Engine Analysis

Does anyone know if there is a software that can analyze my personal games with some sort of information that suggests a better move?

By the way, I'm aware that chess.com provides game analysis, but I'm interested in something better...

Thank you,

Any chess GUI (WinBoard, Scid vs. PC, Arena, Tarrasch, Fritz, etc., etc., etc.) along with any of the top chess engines (Houdini, Stockfish, Critter, Komodo, Rybka, etc., etc., etc.) will be able to analyze your games for you and suggest better moves.

One site that lists many of the different GUIs to use is here:

One place to find a list of some of the different chess engines available, is here:

If you use Google and do searches for chess gui, chess engine, you'll have your hands full checking out all of the links.

This article is now more than ten years old, but it's still a good read.  It's an old article for beginners that explains the difference between what a GUI is, and what an engine is.

Thank you very much Mr Ed. I appreciate that you took the time to answer... I will look into it and follow your advice.

Take care,

GW

I just acquired a chess engine, but I have no idea how to analyze a game. Every time I try to set my game from the beginning, the engine thinks I'm trying to play against it. I read the instructions but the intructions do not say anything about analyzing your own game.

As of right now I'm simply "fishing" which is very frustrating. My engine is called "Houdine 3 Extreme."

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

The chess engine merely seeks the best move (sequences). It is your GUI that determines whether you want to play against that chess engine or that you want that chess engine to analyze your game.

Post the name of the GUI you are using.

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what is the "GUI"?

GUI means "graphical user interface". It's the program shell, or to use an auto analogy, it's the body of the car that the engine goes in. If you're not sure of the name of the program, you could just post the link of what you downloaded and we'll figure out what you have.

Edit - Sorry, I just realized - Houdini 3. So either you bought a commercial product, or maybe we shouldn't be downloading it. Nevermind, don't post the link.

I've seen ads for Houdini 3 Extreme.  I MIGHT be wrong but I THINK that's Houdini combined with a GUI, all rolled into one.

I'll have to do some research to confirm.  Obviously, I don't have that package myself.

Covenant-Son, either way, what you probably want to do is to first load the game you played.  There must be a FILE-OPEN pull-down menu, or something similar.  You should be able to open PGN files, and it's likely that's what your file is stored in.

After that, you wish to look for an ANALYZE button or command.  This will analyze the current position... ideally, until you tell it to stop.   You should then be able to step through your game, one move at a time, and upon doing so, the Houdini engine will keep analyzing the current position.

You probably also have some kind of an automated Analysis Feature in the GUI.  This means you can load a game, and ask it to analyze the entire game, on its own,  You can then go make yourself a cup a coffee or something, and come back and have the entire game analyzed.  (Depending upon how many seconds/minutes you wish to have it look at each position, and whether you want it to analyze just your moves or both sides.)

All decent GUIs can do these things so I'm sure the GUI you use can do so too.