Getting started with ChessBase

I splurged for the ChessBase 13 Mega-Package. I've used Fritz for a couple years and played with SCID, so I'm not completely at sea.

But there's a lot of functionality here to come to grips with. Any suggestions on taming this beast?

I've owned previous versions of Chessbase. The newer editions are light years ahead. If I had the cash, this is what I would get. Probably the most powerful features in the current edition are the ways you can build an opening repertoire, and find the latest trends in opening theory played by the top masters. This is where I would start, after spending a couple weeks overall checking out and admiring the utter coolness of the entire package. Also, if you can afford the ongoing subscription to Chessbase magazine discs, those are the coolest. Congratulations on your acquisition!

GalaxKing: Thanks for the thoughts!

I did get CB with an eye to opening work plus the hope the interface would be better than Fritz and SCID.

I was also curious what top chess software looks like these days. It's a science fiction dream we could only imagine when I was a young player.

Agree with tubebender, it's a great piece of software once you find the various functions. Good luck.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I'm not eager to throw money around and I did have second thoughts before breaking the seal on the software package.

But I figure it's good enough for my purposes to last five years or more and amortize the price in my mind over that length of time.

From a default install Chessbase does not seem to have any opening books. I found some free opening books here:

http://www.hiarcs.com/chess-opening-book-free.htm

I haven't worked out how to comfortably handle opening variations starting from the big database.

Thanks, Ekrabin. I'm not that strong either but it is fascinating and powerful tool for exploring chess.

I found the magic wand for exploring databases by opening variation:

Right-Click the database and select "Opening Reference..." 

Ipcress, it's an incredibly powerful tool, particularly with access to CB's online database. Maybe you can get some ideas from this article I wrote for MACA's Chess Horizons a few years ago. 

http://www.masschess.org/chess_horizons/chess-horizons-article.aspx?ch_uid=117

 cgrau: Nice article! Interesting to combine CB with Chess Opening Wizard, which I also have but the interface annoys me with needless mouse clicks.

You're definitely ahead of me. I'm still feeling my way around.

Can anyone say what the Chessbase (full) program does better than the Fritz interface? 

I know Fritz handles 'smaller' databases, but in my old version of CB (pre-win xp, doesn't work anymore of course) Fritz was the equal of CB in everything unless you were big into complicated and sophisticated database searches, which I found were not at all useful for class-level players like myself.

CB allows you to maneuver easily through a huge database move by move with the relevant statistics, as Fritz does with an opening book (CTG file).

There are also facilities I've not explored for putting together opening repertoires. You can access databases and chess engines in the cloud. You can have more than one board window open.

CB does not have annoying Fritz features like defaulting to game play with the computer or the coach personalities which natter at you until you turn them off.

Sadly, CB does blow a shrieking whistle in your ear if you miss the square you're moving to like Fritz. I'll have to silence the illegal.mp3 file.