ChessBase 12

I have never used this software before, I downloaded it for 99 Euros. I must confess it is really hard to know what to do. I have seen a number of videos about the software but they show heaps of chess engins. Plus heaps of games, database's etc. My ChessBase 12 looks empty and I don't know how to play a game, if I can play a game? There are tons of things I can put in there that cost lots of money. Are there any tips about free programs I can use? Especially chess engins, opening books, games I can create trees with. Anything at all I'm sure would be welcome. Thank you

@OP

I also have CB12 and are very much in the dark still as to what to do with it. I printed out the 300 pages PDF file but it does not provide a great deal about what you can actually DO with the program. I tried to look at some videos but I found them not very insightful.

There is a lot of talk about a personal repertoire database you can build, but I don't really grasp how to do it and what to gain from it. It would certainly be helpful to see from an experienced fellow user how this is sensibly done. I guess if you sit down a 100 hours with the program, you probably figure it out yourself. But anyway this particular feature I am pretty clueless about.

One thing you cannot do is play a game against the engine. CB uses an engine only for position analysis.

One other thing you can do is load instructional DVD videos from CB and go through these lessons. That's actually quite good.

I guess main usage is just to collect, analyse and comment your own games and study the positions against the Mega Database, learn what the masters did in those positions, get new ideas.

You can also handily prepare yourself for your next match against M.Carlsen.

Oh I absolutely agree that CB12 is a very powerful tool, no doubt about it. I will try out some of the ideas you write.

As far as my CB12 ventures until now are concerned, I just could not yet find a fully satisfactory way how to really use it. You have to invest a lot of time to learn it or learn its capabilities rather, and what it can do for you. I will concede that I have not yet spent a lot of hours with it. Maybe 20 hours? I have it only for 4 weeks or so.

I also have Shredder 12 UCI which I find more accessible and practical for my purposes right now. It is kind of a mixture between chess "playing" program and database/analyzing software. The GUI is much nicer in CB12 though.

I am not yet finished learning CB12 by a long stretch. Over time, I will either discover its true magic - or not (for me)  

Cheers!

If it only cost 99 Euros you probably have just downloaded the bare program (as others have already alluded to). You can't really do much with it alone, other than import small pgn databases that you might find on the web etc.

You really need a database to go in it. Your cheapest decent option would be "Big Database 2013" - there are probably free databases out there but they would likely be low quality.

There's engines that you can download, the strongest free publically available one is Critter 1.6, you can interface that with CB 12...although you need to have some data for it to analyse :)

It's a great program though, if you're a serious player you'll get a lot of benefit from it one way or another.

@CM James

Well, I have some extras (the other chap maybe has not?): I have the Mega Database 2013 which is actually HUUUUUUGE :-) and full of good stuff, and Houdini 3 engine. I can also incorporate the Shredder 12 engine, but Houdini kicks Shredder's behind, so that feature is of limited use... :-) I got a CB endgame instructional DVD's as well. There are tons of those. Also have an openings book (another CB database), but not really looked into that yet.

I would really like to look an experienced user over the shoulder and see what he does with CB, how he does it and why he does it.

Unfortunately I am quite new to "serious" chess learning, and I simply don't know anyone near me yet who is a well-versed CB user. But I fully understand that the collected chess knowledge that can be accessed, mined and re-arranged for new ideas and learning is mind boggling (millions of games...)

Yeah, Megabase is fantastic. I take it you've registered to get the weekly updates and import those, with that, your database is always right up to date.

I think in truth there's no real "right" way to use it, because every user has different needs - my main use for it is for looking up opponents before I play them in OTB tournaments to see what they play and then using the program for preparing against them. Of course it's also handy to be able to have databases of opening analysis that can be accessed, added to and modified at any given time.

And you are right, Houdini 3 is the best out there - sounds like you're well kitted out!

Am I glad that I joined chess.com, so many of you are very knowledgeable using CB 12. It is my first time and I have yet to explore a new world of chess.

I did some homework on my own and have always been a fan of Chess Positional Trainer. So I downloaded the new version and looked up some videos on that software. I got hooked up with everymanchess.com, and boom I started downloading free ebooks for evaluation. Then I went to town and started to buy the ebooks at $22 USD. I am still waiting for the megadatabase etc by post, but right now I am in heaven. I have to admit I was very much in the dark a couple days ago when the CB 12 was empty.

Nice one. Post again if you get stuck with anything. Makes a change from the endless "what opening should I play" threads :-)

With Chessbase you can write your own e-books. It's one of the prime reasons that I bought CB in the first place.

@CM James

hahaaaa, no I have not yet subscribed to the weekly updates of Megabase   I figured at my level of play (please see my chess.com ratings to make you giggle) I can get enough learning and study material from the base as is...

I'm sure gladly taking you up on your offer to post any further CB questions here. One could also consider to found a "CB User Group", if there is not one already, I have not looked it up.

*subscribed to this thread*

Folks, is anybody still following this thread?

So I have the most ridiculous question / problem: I have Chessbase 12 and recently purchased their new Mega Database 2014 edition. Bear in mind that I am not a very experienced CB user yet, though I do use it frequently for basic functions like annotating my games and so on.

Anyways... when searching for games in the Mega DB (through the "filter" screen), it seems to me that you cannot search for a player by last name AND first name. It seems you can only search for last name... let me give an example:

The search mask has two fields to input the player, one for the last name and - separated by a comma - another field to input the first name (I presume...)

So if i search for "Karpov" (input just in the left-side field), it gives me 4000+ games (with "Ignore color" set to yes). Ok, fine. Great.

But.... it also finds games by "Karpova", "Karpovich", "Alexey Karpov" etc. which of course is very annoying if you want the games of Anatoly Karpov only.

So... naturally... I try searching for "Karpov" and input "Anatoly" in the field after the comma... and then the search turns up empty! WTF!?!? No games found... I try to put only "A*" in the second field... no games found. I leave the first name field empty again and he finds the 4000+ games again, of course....

Do you have the same problem? I have trouble believing that CB search function is really so inept. Please enlighten me. Thank you very much indeed!

I have full version of chessbase12. I am writing a book and I need to print out each page with 3 diagrams on it. How can I use chessbase12 to do that?

I also have Rybka 3 program. Which one should I use for my purpose?

TomHaegin, I hope your problem has been resolved. I have CB12 and upgraded to mega DB 2014 end of last year. I have no problem searching for full names. I wasn't doing anything differently than you described.

Sometimes it seems finnicky when yiu try to use a first name as well as last name.

for instance, Karpov, A turns up Karpovs games. Karpov, a turns up nothing

Also wanted to point out that TWIC is a good site for free database updates http://www.theweekinchess.com/

Alright thank you, I must try again. I'm happy that it works for you.

I think CB12 is a waste of money. I cant see that it does anything extra to a programme like HIARCS or Fritz which do more, and come with engines and databases.

With HIARCS or Fritz you can have big enough databases with thousands of games. I dont really need more than that, and if I did there are online databases you can easily look at such as Chessgames.com.

It looks like Chessbase has disable live database access for CB 12 & 13 and forces users to buy the latest Chessbase version. Not happy about that. Has anyone else have the same issue?

they just did the same for CB14 and CB15, catching more users out.

box containing my discs says that this part of the program is dependent on premium membership, it does not say anything about which version of Chessbase is needed.

Boris Avrukh seems to be kicking up a stink about it on twitter, he just bought premium membership in the belief that it was reinstate his access to the live database. it didn't...

Should be able to use the live database at https://database.chessbase.com/ with premium membership. It isn't as up to date as the chessgames one but fairly close.