Thanks to the donor John82 I received ChessBase 17 in a beautiful box with DVD. Thank you very much :)
A commercial program developed for over 30 years by the company of the same name: ChessBase. A companion and computer partner for chess players and computer chess enthusiasts across generations.
Nowadays, chess databases are essentially crucial tools for working with lots of chess data. In the 21nd century, it is difficult to imagine any chess activity without the use of chess computer software. Once upon a time, back in the 1980s, this was not the case. And it was at that time that the product of the talented creators (Frederic Friedel and Matthias Wüllenweber) was born, with which the then world chess champion Garry Kasparov became enthralled:
"ChessBase is the greatest development for chess since the invention of the printing press."
ChessBase is one of the first advanced and pioneering program for the storing, organizing, analyzing, sharing, chunking, ..., etc. data - that is, chess games in many different ways. This is a program sold around the world, considered by many to be the best in its class - a benchmark for other competitive products.
Source: ChessBase (starter package)
In November 2022, ChessBase 17 was released.
This version will be reviewed.
First, let's take a look at some of the data in the table below.
Table of ChessBase 17 specifications. CCRL Rating: December 10, 2022.
ChessBase, along with the Fritz series programs, is the company's flagship product.
Dear Reader, you may be wondering reading this specification:
Why hasn't ChessBase been released for other modern platforms such as Mac or Linux computers ?
Is the developer planning to release ChessBase for Linux / Mac or Web ?
After all, ChessBase as a company has been producing and selling this program for over 30 years !
This is exactly the questions ChessBase supporters have asked repeatedly and over the years in the forums under articles on their site.
Unfortunately, to this day we have not received a response from ChessBase on their website.
These are legitimate questions, because in the ChessBase store on the ChessBase 17 program page, you can read (content highlighted in the image below) that everyone uses ChessBase.
Source: ChessBase Shop, 2022-12-03
Not everyone uses ChessBase because it is only sold for computers using Windows...
On November 22, 2022, I participated in a livestream with the developers of ChessBase 17. Taking the opportunity to contact them, I took the liberty of asking: "do you have plans to release ChessBase for Mac ?"
I received a reply from Mr. Lutz Nebe, quote: "we are working on this issue (to get a platform idepentend code) also for other reason, but wether there will be a Mac version at the end is not decided yet"
Well, the conclusions are not optimistic; it's sad that chess players using computers and systems other than Windows - are treated this way - by a company with a decades-long tradition in developing and distributing chess software.
At this point, I refer those interested in this matter to the introduction to the Fritz 18 review, in which I included my thoughts on the subject.
For those interested, here's a link to an article on how to use Windows system and Windows applications comfortably on a Mac.
In the meantime, let's revisit the ChessBase 17 and see...
Does the Deep Fritz 13 chess engine provide significant competition to today's chess engines ?
Are the database functions at such a level that they can be considered a standard - a reference point for the competition ?
Will the features related to the analysis and use of chess engines meet the expectations of the advanced user ?
At what level are the training functions available ?
Is ChessBase 17 the best tool for working with chess openings ?
Does ChessBase 17 offer useful web integrations / online apps ?
I will try to answer these and other questions in this review.
On the blog chessengeria.eu, you will find a lot of content related to the ChessBase program. You will get the most information from the Course consisting of five parts describing the following topics:
In these five parts, in great detail using numerous examples, I have laid out how to use ChessBase 16 to accomplish all the most common tasks.
I made it so that the vast majority of the capabilities of this program can be used in previous versions of ChessBase 12 through 15. (ChessBase 12 was released in 2012).
In addition, I described ChessBase 16 in the article "Tools in a Chess Player's Workshop - Windows - Part 2".
For this reason, this review will not include detailed descriptions of features that have existed in ChessBase software for, say, 10 years.
In this review, we will focus on new and most important features and capabilities that have appeared in ChessBase 17.
The latest release of ChessBase is another release with few additions, optimizations, looking for new ways (eg. interactivity) and a... "dark mode". Some things have worked out, others still haven't.
Is ChessBase 17 almost the same as ChessBase 16 ?
