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Thread: looking for chess software recommendations

  1. #1
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    Question looking for chess software recommendations

    Hello there, the last time I bought chess software, it was still Fritz 6 lol
    Looking for new software now, probably on pre-Windows-10 machine.

    I really don't need it to play super strongly, as I'm only around 1900 lol
    I'll use it for capturing games, annotating them, blunder-checking, etc.
    I guess it would also be handy to have regularly updated opening theory?
    Anything have a feature where I can practice recalling my opening lines?

    So that's it, looking for any recommendations. And I do have a CD-drive.

    Thanks and regards, arismarghetis at rogers dot com

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    The latest Fritz will do what you ask, I would think. Alternatively you can use chessbase. If you want free software then Chess-db or SCID would be your best bet as a game database. I still use it when chessbase crashes while using skype. Chess-db comes back online much more quickly. You can configure the slightly old version of Rybka 2.2 engine which can be downloaded for free if you want everything to be free.

    The following has links to all the free chess engines with an average rating of over 3200.

    https://hobbylark.com/board-games/Be...-Chess-Engines

    Chessdb (a SCID variant) is my favourite free chess database though I mostly use chessbase 14 until it crashes while giving skype lessons. Chessdb comes back up more quickly than chessbase. Chessbase has some good training videos. I also continue to subscribe to Playchess.com which has access to many chessbase training videos especially the 60 minute ones.

    Regularly updated opening theory you can get from chesspublishing.com though it is a pay site. I find it quite good and as a bonus you get IM David Cummings if you subscribe to the flank openings (English and Reti and Larsen's). I pay for the full package which allows access to everything.

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    For drilling opening repertoires Chess Opening Wizard and Chess Position Trainer are two programs that I have used at times. Chess Opening Wizard is the same software as Bookup updated for Windows and I believe now Apple operating systems.

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    Thank you. I don't mind paying for the right product. I'm just hoping for everything in one place lol

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    Larry was offering 2-year-old (one version number) versions of Fritz for a big discount earlier, you could contact him to see if he has any left. Alternatively, Fritz 15 (the current version is 16) goes on sale on Steam quite often for $20. I have Fritz 12 and it has all the features you want. Version 15 supposedly added new types of training modes although I do most of my training online now.
    Christopher Mallon
    FIDE Arbiter

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Mallon View Post
    Larry was offering 2-year-old (one version number) versions of Fritz for a big discount earlier, you could contact him to see if he has any left. Alternatively, Fritz 15 (the current version is 16) goes on sale on Steam quite often for $20. I have Fritz 12 and it has all the features you want. Version 15 supposedly added new types of training modes although I do most of my training online now.
    Thanks! I take it you prefer Fritz over ChessBase? I welcome knowing others' preferences.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aris Marghetis View Post
    Thanks! I take it you prefer Fritz over ChessBase? I welcome knowing others' preferences.
    Those are two different softwares for two different things.

    Fritz and his brothers are for playing, also a lot of is included as add-ons for learning, base operations.
    Chessbase for a work with bases, more features and capabilities than Fritz.
    .*-1

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    Quote Originally Posted by Egidijus Zeromskis View Post
    Those are two different softwares for two different things.

    Fritz and his brothers are for playing, also a lot of is included as add-ons for learning, base operations.
    Chessbase for a work with bases, more features and capabilities than Fritz.
    Oh I understand they're different, but they seem to have some overlap.

    From my original post, I don't need much:

    I really don't need it to play super strongly, as I'm only around 1900 lol
    I'll use it for capturing games, annotating them, blunder-checking, etc. <--- KEY LINE FOR ME!
    I guess it would also be handy to have regularly updated opening theory?
    Anything have a feature where I can practice recalling my opening lines?

    Thanks in advance for any further insights.

  9. #9
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    Default getting the most out of chess software

    Aris, there is the whole question of getting the most out of whatever software you do decide to get. John Nunn had his book, Secrets of Practical Chess, republished in 2008 and is a good place to start. He goes into how to use software for an opening game database, as well as a whole chapter on Using a Computer for chess generally.

    That book was published 10 years ago. Whatever his advice then, things have progressed since.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nigel Hanrahan View Post
    Aris, there is the whole question of getting the most out of whatever software you do decide to get. John Nunn had his book, Secrets of Practical Chess, republished in 2008 and is a good place to start. He goes into how to use software for an opening game database, as well as a whole chapter on Using a Computer for chess generally.

    That book was published 10 years ago. Whatever his advice then, things have progressed since.
    yeah, right on, I'm looking for a more recent take on that

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