Fritz 16 is stand alone.

I'm a bit curious why someone would buy Fritz?  Sure, it's historically been a top engine, but its glory days are in the past.  Currently, the top three engines by some margin are Stockfish, Komodo, and Houdini - and Stockfish is free.  Why pay for an engine when a stronger one is available for free?

 Because you don't buy an engine. Fritz 16 is a program based on Chessbase software. The program has advanced handicap features that make it behave like an average human player. At the same time, it is a full-blooded trainer that will teach you how to think – in Grandmasterly style. Fritz 16 also comes with other very useful functions, like voice recognition, spell checking, and much more. It also has a completely overhauled navigation.

Features Include:
* Assisted Analysis - Fritz 16 will give you discreet visual hints as you move, and emoticons, which show Fritz’s mood.
* Tactical Analysis - After your game, let Fritz 16 show you the combinations you might have missed directly.
* Easy Play - calculation training to hone your skills

Even with little knowledge of chess, you can enjoy many exciting games, and more importantly, victory, against Fritz. If things don’t work out, Fritz 16 shows you the combinations you might have missed directly after the game with the handy “Tactical Analysis” function, or you can dive right into "Easy Play" calculation training to hone your skills.

ChessBase Premium Account (6 months) gives you full access to the world of ChessBase Web Apps (also for iPads, Android Tablets, and Smartphones) including:
* Complete access to 6,000 chess training videos
* 60,000 tactical exercises
* 8 million games in the live database
* The best online chess playing action on playchess

  It's like buying a Chess.com diamond membership with a chess partner-coach.

FYI: if you buy from Amazon, just make sure the seller is reputable.  Fritz/chessbase requires online registration.

Another thing WRT buying disc vs download, discs generally allows you easier reinstalls and of course resale later when you don't want to use the program anymore.  But there's shipping delay/costs.  Otherwise, they are the same program since you'd download updates.

In other words, it's not just the engine, it's everything that comes with it.  That make sense, thanks!

If it was just the engine you wanted, of course, you'd be best off downloading Stockfish, or even Fire or Ethereal.

Exactly. The Chessbase directors made something clever...

They developed a software-engine program that can play like a real person and at the same time annotate moves and provide guidance. If you add on this the availability to make use of the ChessBase interface then you have a complete package.

You can read specifications, plus watch the video tutorial and download the program here: https://www.chesscentral.com/fritz-16-chess-playing-software-download/

Can anyone suggest Elo ratings for the various Fritz 16 levels?  Whenever I win a game with it at 'Club Player' level it assigns me a level of around 2200, but my actual level is ca. 800,, so it seems consistently too generous.  I have the feeling that Fritz's 'Club Player' level is about equal to the chess.com computer level 6, which is around 1200 to 1400?

Your Elo level will fluctuate throughout the game. For example, If you play opening perfectly your rating might go as high as 2750, but that doesn't mean that is your actual strength. What matters, to a certain extent, is the rating at the end of the game. Regardless, it is just overall performance rating for one particular game, from a computer perdpective, and not some kind of estimate of your real otb chess skills.

Fritz 16 error. Can you help me?

I bought the Fritz 16 SE. When I started the program *.exe. The window shows an error. APPCRASH, chessprogram 16.exe,  16.14.0.0,  Sview4.dll, 6.10.0.0. 

It's windows module problem, it means I should install some program or uninstall some other. What should I do? Thank you very much.

Why don't you try HERE ?