Let's check it out.
DARK MODE
Undoubtedly, Dark Mode is a feature that can strongly and positively enhance the experience of using any program. If it is implemented well, using the program will be more enjoyable, less strain on the eyes and improve readability in areas where less light falls.
Many leading software vendors have introduced Dark Mode. Apple was the first to go even further, providing all system applications in its macOS with the ability to enable this mode. In addition, third-party programs, can also use this mode via macOS, as exemplified by the Hiarcs Chess Explorer family chess programs.
In ChessBase terms, Dark Mode is a darkened program interface. That is, not a true co dark mode, but a darkened interface.
Source: ChessBase Shop
In practice, we have two modes of dimmed interface available: Gray Theme and Black Theme.
Before enabling the Black Theme, I changed the appearance of the chessboard to a darker one (from the default color scheme to a scheme named: Elegant)
Here's how ChessBase 17 looks with Black Theme enabled.
Black Theme stings the eyes with bright colors. This is especially evident in modules whose appearance has not changed pd many versions of ChessBase, such as the Summary in Opening Report. The difference in color temperatures is large. This may interfere when using ChessBase.
Let's see how the Gray Theme presents itself.
Gray Theme definitely works better for my eyes :)
Unfortunately, very often the icons representing chess bases do not look correct; two examples:
To maintain a consistent look, icons should always look like this - without unnecessary bright highlighting:
I'm glad to see that a darkened interface has made its way to ChessBase 17. And while it's obviously not a true Dark Mode, for people who work a lot at a computer monitor, such an option can provide relief for tired eyes.
HIGH-RESOLUTION 2D BOARD
Let's look at the few chessboards.
Chessboard #1, ChessBase 16
Chessboard #1, ChessBase 17
Chessboard #2, ChessBase 16
Chessboard #2, ChessBase 17
Did you notice any differences ?
I noticed.
To my eye, the chessboards, figures and pawns differ to the benefit of ChessBase 17. It is not a big difference, even a small one - cosmetic, but more pleasant to look at. The differences are visible with a larger chessboard size; with a small chessboard size, they are almost imperceptible.
After launching the program, the first thing we pay attention to is its appearance, readability, availability of options. This is important because, having spent some time with ChessBase, it's nice to be able to look at something you like.
Before we move on to discuss more new features in ChessBase 17, we will focus on a functionality that is one of the most used - analysis -> using the chess engine.
DEEP FRITZ 13
The attentive Reader at this point may be thinking to himself:
"
Deep Fritz 13 ?
Darius, what are you writing about ? After all, this is a chess engine that premiered in 2012.... which is 10 years ago !
"
Dear Reader, I am writing these words in December 2022.
ChessBase has included a chess engine Deep Fritz 13 from 10 years ago in its flagship product.
This engine was released in June 2012. Its ranking is 3028 Elo when it uses four processors, and 2956 Elo when it has one processor at its disposal.
Source: CCRL
I make no secret of the fact that I am very fond of the Deep Fritz 13 chess engine. At one time, in 2012, I used it frequently. It impressed me with its tactical capabilities and its strategic understanding was often used by me during analysis. It was the last and such an excellent chess engine by Mr. Frans Morsch. Well - it was.
Deep Fritz 13 is an engine belonging to a different time.
In 10 years there have been several breakthroughs in the world of chess engines, which have resulted in an increase in power by hundreds of Elo points.
The strength of Deep Fritz 13 is more than 500 Elo less than that of contemporary chess engines such as Stockfish, Dragon by Komodo Chess or Berserk, for example.
In my reviews I did not, with full knowledge, address the question of whether the product was cheap or expensive, I did not juxtapose the program's quality to its price or the program's capabilities to its price.
In response to requests from my Readers, I will address this issue, because at this point in the review - it is appropriate.
ChessBase is an expensive program. Probably the most expensive commercial chess program available on the market. ChessBase is a program that is positioned and seen by many as number 1 among other such programs.
And in such a program - a premium chess product - for no small amount of money we get the Deep Fritz 13 chess engine, which is dedicated to one of the most frequently performed activities - position and game analysis.
