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FIRST STEPS WITH FRITZ 12

This manual contains a description of all the basic functions of the program. A complete description and documentation can be found in the online help, along with numerous examples of how to use the program. Please note that due to last-minute modification some of the functions of the program may differ slightly from these instructions. The basic functions of the Windows operating system are not given in this manual. You will find a description of these in the documentation you received with your operating system. Please check that the program DVD contains a text file (readme.doc or liesmich.txt) with the latest information.

System requirements
Fritz 12 runs on PCs with Pentium III 1 GHz, 512 MB RAM, Windows Vista, XP (Service Pack 3), DirectX 9, a graphics card with 256 MB RAM, DVD-ROM drive, Windows-Media Player 9. This is the minimum configuration. For better operation we recommend a PC Intel Dual Core or better, 2.4 GHz, 3 GB RAM, Windows Vista or Windows 7, DirectX 10, a graphics card with 512 MB RAM or more, a 100% DirectX 10 compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD ROM drive.
Note: Fritz 12 does not work with Windows 95/NT/98/2000.

1 Installation
Fritz cannot be started directly from the DVD. You must first install the program on the hard disk of your computer. To do so, do the following: 1. Switch on your computer and start Windows. 2. Put the Fritz DVD-ROM in the computers DVD-drive. 3. The Fritz installation program starts automatically. If not, click on Start and select Run from the menu. 4. In the text box, type: d:setup (if required replace d: by the appropriate letter for your DVD-ROM drive) and click on OK. 5. In the dialog box click the button Next in order to install Fritz on your computers hard disk. 6. The installation process will now start and the program will first request a path. If you do not wish to use the defaults of the installation program, you can choose a user-defined path. Click on the Browse button to select the path and then click Next. We recommend that you install the program in the default path. 7. As the next step, you will be asked for the path for the openings books and databases. If you do not wish to use the one suggested, you can once more use Browse and Next to select your own user-defined path. 8. As a final step you have to specify which components are to be copied to the hard disk. Standard installs and configures Fritz with the most frequently used options and settings.
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Minimal installs only those components which are absolutely necessary for the functioning of the program. The option User defined is intended only for experienced users who wish to install Fritz according to their own specifications. Click on Next to complete the installation of the program. 9. The final option offered is the installation of Direct X. You should agree to the installation of this component if you want to make use of the new 3D graphics in the program. Even if you already have the latest version of Direct X installed, accept the installation of the program. The installer will check your actual configuration and simply adjust those components which are required for use by the 3D graphics. Note: The complete program documentation for Fritz and Playchess.com can be found in the online help for the program, which can be launched at any point by pressing F1. The help file has a print function. You can print any subject in which you are particularly interested.

2 Entering the serial number


On the outside cover of this instructions booklet you will find a serial number. The program will ask you to enter it and the extra four security characters after the installation is completed.

Confirm the entry with OK.

3 Activation
After launching your program with the serial number, please register the program via the Internet. You will find in the user menu the entry Activate.

Take note of the instructions for activation in the online help function of the program!

4 Your first start


On starting the program, you are presented with three options to select from: 1.) Play Fritz starts the chess program. You can play against the program straight away, train or analyse. 2.) Playchess.com: A click on this button takes you, if you are connected to the Internet, to the ChessBase server Playchess.com. From there you can make use of a variety of possibilities, e.g. play chess against others, analyse games or chat. You will find a complete description of the contents of the chess server below or in the online help. 3.) Chess course loads the chess course which is supplied with your program. When you start Fritz you will see a dialog box, into which you can enter your name. The program will refer to this name in the comments and when evaluating rated games. Use the option Skip on program start, to decide whether you wish to see this dialog each time you start the program or not. Should you later wish to change any details, then access the dialog via the menu Application Menu User info. In the dialog you are asked about your playing strength. If you click on Hobby player an easy playing level will be automatically preselected, and you will get long game notation and coordinates around the board.

5 Registration
Application menu Activation: After you have activated the program, your program is registered. You will find further information on this in the online help.

