Fritz 16 - Chess Forums - Page 3

sammy_boi

Nov 16, 2017

0

#41

When you buy it, I assume you're getting both a UCI and an engine.

And as you said, yes, there are free UCIs too.

Personally I'd just get chessbase (yes it's a bit more expensive).

@jkh0208 mentions DGT boards, which I didn't think of (I've never messed with them).

kenardi

Nov 16, 2017

0

#42

Chessbase 14 and Fritz 16 are different animals.

Chessbase 14 includes one of the Fritz engines and you can add other UCI engines, same as Fritz.

Read message #22 in this thread. Chessbase products can be confusing.

Chessbase 14 is foremost a database management program where as Fritz is more of a traditional GUI that includes a simplified database management tool.

Fritz has more analysis tools, with the exception of the more powerful database functions of Chessbase 14.

I use Chessbase 14 as well, I do prefer it over the Fritz interface for user analysis... I still like running the Fritz Full Analysis (engine analysis) on some games over the tactical analysis (engine analysis) on Chessbase 14.

If you want a program that you play games against chess engines Fritz is that program.

ed1975

Nov 16, 2017

0

#43

Hope they offer an upgrade to 15, as I only bought 14 a month or so ago

ed1975

Nov 16, 2017

0

#44

I didn't know 15 was coming out soon. Simple as.

jkh0208

Nov 16, 2017

0

#45

ed1975 wrote:

I didn't know 15 was coming out soon. Simple as.

I fell into the same trap with Houdini. I bought Houdini 5. Houdini 6 came out a few days later for the same price.

gambitattax

Nov 18, 2017

0

#46

CoffeeAnd420 wrote:

I have never liked the way Chessbase does it's marketing/sales. They're still selling CB14 @ full price, while not divulging the release date of CB15, even though we all know it's right around the corner.

ChessBase releases new version once every two years during the month of November. ChessBase 15 will be released in Nov 2018.

gambitattax

Nov 18, 2017

0

#47

ed1975 wrote:

Hope they offer an upgrade to 15, as I only bought 14 a month or so ago

Yes bro they offer an upgrade but they still charge f**king high prices for it. Sometimes I feel that ChessBase is just too much, in the sense, that they offer too many functionalities but I never use them much. It's just like Excel Spreadsheet, you know, there is so much out there but in the end we don't use them at all. Also using them requires a lot of time investment which only chess pros can do. Me as a college going student can't find time for that.

So there you go, I am happy with SCID. Just download monthly updates from Kingbase website and you are all set. If you want more then visit 365chess.com or database.chessbase.com . This will definitely satisfy your database needs and is more than enough. FYI, I use both SCID and ChessBase 14.

FortunaMajor

Nov 18, 2017

0

#48

I have Fritz 15, but I really don't know how to use it.

sammy_boi

Nov 18, 2017

0

#49

CoffeeAnd420 wrote:

I have never liked the way Chessbase does it's marketing/sales. They're still selling CB14 @ full price, while not divulging the release date of CB15, even though we all know it's right around the corner.

Also they include a lot of SHIT games in their DB.

Like unrated players, and tournament games between 10 year olds rated under 1000. Absolutely awful.

The "top games" button doesn't always work either.

gambitattax

Nov 19, 2017

0

#50

CoffeeAnd420 wrote:

Darshan_Haragi_L wrote:

CoffeeAnd420 wrote:

I have never liked the way Chessbase does it's marketing/sales. They're still selling CB14 @ full price, while not divulging the release date of CB15, even though we all know it's right around the corner.

ChessBase releases new version once every two years during the month of November. ChessBase 15 will be released in Nov 2018.

Are we sure of this? Again - it would be nice if Chessbase actually clarified things and informed customers. Having us literally just buy and see with products is really asking too much, IMO.

If you go by the pattern of their releases, then what I have said is true.

gambitattax

Nov 19, 2017

0

#51

sammy_boi wrote:

CoffeeAnd420 wrote:

I have never liked the way Chessbase does it's marketing/sales. They're still selling CB14 @ full price, while not divulging the release date of CB15, even though we all know it's right around the corner.

Also they include a lot of SHIT games in their DB.

Like unrated players, and tournament games between 10 year olds rated under 1000. Absolutely awful.

The "top games" button doesn't always work either.

Yeah, that's one drawback of ChessBase. They should include games of players above 2000 ELO just like how Kingbase does, but they simply stuff it up and make it a HUGE database.

ed1975

Nov 20, 2017

0

#52

@m-p-b: Could you be more specific? Which features are missing? Are you going to contact them about it and (essentially) complain?