Deep Fritz 13 in ChessBase 17 is like a outdated engine in the modern car.
On the ChessBase 17 website, under the DESCRIPTION tab, the word analysis is used several dozen times. But throughout this lengthy text, there is not even a single mention of what specific chess engine is included in ChessBase 17.
I set up a match of Deep Fritz 13 with Dragon 3.1 by Komodo Chess, which is also sold by ChessBase. Each engine had 4 CPU at its service and 1 minute per game + 0.6 seconds after each move. Fritz 18 GUI, 128 MB hash table, Perfect 2021 opening book and Syzygy Bases (6-piece).
Here is the result of the match consisting of 100 games:
Out of 100 games, Dragon 3.1 by Komodo Chess won 98, with the other 2 games ending in a draw.
This is a disastrous result for Deep Fritz 13.
Let's see how Deep Fritz 13 handles the 10 positions I usually give chess engines for review purposes.
Mostly, I have chosen games from games played by humans. I use a bundle of these positions for program reviews and chess engine tests. My goal is to test the Deep Fritz 13 on 10 positions giving it a maximum of three minutes of thought per move. I have assumed that these will be positions played by people who have allotted up to a few minutes for a move. Therefore, I did not take into account positions created in correspondence games.
During testing, Deep Fritz 13 used 4 CPUs and 1024MB Hash table.
DF13 failed to find the correct 1.Qxb5
DF13 failed to find the correct 1.c5
DF13 failed to find the correct 1...Rxb3
DF13 find the correct 1...Qe3, but did not indicate the correct position evaluation (should be 0.00).
DF13 found the strongest move 1...Qd3 and correctly judged the position as a win for black.
DF13 failed to find the correct 1...Nc7
DF13 failed to find the correct 1.Qf6+
DF13 failed to find the correct 1.Kf2
DF13 found the strongest move 1.Rxe7+ and correctly judged the position as a draw.
DF13 failed to find the correct 1.a4
The playing power and analysis quality of the Deep Fritz 13 engine is dramatically low compared to Dragon 3.1 by Komodo Chess and many other modern chess engines including free ones. The time required to get a good analysis with Deep Fritz 13 is several times longer than it could be with a modern chess engine.
Unfortunately, such a poor tool - these days which is Deep Fritz 13 - was given over to ChessBase 17 in 2022.
THE BUDDY ENGINE
This is what the position analysis screen looks like in ChessBase 17 with Buddy Engine disabled.
What we see is the same as in ChessBase 16 and several previous versions of this program.
Below, this is the same position analysis screen looks like in ChessBase 17 with Buddy Engine enabled (Knight icon turns green when clicked).
With the help of text and colored symbols, the program even better conveys to the user relevant information about a specific position and further movements, threats, plans.
Let's consider a slightly more complicated position.
White's move, Bishop's decisive strike on the black King's position 1. Bxh7+
The more time the engine has to think, the more accurate the analysis and the more useful messages are for the chess player.
After three minutes, Deep Fritz 13 finds the best move.
After four minutes, the analysis commentary that ChessBase 17 gives is adequate to the output of the chess engine.
Now the same position, but let's invite the free open source Berserk 10 chess engine to analyze it.
After just 20 seconds, we get a valuable analysis with commentary.
Buddy Engine is essentially the same analysis engine, but running "separately" using a single CPU. For example, we run Deep Fritz 13 giving it a 4-CPU. When the Buddy Engine is turned on, Deep Fritz will start using the 3-CPU for analysis, while 1-CPU Deep Fritz will allocate for the Buddy Engine, which will take care of the rest, i.e. comments, color symbols, etc.
Buddy Engine is a new way of presenting the results of position analysis. And it is useful !
The use of the Buddy Engine, along with an explanation of what the colored symbols mean, for example, is described in detail in the manual included with ChessBase 17 as a pdf file.
2CBH - NEW CHESS DATABASE FORMAT
According to the Creators, the new chess base format is a significant change. The previous one, well-known and widespread - was introduced in 1996 with the release of ChessBase 6.0.