6 Fritz and the Internet


On www.playchess.com you will find a variety of up-to-date information from the world of chess, tips and tricks for our programs and support. In addition to information about the program and updates, you also find here answers to questions about the use of the program and free downloads.
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7 Normal operation
All the various functions of the program are started by ribbons. These so-called ribbons were first implemented by Microsoft in Office 2007. A Ribbon (also called a band) is a graphical concept for programs which link together the elements of menu and browser symbols. According to the context, there are different icons visible for the program functions in the specific work situation you are in. At the top of the program window there are as in traditional menus words representing various groups of commands, e.g. Home, Insert or Board. A click on one of these, however, does not open a menu, but displays a ribbon containing the relevant commands. Each Menu then has its own ribbon with symbols. One very important function within this concept is the Application menu. You will find the Application menu in the upper left-hand corner of the program window.

This is where important settings and primary functions of the program can be accessed, e.g. starting the options dialog. Another important component is the Icon List, via which frequently used functions can be accessed with a single mouse click. This concept offers many advantages in your daily work with Fritz. For example, functions you want can be accessed more quickly, e.g. the choice of board or offers on chess server. Since the functions are listed in order of frequency of use, your work goes more quickly and smoothly. In addition, many functions can be accessed via a right click with the mouse and by keyboard commands. 7.1 Right click A right click with the mouse in any of the program windows will open a context menu. Here you can choose settings for that window, close the window or access context specific functions. 7.2 The keyboard A series of frequently used functions can be accessed directly with the help of the keyboard. The easiest way to see the relevant keyboard shortcuts is by moving the mouse over one of the ribbons. As you do so, the relevant hotkey is displayed.

7.3 Stopping a process Certain functions, e.g. automatic analysis, a computer vs. computer game, involve longer lasting processes. All such processes can be stopped by a left mouse click on the stop button, top left in the menu browser.

8 Playing against Fritz


After installing your program, click on the button for Fritz, if you want to play a game against the computer. When you start your program in future, it will always start again with the last playing level which you set. 8.1 Starting a new game (setting up the pieces) Game - New game sets up the pieces in their initial positions for the start of a new game. If you have just played a game, then Fritz will automatically change colours and flip the board. 8.2 Choosing colours and flipping the board The space bar is used to tell Fritz to make a move. In the starting position, the program then takes the white pieces and executes a move. If you want to play with White yourself, simply make the first move with the white pieces. Using Flip board in the icon list turns the board upside down.

8.3 Moving the pieces To move a piece, move the mouse on to it, click and hold down the left mouse key, and drag the piece onto a new square. You can also click the piece and then the destination square (or first the destination square and then the piece). To castle move only the king two squares to the left or right. The rook will automatically be moved to its square by the program. When entering the move on the 2D board, the starting square is marked with a cross. Beginners are sometimes surprised when a pawn is captured en passant: if a pawn makes a double move and in doing so comes on to the square next to an opposing pawn, then the latter can take it as though the pawn had only made a single move. An en passant capture may only be made on the move which immediately follows the pawns double move. It is a legal move in chess. Another less well-known rule is that for pawn promotion: If a pawn reaches the opposite back rank, it can be promoted to any piece of the same colour, except a pawn or a king. The promotion must be made as soon as the pawn reaches the back rank. The program only accepts legal moves. If you try to execute a move that does not conform to the rules of chess, the piece will simply jump back to its original square. 8.4 Offering a draw Home - Offer draw offers a draw. Fritz will only accept a draw when the evaluation is exactly 0, or when it is clearly worse off.

8.5 Resigning a game Home - Resign resigns the game. 8.6 Saving a game All games you play against the program are automatically stored in a file called autosave.cbh. You can always access this database and load a previously played game into the board window, either to replay it or to analyse it. 8.7 Replaying a game Keyboard: The Home key (on some keyboards called Pos1) places the cursor at the start of the game in the notation window. Using the right or left arrows on the keyboard goes to the next or previous move. 8.8 Navigating through a game with the slider Fritz has a new and intuitive way of navigating through games: the slider. This means that you can get more quickly to a specific point in the game by well targeted clicks or by pushing it than you can via the notation. This is particularly useful in long or annotated games. You switch on the slider by right clicking the board and then under Board design Slider, or by right clicking under the board to access the menu.

