Need for a ChessBase Database Forum?

When attempting to learn any new complex software written for the serious hobbyist or professional, it's almost always next to impossible to learn alone, and always frustrating no matter how much hand holding one receives.

Sibelius, a music program written for professional music publishing, was extremely difficult to learn that entire first year. Reading the manual alone did not always help.  The Sibelius team had a forum devoted to answering questions, where both the developers and the advanced users could help people new to the program. I got answers the same day that I posted a question. Now that is support! 

I see ChessBase 11 as a pro level database program with a steep learning curve for anyone brand new to using any sort of database, which includes me.

I own the lowest priced ChessBase database, ChessBase Light Premium - 49.99 euros or 65.76 dollars for the activation key to unlock the following:

• Search position in the new superfast ChessBase Online Database with
  4,5 million games
• Save,edit and copy games
• Create and edit Datatabases
• Get program Updates for ChessBase Light Premium
• No database limit
• Multiboard kibitzing on playchess
• Extended engine interface for Fritz 12 and UCI engines

What good is a program without the ability to save, edit and copy games, or create and edit databases?

The 4.5 million game online database is amazing and, I can add the newest games to my ChessBase database by going to:  http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/twic  My first contribution in the way of support.

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Steve Lopez has produced some excellent instruction videos and articles at www.chessbase.com. Type the word workshop into the search window and you will find his videos and articles.

You won't learn this little trick from going to the website. So, there's my second contribution to helping others with ChessBase 10, 11 and Light Premium. All versions have the same graphic user interface, or GUI.

Even with that, ChessBase doe not offer a forum where people can post questions and get answers. The company has this: http://www.chessbase.com/contact/mail/support.aspx, but you need to fill in a bunch of stuff. I never liked that format and the response time is usually slow. 

At http://www.chessbase.com/download/index.asp, scroll down and you will find links under ChessBase 10 that direct you to various articles on how to use the product. There's nothing yet for ChessBase 11 in that window. Perhaps it's in another window, as the ChessBase site is tricky to navigate through. 

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Who are the ChessBase database experts here?

Would anyone here like to see a ChessBase database support forum at chess.com?  Yes, a hand holding club where people can post questions and get answers. 

I do believe that ChessBase products are less intuitive than playing a pleasant game of chess in the park.

I can think of one cc player here that is an expert at ChessBase, but I don't want to bug him when we are so close to two big holidays.

I don't know how many of the 2.7 million chess.com members use one of the ChessBase databases, but geez, millions of members! There's got to be a few folks here who find databases difficult to use and would benefit from a database forum.

1. I'm finding more and more of the online tips by Steve Lopez as I keep digging.

2. It worked!

I got the following with just one click inside of ChessBase Light:

TWIC 841 2316 Games

TWIC 840 1879 Games

TWIC 839 1755 Games

TWIC 838 2132 Games

It's way past my bed time. Tomorrow, I would like to learn how to organize my databases in a better way. It's a mess right now. My left explorer pane in ChessBase looks like this:

+ Database path

+ Drives

+ Game History

Star Icon – My Databases

When I click on the plus sign next to Database path, it expands to the following folders:

Testsets

NoGames

Media files

Game History

Database

CompBase

Books

Bases

Then when I click on Database, I guess I created a folder titled Work, where a ton of databases are found.

Is there a root database where all of the games on my hard drive are stored, so that ChessBase can perform a search of all of the databases I have collected with just one click, to find, for example, all the games I have of Gary Kasparov after a certain position on the active board? 

When I right click on the active board I get the following:

Find position in CB Light Database

Find position in TWIC 841

Find position in www.chesslive.de

I also get these three below after right clicking on the active board, followed by what looks like an error pop up message.

Opening Report

Opening Classification

Find Novelty

Confirm Reference Database Size

The reference database should be bigger, proceed? Yes No

One of the problems with massive databases is the sheer number of games. I teach chess and use databases to research games used as teaching examples. While you can streamline you searches, etc, it can be a pain. If you discovered the Steve Lopez tutorials you should get some relief. There should be a forum specifically for chessbase.

I just got CB11.  For the reference DB, click on MY DATABASES in the left window and then in the right window find your biggest DB (Big or Mega probably), right click on it and you'll see a checkbox to make it the reference DB.  You can drag and drop other DBs into it to make it bigger or drag and drop games.  I think it has a de-duplication function (to find and reduce doubled gameS).

Right now I'm trying to install 9 DVDs worth of endgame tablebases now (plus side, the engines will access it automatically before deciding to go into an endgame and once the game has 6 or fewer pieces the calculation time is reduced to near 0).

I was able to import my QGD and Najdrof DBs, that's good.  Next up I need to start creating my opening repertoires for white and then response to 1.d4 and 1. e4 as black.  

Anyone out there made their own opening repertoire DBs from scratch and have any advice?

I agree, could be amazing, remember myself having a hard time getting the program to know when i first got it, but in my experience, it is hard in the beginning, but when you get it to know, its amazing and easy to work with, with the many options.

How do you document your repertoire? thread.

Thanks riga, much appreciated!

I'm also a ChessBase user. I think it's a good idea, but I don't really think we need a ChessBase forum but a ChessBase thread.

You can post it for example in the Chess.com Community forum or the Help one under something like "Chessbase Help" title or similar.

Since it's a great idea and many of us use it, I'm sure one of the moderators would kindly pin the threat so it remains visible and active.

What do you think?