The new format, called simply 2CBH, abolishes limits, e.g. there is no limit on the number of players, tournaments, etc. And what is important when working with large bases - there is no need to use so-called search boosters, which sometimes caused problems.
It can be expected that all new game bases sold by ChessBase will be in 2CBH format. And this is the case with Mega Database 2023, for example.
It is worth mentioning that ChessBase 17 offers the option to convert any supported chess database to 2CBH format.
Sound good? Let's check it out :)
For testing, we will take Mega DataBase 2022.
This database contains 9,472,152 chess games. That is, quite a lot, almost 10 million games.
1. Convert to 2CBH format
On an old computer, the conversion time is long, but it ran without any problems, completed successfully.
On a modern computer, the conversion time is only 5 minutes, which I think for a very large base is a good result.
Once the conversion is complete, the program offers the option to delete the database in the old format.
2. Work speed.
We can use the chess database in hundreds of different ways and for different purposes.
I will compare the speeds of most common operations on the database in the old format (with Search Booster enabled) versus the database in the new format. To make the results as clear and understandable as possible, I will make a comparison between a 2014 computer and a 2020 computer.
The old computer takes noticeably longer to create Search Booster, almost twice as long.
2a. Preparing an opening report for my favorite Latvian gambit.
Opening Report, is one of the most widely used features in any chess database. Using the new 2CBH format, you will get the results three times faster.
2b. Deleting comments from a selection of 100 000 games.
Also, during this operation, the new 2CBH format performs better. The operation time is shorter compared to the execution time of this operation in the old CBH format.
2c. Pasting previously copied games.
Here - we got a surprise. Let's take a closer look at the test results.
Pasting games into bases takes noticeably more time with the new 2CBH format. The old CBH format does better in performing this operation.
2d. Search for positions by simple, medium and very complex criteria.
Searching for any position regardless of the criteria takes from a few to just a dozen seconds. That is, it is very, very fast !
2e. Mega Database 2022 backup
In the implementation of this operation, the new 2CBH format has no competition. The processing time is much shorter than in the CBH format.
3. Space.
Databases in the new format take up more space, although given the capacity of even hard drives that are several years old, this does not matter much.
Below is a summary of backup volumes:
The difference is about 1 GB.
Of course, for smaller bases the difference will be correspondingly smaller.
2CBH - Summary
In almost all types of most common operations, the new 2CBH format is faster than the previously used CBH format.
The difference is especially noticeable using a modern and fast computer. However, it is worth noting that on a computer that is 8 years old (as of the date of writing this review), most operations are completed in a reasonable amount of time.
The exception is the work involved in copying and pasting games from one base to another. Here the old CBH format has the advantage. The more games a base contains, the more time the 2CBH format takes to copy and paste the games into the selected base. If you are mainly concerned with creating, copying and pasting multiple chess games and high-volume databases, then consider whether working with CBH format databases (with Search Booster enabled) will be a better choice than 2CBH format databases for your applications. And this is one exception where 2CBH format may be a worse choice than CBH format.
The developers of ChessBase 17 have focused on improving performance in the most frequently performed operations by users. And it works :)
Find spectacular games (instantly?)
This is one of the more exposed features by the developer of ChessBase 17
Source: ChessBase Shop
This function works only in the base with the new 2CBH format. In short: when you press the Set Beauty button, ChessBase 17 will classify all the games you have marked by giving medals on a scale from 0 (no medal) to 3 medals. The more medals, the "more beautiful" the game.
Before checking the Set Beauty feature in action, let's see if ChessBase 17 actually finds the most beautiful games instantly.
On the Y axis is the number of games (1, 500, 1 000, 10 000, 35 000).
On the X axis is the number of seconds.
Number of games from 1 to 1000, the Set Beauty function needs little time, that is, from one to several seconds of operation. That is, if, for example, you want to classify all the games of a tournament using this function, then even on an older, and slow, computer this process will take literally seconds.
Classification speed on the old computer: 66 positions / second.
Classification speed on a modern computer: 220 positions/second.
