Fritz 9: Play Chess
by Viva Media
|
List Price: Our Price: $10.00 You Save: $9.99 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Software See more product details and other editions |
|---|
Software Reviews of Fritz 9: Play Chess
Customer Review: Fritz 9 is a genuine advance
Summary: 5 Stars
All independent rating lists show that the Fritz 9 engine is significantly stronger than Fritz 8 - by 67 Elo points according to the authoritative SSDF list, whereas Fritz 8 was only 19 points stronger than Fritz 7. Only Rybka 1.1 is stronger, and Fruit 2.2.1 is of similar strength to Fritz, but these two engines require a GUI such as that of Fritz in which to operate. However, playing strength is not the only consideration for previous versions of Fritz were a match for Kasparov and Kramnik.
There are two questions. What are the merits of Fritz 9 as a program? Is it worth purchasing Fritz 9 if you own Fritz 8?
Fritz 9 has excellent graphics, a database of one million master games, regular spoken comments (that can be switched off), a Friends mode whereby one can play a computer opponent of similar strength to oneself, and a one-year free subscription to an improved Playchess website, where one can play games on the Internet or watch grandmaster games, something I enjoy. Completely new features include a training video, the Media System whereby one can incorporate various multimedia CDs, and engines to play Giveaway (or losing) chess and Chess 960, the game Bobby Fischer invented and still claims is superior to normal chess.
These features, old and new, make Fritz 9 a worthwhile purchase and if you want just one chess program then this is the one to buy. But what if one already has Fritz 8? The key features are not intrinsically different in the two versions though Fritz 9's are better, particularly the training function. The answer is that Fritz 9 is a worthwhile upgrade if one is a keen chess player. Not only is Fritz 9 stronger but there has been a serious attempt to impart more chess knowledge to its engine. Most engines are designed to play other engines and rely on "brute force" to uncover tactical inaccuracies. I find Fritz 9 particularly useful in analyzing my own games for it has much more chess knowledge than the otherwise admirable Fritz 8. I find Fritz 9 to be stable, though it is true that if one seeks to allocate excessive memory (more than 50% of system memory) to hash tables in engine tournaments then "exceptions" may occur.
Are there any downsides? Well, the box says that Fritz 9 is for ages 6+. Personally I think there are better alternatives for young children (such as Fritz and Chesster) and would not recommend the program for a child under 10 unless she/he is a very keen chess player for the program's plethora of features make it seem daunting at first sight. On the other hand, Fritz 9 is an essential tool for a keen player of any age seeking to improve rapidly. It is ownership of such programs that has led to the explosion in the number of teenage grandmasters.
Fritz remains the most useful analytical tool for chessplayers but I hope that in the future ChessBase will be able to develop its GUI to give information in its evaluations of positions on specific matters such as piece mobility, pawn structure and king safety. That would be a quantum leap forward.
Customer Review: Chessbase has lost the plot!
Summary: 3 Stars
Chessbase has been providing the best chess programs for probably a decade now. I well remember buying my first chessbase program, Junior 5. That engine was so strong that it would annihilate even the strongest chess players. Now, a long time has passed, and I just don't see chessbase engine's improving that much. As the author of Hiarcs 10 mentioned in one of his interviews, Fritz and Shredder authors have decided to cash in all the money they can by coming up with new versions every 6 month or so. The only notable improvement to this version of Fritz is the Turk Table, which is really not useful to hardcore players such as myself. Mind you, my PC crashed everytime I tried to move the table around. Fritz 9 is a good engine, but in every tournament that I have put it in with engines such as Toga II or Kutula and Ruffian, it finishes third or fourth best, which is not exactly what you expect from chessbase's newest engine. Also, this program has been rushed into market just to come out a month or two earlier than the superior Hiarcs 10. Fritz 9 crashes a lot, and I get Exception this, Exception that messages from it. Besides, when in tournament mode, if you drag you mouse over the crosstable, it will copy a game from the database and ruins the tournament. In any case, I recommend Hiarcs 10 over this game, unless you have money to buy both! Also, while you are at it, get Toga II UCI. That seems to be an excellent engine!
Customer Review: Two outstanding programs: Chessmaster 10th edition and Fritz 9
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that I happily own both Chessmaster 10th edition and Fritz 9 (not to mention Junior 9, whose interface is identical to that of Fritz, but whose engine is different, if comparatively strong). I also have extended experience with Chessmaster 9000 and Fritz 8, Champion edition.
Chessmaster 10th edition has received much undeserved criticism, judging from many days of testing this program with utter enthusiasm. No perceivable bugs, it works like a charm, with an interface that is delightfully attractive and user-friendly (I strongly advise, however, any potential buyer to pay close attention to the required hardware. It stands to reason that if your computer doesn't meet the requirements, the program will not work properly. This of course applies to any software, including Fritz). As a training tool, Chessmaster 10th edition is superb, and in fact is significantly better than Chessmaster 9000. In keeping with this improvement, the far sharper 3-D boards alone justify buying this recent edition of Chessmaster. Overall, without getting into every praiseworthy aspect of Chessmaster 10th edition, I must say without hesitation that praise is indeed in order, though admittedly - as any program - it could, and surely will, be better in future editions.
It could for instance eventually match - and perhaps even surpass - Fritz with respect to graphics. The photorealistic 3-D boards in Fritz 9 are breathtaking, though a finicky user like me still finds grounds for minor complaints (shadows and reflections on pieces are less than perfect. Also, adjustment of the reflections is slightly quirky. One must make the adjustment to one 3-D board - classic wood for example - and switch to another board, then back to the initial board before the adjustment takes effect). Having said this, I must stress in all fairness that the photorealistic 3-D boards in Fritz 9 are very much exceptional - the new animated Turk 3-D board alone is worth buying this upgrade. As for the Fritz 9 interface, without indulging in a detailed description of it, I have to agree with other reviewers that it is somewhat difficult to use, especially when it comes to some of the advanced functions. These functions were evidently designed for hard-core chess players that are willing to spend hours upon hours of exacting and rather austere study to improve their game. If you belong to this group of select chess players, Fritz 9 is an especially good fit for you. Mind you, Chessmaster 10th edition also has much to bring to the table, even for hard-core chess players.
All in all, if you like chess or even love it in the extreme, and if you can afford both Chessmaster 10th edition and Fritz 9, do yourself a favor and buy them both.
Laurent Grenier
Author of the book A REASON FOR LIVING