I find it strange to hear that some features are missing as software generally tends to grow in complexity through successive iterations. If things have been removed, that may be cause for concern indeed.

TheInimitableKan

Nov 20, 2017

0

#53

@m-p-b: I would also be interested in hearing some more specifics

TheInimitableKan

Nov 20, 2017

0

#54

: Thanks for your elaboration and working with ChessBase to get the software updated!

gambit-man

Nov 21, 2017

0

#55

kenardi wrote:

Chess programs can be a little confusing, especially chessbase products. To clarify for those that are interested....

Chessbase basically has two Graphic User Interface programs (GUI):

#1 is Chessbase (currently Chessbase 14), this is most often considered the BEST commercial program for game analysis and database software. This is what most chess professional use. This is expensive and not necessary for every chess player that wants a chess program. This is the most functional chess software on the market and is for super users that spend lots of time analyzing games.

#2 "Fritz", this is confusing, because the program is sold under different names based on the chess engine it is packaged with. This has some functions the #1 programs does not have like friendly play (look it up on youtube), it will analyze games very well, you can install any UCI chess engine, and it includes a database. The analysis and database functions are not as powerful as the #1 product, but sufficient for many casual less computer capable players. This is a great product for someone that wants a product to play games against a computer engine, computer assisted analysis of their games and other games, a database and database tools to make their own database, and computer assisted study of every phase of the game.

Chessbase offers many other products that all complement the two primary products. They have a third product for kids that I have never looked at, its called "Fritz and Chester", this is for kids that want to learn how to play and know nothing about the game. They also have a less expensive version of Fritz called "Fritz for FUN", not really clear on the difference between the regular Fritz and Fritz for FUN.

commercial competition is:

Chess King - I own an older version of this, it not as powerful as the chessbase products, but user interface is much easier especially for younger kids or adults that have trouble with computers. This is competition for the Fritz #2 product.

Chess Assistant - Have never owned a copy of this I cannot comment. I'm pretty sure this is competition for the #1 product.

Freeware:

Arena - this is very dated, but a FREE GUI that will run many different chess engines. This is very similar to older versions of the #2 chessbase product, like 15 years ago.

Chess Engines, there are many of these, the BIG three right now are:

Stockfish - open source and free

Komodo - commercial, older versions are free to download from their website

Houdini - commercial, original version is free to download from their website

There are also many resources on the internet that I am not permitted to mention, This website is one of those resources.

If you have Fritz 15 I wouldn't be in a rush to purchase Fritz 16, unless you just have to have the most recent software. I'm sure the chess engine will have some improvements. Looks like chessbase has made some changes to the "front end" of user interface of the Fritz #2 product. Seems like an attempt to make it more user friendly for those that find computers not so friendly. Chessbase may have improved the analysis tools, if so, it may be worth the update for Fritz 15 owners... still not enough information about the new program to say for sure.

Yeah, i bought Fritz 12, then shortly afterwards Rybka 4, thinking it was a different program. I won't make the same mistake again...

In case anyone is remotely interested, Rybka 4 was just another version of the Fritz 12 GUI packaged with the Rybka engine. Apart from 1 extra analysis feature and the packaged engine, the two programs are identical.

gambit-man

Nov 21, 2017

0

#56

CoffeeAnd420 wrote:

I already have the diamond here and access to the databases offered. I have a Chessbase premium account and access to the live database 24/7. I also use a couple of other sites that have loads of games on them. With all of that, I honestly don't think spending money on a database makes any sense for me. That money could go to tournament fees or something that will help me progress more.

Databases are of huge benefit for correspondence players...

ed1975

Nov 29, 2017

0

#57

@m-p-b: many thanks for your detailed observations on the differences. It sounds a bit disappointing that they seem to have stripped some features out of the latest Fritz. I haven't got close to looking into how to use it in full detail yet, but I'm hoping I'll still find it a useful tool to supplement other analyses etc. Thanks again.

SeniorPatzer

Nov 29, 2017

0

#58

ed1975 wrote:

I just bought Fritz 16

Is this your first time buying a chess engine?

ed1975

Nov 29, 2017

0

#59

Nope, I own HIARCS for example, but I have done little in the way of analysis with it. In general, I prefer people to analyse my games.

ed1975

Nov 29, 2017

0

#60

OK, ciarli...