If you want to use this feature for the thousands of games in your database, you'll have to expect to wait from tens of seconds to several minutes.
And if, on the other hand, you intend to use this function on tens or hundreds of thousands of games, then the time required to complete this operation will increase to as much as several tens of minutes.
According to ChessBase, it will take several hours to classify games from a large database in this way.
How "beautiful" are the games awarded 17 medals by ChessBase ?
Here is an example of a game awarded 3 medals, the highest.
There are a lot of unusual sacrifices and interesting tactical themes throughout the game.
Below is a screen from the game rated at 2 medals.
Two extremely powerful chess engines with a desire to defeat their opponent. This game is worth watching for all the storm of brutal and impressive plays from both sides!
Can a game awarded 1 medal be "beautiful" ?
Yes, and this game proves it.
Three medal games along with commentaries - downloadable.
Undoubtedly, Set Beauty is a cool and useful feature. And it is surprising that it has only now been introduced and only in bases in 2CBH format...
SEARCH MASK
Users who used ChessBase 16 or even earlier versions probably remember that when you clicked the Filter List icon...
...the following dialog box opened:
And that's the core, whose sumptuous database capabilities are the real strength of ChessBase programs in this and previous versions.
With the help of seven tabs and a few / several clicks, the user can search extremely precisely in the flood of millions of games for the exact ones he is looking for. Similar capabilities of this caliber are offered only by the commercial Chess Assistant and open source programs from the Scid family. Getting the best possible performance out of this feature is critically important for effective work with chess game databases (especially those of large size numbering millions of games). In other words, game search is one of the most important functions of a program like ChessBase.
And this function, after clicking the Filter List icon, was "reduced to".... something like this:
Let this picture serve as a commentary....
Source: space.com
Tip for users.
After selecting the option marked with a red circle: Always advanced dialog, clicking on the Filter List icon again will take the user to the familiar Filter Games window. The Search Filter window will not be shown.
Ok, let's start with the positives :)
The largest Advanced button, when clicked, takes you to the right familiar window with seven tabs (Filter Games). We can still use the advanced chess game search engine!
So, why is there a new window with Search Mask, will using it improve the work with chess database ?
The ChessBase representative states:
"
(...) the search mask runs interactively for most important search requests: before the actual search starts, it anticipates what you are looking for. The search topics Player, Tournament, ECO, Material and Position are easier to enter.
The new search works differently from the old search: If you enter "Caru" under Player, games of "Carucci", "Caruso" and "Caruana" are found with the classic search mask. With the new search mask a selection list appears:
Caruana and Nepomniachtchi are found! If you simply click OK, the first player in the list (with the highest number of games) will be selected. Or you can click the one you are looking for.
"
Source: ChessBase
The search results in the new Search Mask are inaccurate.
This overlay is something like making an overlay for Microsoft Excel.
Why, if it will make it harder to use and longer to work ?
ChessBase is not a complicated program to use, so why introduce an apparent convenience in the form of a new Search Mask, when in most cases it will not do its job - accurately find games according to the set criteria ?
I consulted impressions of using the new Mask Serach with people using ChessBase 17. Most do not use the new Search Mask. Of the 10 searches, 9 are performed by the familiar dialog box (Filter Games) that in ChessBase 17 appears when the Advanced button is clicked.
Perhaps, the ability to search for games using the new Search Mask window may be useful for less experienced / learning users. Like the aforementioned Microsoft Excel, ChessBase may overwhelm with the number of functions and capabilities at the initial stage of interaction. But, if one wants to be able to use this tool effectively, one should just learn it.
In my opinion, it is better to learn / use the best tool available than to use the simpler-to-use "overlay" Search Mask, which unfortunately does not provide accurate search results.
A simple example:
The following criteria:
When you click on the Any Event button to select an event from the drop-down list, ChessBase 17 shows a drop-down list with events in which G.Kasparov and A.Karpov DID NOT participate.
The content of the drop-down list is not useful and is inaccurate. The user entered the criteria (names of Grandmasters and the result), so the drop-down list with events should contain only events in which the above-mentioned GMs participated.
