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mdavis
Dec 14, 2012, 9:50:26 AM12/14/12
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I apologize for a repeat of the most frequently asked question on chess
sites. Perhaps my question is a bit more specific than most. I was a
former USCF member and played for a short time in tournaments in the
Kansas City area back in the '70's (USCF ~1450 - no idea how that
compares with the Elo system now in use). Time and family took me away.
I did have an old copy of Chessmaster 4000 (I think it was) back in
the Win 3.1 days, and looked at Sargon which was the best at the time
but never really had time to become involved in study in those middle
years which is needed for tournament play.
But I retired, and now time is not as much of a factor. But age does
impair older players against the kids. So what I am thinking of doing
is working with school chess clubs helping new players learn and
analyze. But I need to bring myself up to date on computer aids,
databases and engines.
I'm running a high end Windows PC with a quad core processor (thinking
of building a new quad-core hyperthreaded (8 virtual cores) rig.
Looking at the wealth of available software is overwhelming. I'm
thinking of Fritz 13, but then I see these terribly expensive "systems"
such as Chessbase for hundreds of dollars (!) and wonder what they do
that Fritz doesn't do (just databases?). I see many free engines
available, then claims by other commercial engines for supremacy
(Houdini, Rybka, etc.).
So I'm thinking Fritz 13 is adequate for my purposes and level. What
about database reading and handling? Is there a program (paid or
otherwise) that is better than Fritz and/or that will do things Fritz
does not do (i.e. different formats, etc.). Are the databases and
Livebook features of Fritz adequate or does one need to look beyond that?
Cost is only a minor consideration here, and I plan to expand perhaps
again into the tournament arena depending on how I feel about my play.
Any comments or suggestions regarding playing, analyzing and database
software would be greatly appreciated. There seems to be a lack of
comparative reviews on the 'net.
sites. Perhaps my question is a bit more specific than most. I was a
former USCF member and played for a short time in tournaments in the
Kansas City area back in the '70's (USCF ~1450 - no idea how that
compares with the Elo system now in use). Time and family took me away.
I did have an old copy of Chessmaster 4000 (I think it was) back in
the Win 3.1 days, and looked at Sargon which was the best at the time
but never really had time to become involved in study in those middle
years which is needed for tournament play.
But I retired, and now time is not as much of a factor. But age does
impair older players against the kids. So what I am thinking of doing
is working with school chess clubs helping new players learn and
analyze. But I need to bring myself up to date on computer aids,
databases and engines.
I'm running a high end Windows PC with a quad core processor (thinking
of building a new quad-core hyperthreaded (8 virtual cores) rig.
Looking at the wealth of available software is overwhelming. I'm
thinking of Fritz 13, but then I see these terribly expensive "systems"
such as Chessbase for hundreds of dollars (!) and wonder what they do
that Fritz doesn't do (just databases?). I see many free engines
available, then claims by other commercial engines for supremacy
(Houdini, Rybka, etc.).
So I'm thinking Fritz 13 is adequate for my purposes and level. What
about database reading and handling? Is there a program (paid or
otherwise) that is better than Fritz and/or that will do things Fritz
does not do (i.e. different formats, etc.). Are the databases and
Livebook features of Fritz adequate or does one need to look beyond that?
Cost is only a minor consideration here, and I plan to expand perhaps
again into the tournament arena depending on how I feel about my play.
Any comments or suggestions regarding playing, analyzing and database
software would be greatly appreciated. There seems to be a lack of
comparative reviews on the 'net.
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