8.9 Playing through a game automatically The * key will automatically replay the current or most recently played game on the board. At the same time a dialog box appears via which you can set the speed via the slider (to the right = faster).

8.10 Analyse a game Analysis - Full Analysis will analyse the whole game. Analysis - Blunder Check looks for major errors. For a description of the options Full Analysis and Blunder Check see the chapter on: Analysis.
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8.11 Calculation training Accurate calculation of variations is the very basis of chess. Especially amongst players of medium and lesser strength, almost all games are lost because of errors in calculation. So regular calculation training with Fritz will bring about a clear increase in playing strength.

Calculation training can be done in any position. To do so, go to Training Calculation Training. A window then appears where you can enter moves without the pieces moving on the board. Important note: in this mode the moves are not checked for their legality. However, calculating is much easier than in a normal game, because you can see your calculations in the notation. You can click in the notation and with the arrow keys execute moves to insert variations at specific points. But the position on the board will not change. In calculation training you have access to five functions via five different buttons:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Check validity checks the notation for illegal moves. Check tactics the engine checks whether the move makes sense tactically. This takes longer. Score quality of calculation the engine checks the quality of your calculation and awards points. Restart calculation training clears all previous variations. Finish calculation training and, if desired, add the results to the game as variations.

Tip: You can also do calculation training on the server: from a broadcast, use the menu Training Calculation training. This makes sense especially during live broadcasts if the players are thinking about a move for a long time.

9 Levels of skill
The program is able to adjust its levels of skill right down to beginner level. In addition, Fritz offers a series of aids (see the section of help during games) which can be used during a game.
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The skill levels are selected via Home - Levels or Training. The levels Friend mode, Sparring, Handicap and Fun have an appropriate strength defined for them. Blitz and Tournament game are levels involving maximum playing strength. In the mode for Rated game your playing strength is evaluated under tournament conditions. 9.1 Levels of skill with reduced playing strength

9.1.1 Handicap and fun Training Level - Handicap and Fun accesses a dialog by which you can reduce the playing strength and modify the style of the program in many different ways. By moving the sliders you can accentuate or decrease the type of behaviour you choose for Fritz.

In the browser list on the left it is possible to choose pre-defined types. The indications of playing strength are only very rough evaluations. In handicap mode, the opening book is switched off. The handicap mode is particularly suitable for beginners and less advanced players. 9.1.2 Friend Mode Training Friend Mode: In this mode the program automatically adjusts its level of play to match that of the opponent. When you start it asks you for your Handicap. This is similar to golf and is measured in 100ths of a pawn. If you give a high value (e.g. 200 = two pawns) the program will reduce its strength considerably. Afterwards the program will adjust your handicap to reflect your real playing strength, according to your results. The Friend mode is suited to more advanced players.

9.1.3 Sparring Training - Sparring On this level the program plays a reasonably strong game, but at the same time it intentionally allows the user to carry out winning combinations. When you switch on Sparring mode there is a choice from very easy to really hard. You can also specify whether the program should point out wins, i.e. flash a red light below the board when there is a good move available for you. Sparring is good for moderately advanced players to club players.

9.2 Full-strength playing levels Setting thinking time These playing levels are mainly for strong club players and professionals. They have different time controls and almost any kind of tournament games can be played.

