compared to another comes down to personal preference and a matter of style.
There is no question that engine post-game analysis is a great help, given the limitations. For old timers like myself, it's like being a kid in a candy store.
Agreed. Unfortunately, an engine doesn't tell you why a move was good or bad. You can spend time surfing through the alternate lines to see where they go, but most weak moves are instantly eliminated by the hashing so that you see only what the engine sees as the "best" candidates and none of the weak ones. The "best" move may also be the result of a tree branch that is so far removed that it is irrelevant to humans. An interesting alternative is to use more than one engine and see what other "best" moves might be out there. Sometimes one strong move compared to another comes down to personal preference and a matter of style.
There is no question that engine post-game analysis is a great help, given the limitations. For old timers like myself, it's like being a kid in a candy store.
not to mention that you need an eternity to wait to get a half way decent computer analysis.
I recently upgraded my PC, so I thought the time might be right to upgrade my chess software as well as I've been using Fritz 11 and Chessmaster GM Edition for the last few years. With that in mind, does anybody have a recommendation? What is MOST important for me is a program that delivers clear analysis of a chess game. For example, I love how both Chessmaster and Fritz don't just use numerical evaluations, but also use plain English to critique a game in detail. I also like how both allow you click on an alternate line to see what was the better move and why. Lastly, the program has to be intuitive to use (both Fritz 11 and CMGM were).
Any good programs along that line?
I see Fritz 13 is out, so I am considering that. I also hear that HIARCS has good plain English analysis as well. Are there any others to consider? What about any freeware software?
Thanks!