The new Search Mask window and its capabilities - at this point - I'm a no. I hope that the developers in future updates of ChessBase will make appropriate changes.
INTELLIGENT POSITION INPUT
In ChessBase 16 and earlier, the Position Setup window looked like this after placing the pieces on the chessboard.
In ChessBase 17, when inserting pieces on the chessboard, the games in which this position occurs are searched.
When you click on a game from the list on the right side of the window, the chessboard will display a position with the same positioning of the pieces as you entered.
As you can see, ChessBase is beginning to experiment with the interactivity of its program. This is another module (after the debatable Search Mask) in which this method has been introduced. In this case, the implementation of the idea is good, and the additional feature can be useful.
TRAINING FUNCTIONS
Here's a ribbon with ChessBase 17's built-in training options. ChessBase 16 has the same built-in training options.
As you can see from the ribbon - there is plenty of room ;)
ChessBase 17 and earlier versions of this program is not a dedicated chess training program. If you are looking for one from the ChessBase stable, I suggest you look into one of the following programs Power Fritz 18 or Komodo Dragon 3, which offer some of the best training options available in chess software; both of these programs use the Fritz 18 GUI.
For a detailed overview of the training options offered see my review of the Fritz 18 program, which also uses, as you may have guessed, the Fritz 18 GUI.
What is worth writing about are the training options sewn into the various modules of ChessBase 17, which can be found outside the Training tab. It has few off-the-shelf chess training tools compared to programs designed for this purpose.
With ChessBase 17, you can create training tools.
One exemplary and useful training option is training using your own/your own chess games. As you know, it's not uncommon for people to learn from their own mistakes, so in the example below I'll show you the training conducted on a game I played at a chess tournament on the PlayChess server.
How to do it? Use the Analysys module - Tactical Analysys.
In the dialog box, select Training and others according to your preference.
Depending on how much time we give the engine, the analysis of the game will take from 1 to a few minutes / several minutes.
During the analysis, you can watch its progress and the annotations created by ChessBase 17 in real time.
With the analysis complete, we move on to review the game. ChessBase 17, while working with the engine, found important positions that it suggests to train.
Training consists of indicating the best move in a given position.
I will turn the chessboard, because I played with black :)
If we indicate the best move, ChessBase will reveal next part of the analyzed game. If we run out of ideas for a move, we can click the word Solution highlighted in red in the notation; then the solution will be shown.
Another move.
And another move...
During the game, I chose castling and it was not a good move, as demonstrated by ChessBase 17. The best move was to play the Queen to the f2 square, with good chances of victory.
My opponent took advantage of my weak move and with beautiful and effective play led to his victory.
See how long it took Firci to find the beautiful sacrifice 23.Rxh5!
0.6 seconds. Less than 1 second. Impressive!
Thus, with ChessBase 17 we can train the different phases of the game using... games.
That this training option is also available in the previously mentioned Power Fritz 18 and Komodo Dragon 3 programs.
It is worth mentioning that in ChessBase 17 there is an interesting functionality available in the button of each displayed chessboard (bottom left corner of the chessboard).
When you click this button, a mini-window with several options opens. For example, let's choose Visual Evaluation.
The color marking of each piece shows how well it is placed on the chessboard. Green color indicates good placement, red color bad placement.
Looking at ChessBase 17 as a whole, there are more such training "flavors".
ChessBase is a program versatile enough that anyone with a little willingness can create interesting training tools for themselves or others.
OPENINGS
Similar to the Training options, to work with Chess Openings, to create, change, expand, etc. ChessBase is not the best tool.
For the aforementioned activities, it is best to use Power Fritz 18 or Komodo Dragon 3; both use the Fritz 18 GUI, which has dedicated options for working with Chess Openings.
Obviously, Chess Openings play a very important role in ChessBase 17 as a key component used in working with databases. One should mention here, for example, Opening Report and others, which I covered in great detail in a series of 5 courses on ChessBase 16 (see the beginning of this review).
It should be noted that the producer has not added or written in the promotional materials about any new or changed features related to Chess Openings in ChessBase 17.
