ChessBase vs. NICBase

[Jeff Lesser]

Hi...
I am a 2000-rated player who's been inactive for around 10 years (other
than speed chess with low-rated friends). I want to get one of the chess
database programs for the PC. I've pretty much ruled out Bookup, as you
cannot buy large sets of games for it (so I hear). That leaves ChessBase
and NICBase.

I've seem the demo version of ChessBase 3.0; I know the real one is up
to 4.0 now. It seems pretty powerful, but maybe daunting. I haven't seen
NICBase at all, but have heard it's somewhat similar to CB (easier to use
but slower, I've heard).

Does anybody out there have a good knowledge of both programs? Or can
anybody warn me away from one or the other? Any relevant info would be
greatly appreciated, email or here. Thanks in advance!

[Eric Schiller]

In article <Bv7u9...@world.std.com> m...@world.std.com (Jeff Lesser)
writes:

>
> Does anybody out there have a good knowledge of both programs? Or
can
> anybody warn me away from one or the other? Any relevant info would be
> greatly appreciated, email or here. Thanks in advance!
>

I have been using both programs pretty heavily. NIC is fine if
you don't want to add a lot of subvariations, but do want to add a lot of
prose. ChessBase has a terrible comment windo with no word wrap,
but much nicer navigation tools, including hypertext. When writing my
books I find myself drawn more to ChessBase, despite its many
shortcomings.

For studying games, both programs are excellent. The amount of data
available for each is enormous, and about equal. Ciustomer support
is good for each.
--
***** ** *** **** ***** ** *** **** ***** ** *** **** ***** ** *** ****
Eric Schiller schi...@sapir.uchicago.edu
Dept of Linguistics, Univ. of Chicago schi...@whorf.uchicago.edu

[Chua Kong Sian (Mr)]

Just a query. Does ChessBase 4.0 includes KnightStalker? Or do they
have to be purchased separately? In browsing through certain chess
magazines, I noticed the word Fritz in relation to ChessBase 4.0. Is
that another chess program?

[Alastair Cargill]

In article <1992Sep30.0...@nuscc.nus.sg> cce...@nuscc.nus.sg (Chua Kong Sian (Mr)) writes:
>From: cce...@nuscc.nus.sg (Chua Kong Sian (Mr))
>Subject: Re: ChessBase vs. NICBase
>Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 01:12:52 GMT

Hi
As I understand it Fritz is a chess playing program the engine of which can
be used within Chessbase so that at a particular time you can get an
analysis of a game you are looking at in the database. As regards which
database to use, I have Nicbase 3.0 and have spent a couple of hours using
ChessBase 4.0 and I feel that Nicbase is a lot easier to use but that
ChessBase is more powerful in its search facilities. In the UK when I bought
Nicbase it was a lot cheaper but the price difference has lessened, and
having seen both I would probably buy Nicbase still. As regards being able
to analyse games from the database- although not in the same way I can print
a game from Nicbase to an ascii file and then read it into Zarkov (if you
are using an IBMPC compatible with Windows you can have two DOS windows open
so that you dont have to quit Nicbase to play with Zarkov) in which you can
have the whole game analysed with the analysis logged for later reading
which I think is a very useful way to use it - I dont think this could be
done with Fritz??

Al

[Eric Schiller]

In article <1992Sep30.0...@nuscc.nus.sg> cce...@nuscc.nus.sg (Chua
Kong Sian (Mr)) writes:

1. Knightstalker (formerly Fritz) must be purchased separaely.
2. Fritz was original name of Knightstalker