ChessBase is the database program which has become the world-wide standard and the advertisement says version 12 comes with a wealth of fantastic new analysis and search features.
The main advertising feature is cloud-based analysis with Fritz 13. The idea is that if someone else has already analyzed the position before you, you can download and make use of their analysis. How valuable this is to the average player is open to debate.
One commentator who owned both ChessBase 11 and Aquarium 2011 made the same comment I did concerning Aquarium and it IDeA function: “…the IDeA part of it in particular is WAY too complicated for what one might get out of it...unless you are a chess monk with no life. Seriously, check out the Rybka/Aquarium forums before you purchase. THOSE people…are basically the ones who get something out of it...most people are not so dedicated and have given up…. Chessbase is pretty intuitive.”
New in ChessBase 12:
“Deep analysis” generates a dynamic tree of variations. Leave the analysis running as long as you want. The longer the running time, the more reliable the variations displayed. Variations which do not hold up at the greater depth of calculation are automatically excluded. The result is commentary containing analysis of the important candidate moves.”
This feature is an improvement over the deep position analysis function in Fritz, because you can stop the analysis and when you restart it, the engine picks up where it left off. In the case of deep position analysis, once you stop it, all analysis is lost.
Cloud analysis is a deep analysis done by several engines working in parallel, which saves an enormous amount of time. With the new Fritz, you can purchase time on other peoples’ computers or sell time on your own.
One nice feature is the “Similarity search.” In ChessBase 12 endings and middlegame positions can now be looked for and displayed classified according to their similarity to the position on the board. The value of this is obvious. For example, finding positions with a similar P-structure could be very useful.
There is also an online player encyclopedia with Elo ratings, upgraded throughout the year. The “Lets Check” gives access the world’s largest database of in-depth analysis.
The basic package sell for $234 ($130 if downloaded)
Access to ChessBase Online Database (over 6.4 million games)
Premium membership on playchess.com (1 year)
Big Database 2013
Games download until 31st December 2013
Access to ChessBase Online Database (over 6.4 million games)
Access to “Let’s Check” and “Engine Cloud”
Half a Year’s subscription to ChessBase Magazine (3 issues)
Premium
Mega package ($351)
Mega Database 2013
Games download until 31st December 2013
Access to ChessBase Online Database (over 6.4 million games)*
Access to “Let’s Check” and “Engine Cloud”
Year’s subscription to ChessBase Magazine (6 issues)
Premium package ($481)
Premium membership on playchess.com (1 year)
Mega Database 2013
Games download until 31st December 2013
Access to ChessBase Online Database (over 6.4 million games)*
Access to “Let’s Check” and “Engine Cloud”
Year’s subscription to ChessBase Magazine
Corr Database 2013
Endgame Turbo 3 (9 DVDs)
For most players I would think the basic package would be more than sufficient to meet their needs. As for the other packages, unless you are a geek that simply wants the latest and greatest software or a titled player who needs to keep up with the latest trends or are a correspondence player of the top level who uses dedicated computers to analyze, they seem to offer more “stuff” than most of us will ever need.
For 99.9 percent of us, free programs and engines will be more than sufficient. I use Fritz 12 with Houdini 1.5, but that’s only because I found Fritz at Office Max for $20 otherwise I would use the free Arena or SCID.
seems like chess was more fun before all this technology arrived
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