Chessbase 11

I've wanted a good chess database for a long time and friends have suggested ChessBase 11.

Is it good? Worth getting?

Any and all comments will be greatly appreciated!

P.S. This is the one I was looking at: Click Here

Absolutely. If you can afford it,  this is pretty amazing. Make sure you spend time online googling for tutorials as there are a ton of neat features it can do to make managing databases fun + useful.

save your money search freeware or if you really want cb11 download it from torrents 

Or you can actually pay for a valuable product that people have really worked hard to produce.  Now that's a crazy idea :)

I'm sure that mschosting didn't mean to encourage illegal activities.

Yes, it's worth it.

CA is worth considering as well. There are somethings it does better than CB. For example, CA has CQL (Chess Query Language) built in, while CB does not. If you are interested in searching for complex positional themes in your database, CA is better suited to the task. However, CB does things like maintaining a repertoire database better than CA. So your intended use can influence which product is the best for you.

There is no freeware or open source chess database that's comparable to either CA or CB, sadly.

As a software developer, I have to state that CA (at first glance) has a bizarre user interface that makes me want to kill myself.   ( I'm sure the features are great, but it really is a task to get used to, unlike Chessbase which can be quite intuitive to use!)

It's not so much bizarre as hopelessly outdated. It's really very much a Windows 3.1 style interface that never was upgraded. However, CA also comes with Aquarium and Rybka 4, and the Aquarium interface can be used for quite a few tasks (though by no means all).

But yes, CB has a far superior user interface overall.

Like I said, it's about the capabilities you want to have at your finger tips. For searching the database, CA is far superior, but that isn't the only reason to have a chess database. For example, if you're a regular subscriber to chessbase magazine, the multimedia capabilities of chessbase is really not comparable in CA.

On user interface level chess base rules but in features/price chess assistant tends to be better (at least I like the most) There was some freeware chess database software, but I have been away from chess for so long I cant really remember what it was.

I never said to get it illegally! He can get it from torrents legally :) and he can use it for testing purposes even if he gets an illegal copy and the serial number won't worrk...

If he never really used it, giving away like 500+ $ its not really easy. If he can afford it sure get CB11 legally :)

It may depend on which country you're in, mschosting, but in the USA at least it is illegal to download pirated software for "testing purposes."

Price for me isn't really a factor, (unless you get above $200-300.) so from what I can tell CB has an easy to use interface. And everyone is saying that it is worth getting if you can afford it. 

just the download is illegal if I never really use it? 

If a company offers a licensed demo copy, you're allowed to download that. However, it is not legal to download pirated software outside of the owning company's licensing agreement.

So if you can find a place where ChessBase offers you a download of CB11, go for it. But I am completely unaware of such an offering from them. It's a violation of the DMCA in the USA and I believe it violates the various copyright treaties we have with most major European nations as well.

Yes, I don't believe the existing documentation that came with the package (Atleast for versions up to 11) really go into the necessary details or are fun + instructive to read like Steve Lopez's articles; some of which actually walk you step-by-step in creating a database (repertoire or stored games) etc.

The last I checked, Fritz's DB capabilities are a small subset  and don't even give you the capabilities of of the free + light version of Chessbase.

Once again, if you KNEW how to get around (via tutorials and tons of articles online), chessbase is waaay faster than SCID in terms of getting things done (which I used before I robbed a few banks and could cough up the money to buy chessbase).

Additionally, SCID starts to get annoying with big databases and its native scid format requires back-and-forth conversion (to PGN, CBH etc.) when downloading/sharing games.  Also, good luck finding a 3+ million game database in native SCID format!

Try ChessDB and SCID first. If you think you need more advanced features, go for chessbase.

Try getting a used copy of CB10 or 9 at amazon or eBay, or at some chess site that sells used software. I'm using CB9 and it's awesome, and I got a much better deal on it used than new! $135 is a good dea for CB11 new BUT it doesn't seem to come with its own DB (the online DB may be a minus if you can't access it or just can't get online for whatever reason[s]) so I'd suggest buying the 2011 BIG DB too. The Mega DB is actually the same DB but with way more annotated games so it costs way more than the BIG DB. I also have Fritz 12 but CB9 blows it away for overall DB usage.

I use Chessbase 11 for both my chess teaching and for personal use as a database. It is an amazing program. Yes it is expensive. However, it cuts my lecture research down immensely. I give my classes very specific lectures based on Grandmaster games. Since I teach younger students, I need access to specific openings and games that last for approximately 20 - 24 moves. The classes are broken down to a 20 - 30 minute lectured followed by game play where the students put into motion some of the ideas covered in the lecture. The great thing about Chessbase is that the user interface is easy to use.

I have Chess Assistant with Deep Rybka 4 and the Aquarium interface. I love Chess Assistant but the interface (Not the Aquarium interface which used the Windows Office GUI) for Chess Assistant is a bit outdated and not as easy to use. I have both database systems on my computers because some of my students use Chessbase 11 while others use Chess Assistant. I need to be fluent with both databases for obvious reasons.

Chessbase 11 has the added bonus of being able to run any of the Fritz Trainer DVDs as well as chess books in the Chessbase format. The only complaint I have is a lack of a manual. I like having a good manual around to get the most out of software when I have just purchased it. However, Steve Lopez from Chess Central/USCF Sales has created some great videos that cover Chessbase 11. In many ways the videos are better than a manual since you get visual instructions which are easier to follow.

I'd say invest in Chessbase 11 if you're serious about playing chess. There are enough great games in the database to keep you busy for a lifetime. The program runs smoothly but make sure to get any updates from the Chessbase website. I had some minor problems until I got Chessbase 11's Service Pack 3 which eliminated those minor issues. Get it and enjoy it. There are so many options that you'll discover while poking around the program that everyday you'll feel like you've learned something new.

In closing, Steve Lopez is a member of chess.com and is really good about repsonding to questions. He's the "go to guy" when it comes to Chessbase 11.

@Hugh -- I find it interesting that you'd use CB for searching your database when you have CA also. The CQL capabilities of CA are so far superior to anything that CB can do it's not even close to compare them.

Chessbase 11 is full of bugs!

Almost every time I used it it behaives strange or hangs.

The only pc-product I have with such faults.

But when it works, it works quite good.

You can also download a free version:

http://www.chessbase.com/download/download2.asp

It is basically limited to 32000 games per database and supports CBH format and the PGN format.

But you don't need a million games db.

If you need such, there are several on the net.

The reason I use CB rather than CA is because the majority of my students use CB so it is easier to direct them to games in the CB database. I agree with you completely on your points. However, when you're dealing with 5 or 6 chess classes and each class has 20 to 30 students most of whom use CB, it becomes easier to switch to CB. For my personal training and study, I find myself using CA.

As for CB bugs, I had similar problems until I downloaded their service packs (SP2 and SP3). I assume the download link is for Chessbase Light? That is a great program for individuals who need can get my with a smaller database. With chess teaching, many instructors use the same games in their lectures. I like to find more obscure games which a large database provides. I am also able to use software purchases as a tax write off which serves as incentive for the cost of CB 11.