CHESSBASE 17 ANALYSIS QUALITY
Among the queries of chessengeria.eu Readers to the latest ChessBase, one thing was repeated many times: what is the quality of the analysis of the chess game made by ChessBse 17 vs ChessBase 16 using a powerful chess engine?
The answer is a comparison of analyzes performed on ChessBase 16 (left window, light color theme) and ChessBase 17 (right window, gray color theme). Both programs use the same Dragon 3.1 by Komodo Chess engine and the same analysis parameters.
The quality of the analysis and annotations are at a very high level, currently (2022) at a level unavailable for other chess programs not created by ChessBase.
In my practice, when testing ChessBase 16 and ChessBase 17, I find that the analysis of chess games is the same quality. They differ only in... appearance. ChessBase 17 presents better quality, clearer and sometimes slightly larger chessboards in chess notation.
BUGS
During writing this review, I had the opportunity to work with ChessBase 17 for about 100 hours. During this time, I encountered the following annoying errors. Why annoying ? Because some of them did not occur every time, only every once in a while.
Here's what didn't work:
Copying data from the chess engine window to the clipboard.
Memorizing the layout.
A reference search on the starting position showed nothing, or one had to wait almost a minute for the information to appear.
The above bugs have been eliminated with subsequent updates.
Here's what's still not working properly (status as of December 14, 2022):
Sometimes it does not remember the background color of the chessboard. When you open the chessboard window again, the background is the default color.
MyInternetGames database. It does not tactically analyze all the indicated games from the database. When you select, for example, 9 games played in a PlayChess tournament, the program will analyze only a few of them, such as 2 or 3 or 5, etc.
No access to Deep Fritz 13 chess engine parameters from Add Kibitzer.
Interestingly, you can access the parameters when this engine is started and by clicking on its name in the Kibitzer window: Deep Fritz 13. Then you get access to change all the parameters including, for example, Number of Processors.
The strange thing is that the aforementioned bugs occurred in ChessBase 17, although they are not present in previous versions of e.g. ChessBase 16 and earlier.
WEB INTEGRATIONS / ONLINE APPS
ChessBase 17 offers access to Cloud Databases, where we can keep and use the databases in the same way as we do with databases in storage on our own computer.
This is very convenient and a good solution, especially for those who use several computers or access via mobile devices (smartphone / tablet).
As the flagship product of the company of the same name, ChessBase 17 offers access to all online applications and integrations.
I described them in great detail in my review of the Fritz 18 program, to which you are cordially invited.
For the best access to all options, it is best to use a premium account. Each purchaser of ChessBase 17 gets access to a premium account of a length that depends on the type of package*. For example, a buyer of the ChessBase 17 Starter Package gets access to a premium account for 6 months.
Source: ChessBase Shop
And two more things.
The first - access to Open Clouds Engines.
It's great functionality! You can use many different engines working on very fast computers, eg equipped with hundreds of CPU's. And it doesn't matter what computer you use, the engines run on a remote computer that sends e.g. analysis results, movements, etc. via the Internet.
The second - PlayChess, an online chess server.
I have written about PlayChess many times on my blog. In my opinion, it's one of the best and maybe the best and most friendly place to play chess on the internet.
This place stands out because it is run by... people and for people.
In PlayChess you can simply talk to the Tournament Director, for example. Other more or less known servers do not offer such a possibility - there games and tournaments are managed by computer bots.
PlayChess is also famous for its excellent protection against cheaters that use, for example, chess engines when playing with other people. By playing on PlayChess you have a much, much small chance of "competing" against cheater.
And I guess my opinion about this server is not isolated, because many people I play and talk to on this server - have been on PlayChess for many years.
I REALLY NEED... HELP!
ChessBase offers three different support channels.
The user has a manual available via the Internet...
ChessBase Wiki...
... or Simply send a message.
Customer service.
I got ChessBase 17 as a gift from John82 - so I can't write my impressions about customer service during the purchase. My previous experiences are positive, I was satisfied with the quality and speed of service.
I've received feedback from Readers in various parts of the world and... until confirmed, I won't write anything else. I will update this part of review as needed.
SUMMARY
Here's what the ChessBase developers wrote on their website.
Source: ChessBase (2022-11-22)
Does the Deep Fritz 13 chess engine provide significant competition to today's chess engines ?
No.
Are the database functions at such a level that they can be considered a standard - a reference point for the competition ?
Not any more. The same can be achieved using competing programs (e.g. Chess Assistant, programs from the Scid family).
Will the features related to the analysis and use of chess engines meet the expectations of the advanced user ?
Yes.
At what level are the training functions available ?
Lower than basic.
Is ChessBase 17 the best tool for working with chess openings ?
No.
Does ChessBase 17 offer useful web integrations / online apps ?
Yes.
ChessBase 17 is pleasant to use (Gray Theme), chessboards look even better (2D High Resolution), searching for "beautiful" games is a nice feature, Buddy Engine can be useful - but they are absolutely not big and key changes.
The Deep Fritz 13 chess engine - from 10 years ago - pre-installed with ChessBase 17 is wrong choice, which instead of making work more efficient, may slow it down. This is very surprising in the context that ChessBase sells chess engines such as the successful Power Fritz 18 and the powerful Komodo Dragon 3.
The new 2CBH base format surpasses the previous CBH in most cases. Search Mask, is an underdeveloped feature yet. "Intelligent" Position Setup, is a "cosmetic change", but it is a step in the right direction. The rest (not to mention less significant changes) is the same as in ChessBase 16.
If you are using ChessBase 14 or older, then "switching" to ChessBase 17 may make sense and should be noticeable. If you have ChessBase 15 or 16, then the benefits of switching to ChessBsae 17 may be minimal / unnoticeable.
I would add that if you are using ChessBase mainly to work with very large bases, e.g. copying / moving a large number of games between them, the new 2CBH format may slow down your work.
From its release on November 22, 2022, to December 14, 2022, not yet one month has passed, and ChessBase 17 has already received 8 (!) updates.
Developer takes care of their product, improving and... fixing bugs.
Probably, numerous bugs are "childhood diseases" of this program; and as you can see from the updates - they are fixed by the Developer. Shouldn't they be eliminated before the release of the 17th version of that program? I shall leave the answer to this question to you dear Reader.
Currently, the ChessBase publishing cycle is 2 years. Every 2 years, new editions are released. How about extending the release cycle to 4 years as it used to be ? And refine new features, improve the performance of existing ones, work on the overall speed and responsiveness of the program, change the outdated interface (modeled on Microsoft Office 2007) to a more modern, occupying less screen space and ergonomic one ?
Or maybe finally use these 2 extra years to do what one of ChessBase developers Mr. Lutz Nebe said during the livestream: get a platform-independent code, which, when implemented, (as I guessed) would allow to release ChessBase not only for Windows but also for e.g. Linux, Mac or Web.
This opportunity and this time will not last indefinitely. Chess software competition is growing stronger with a particular emphasis on web-based solutions, which are getting better and better.
ChessBase 17 understood as a whole with an ecosystem of programs and web services is a magnificent tool; a gateway to computer-assisted chess that chess players until recently could only dream of.
ChessBase 17 as a program is neither better nor worse than e.g. commercial Chess Assistant or free Scid vs. Mac.
The strength of ChessBase lies in the ecosystem of connected programs and services.
With the purchase, ChessBase gives you a premium account* that opens up a range of new capabilities, applications and web integrations that greatly expand the range of chess features.
Most of the competitors do not yet have their solutions and capabilities at such a high level. And that's what makes this ecosystem unique and useful.
I would like to write that ChessBase 17 is such a "Ferrari" among other competitive chess programs: fast, impressive, effective, and.... beautiful. But that, unfortunately, is not the case. A Ferrari with a weak engine, underdeveloped solutions and bugs is not (yet) a Ferrari.
That's exactly what the ChessBase 17 is.
CHESSBASE 17 SCORE
* Applies to ChessBase 17 packages: Premium, Mega, Starter, Program only. Details on the ChessBase Shop page.