9.2.1 Blitz, rapid games Home Blitz game: This brings up a dialog box in which you can select from a number of blitz and rapid chess time controls (e.g. five minute blitz or 25 minute rapid chess game). You can also use a Fischer clock which gives each side a time bonus for each move (e.g. 4+2 = four minutes for all the moves plus two additional seconds for each move made). Human bonus allows you to allocate more time for the human player: Human bonus/Min increases the basic thinking time in minutes, Human bonus/move the additional time per move in seconds. 9.2.2 Tournament games Home Long Game: Here you can set longer time controls for long games, which are often referred to as tournament games. They usually have a number of phases, e.g. two hours for the first 40 moves, one hour for the next 20, and 30 minutes for the rest of the game (a very common tournament control). You can adjust each of the time allocations or number of moves per phase. Or you can select one of the common levels predefined on the left. If you set the time of the second and third time controls to zero they are ignored. The first time control is always used. Examples: 1) 2 hours for 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game: First time control: 2h 0 min 40 moves, second time control 0h 0 min, third time control: 0 h 30 min 2) 2 hours for 40 moves, thereafter always 20 moves per hour: First time control: 2h 0 min 40moves, second time control 1h 0 min 20 moves, third time control 0h 0 min. 9.3 Special game modes

9.3.1 Chess 960 Home New Game: This is a variant of shuffle or random chess defined by the former world champion Bobby Fischer. In the starting position the pawns are placed as usual on the second and seventh ranks. The other pieces are placed on the first and last ranks in a semirandom fashion, but equally for both sides. There are two conditions: the rooks must be on each side of the king, and the bishops must be on different coloured squares. This means that there are 960 different starting positions, a fact that has given the game its name. Unlike in shuffle chess, castling is also possible in Chess 960. You will find a full description of the rules for Chess 960 in the online help.
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9.3.2 Giveaway chess Home New game: Also known as Losing Chess, Suicide Chess, Killer Chess or Take-all Chess, this is one of the best-known variants of the game. The rules are simple: they are the same as in classical chess, except that capturing is compulsory. If a player can capture in more than one way he can choose any of the captures. The king has no special role and can be taken just like any other piece. If an opportunity to capture is overlooked, the opponent must point this out and the move must be taken back. The first player to lose all his pieces wins the game. If a player is stalemated he also wins. 9.4 Playing rated games Training Rated Game: This switches the program into a special mode for serious tournament games in which it will give you an objective assessment of your playing strength. In rated games you will not be able to take back moves or look at the openings book. After a certain number of games you will get an evaluation of your performance and, if this is good, a title award from the computer. In the rated game dialog box you can set the playing strength. The option Doubling allows you to play for (virtual) money. 9.5 Computer against computer

9.5.1 An engine plays out the position on the board against itself, to the end of the game Analysis Shootout opens the dialog box Shoot Out. A left mouse click on New opens the list of engines for you to choose from. Choose under the option Depth how deep the search depth should be set for the rest of the game to be played out (8 to 8 = Search depth eight) 9.5.2 Two different engines play a match Engine Engine match opens a dialog allowing you to choose and set up engines for a match. Define the engine and the openings book, set the thinking time and determine the number of games. If the match is to start from pre-defined positions (e.g. the Nunn match), then choose a database with openings positions by left clicking on Process Test Set.

10 Help during games


Fritz offers a series of help functions during a game.

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10.1 Permanent help These are help functions which can be set up permanently on-screen. 10.1.1 Explain all moves Training Explain all moves opens a separate window which contains a brief commentary on every legal move. In the list the good moves are at the top and the bad ones at the bottom. A mouse click on a move in the list brings up a green arrow on the board, showing the starting and destination squares for that move. If, as a result, other pieces are blocked, these are displayed in red. When you start the move explainer, under certain circumstances the screen layout may be altered. Unticking the box Training Explain all moves will close this window. 10.1.2 Threatened squares Training Threatened squares: When you click on a piece to move it, all the squares it can reach are displayed in colour: red for danger squares on which you will almost certainly lose material, yellow for contested squares, and green for safe ones. Whenever Fritz makes a move, pieces which come under attack are displayed in the same way The Threatened squares function is especially recommended for beginners, as it helps avoid blunders. 10.1.3 Coach is watching Home - Coach is watching activates the coach. This trainer appears when you make a mistake. You can either get a hint to take back the move or you can use choose to ignore the advice and play on.

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In the menu Application Menu Options Game Coach you can change the sensitivity of the coach. Threshold specifies (in centipawns, i.e. 1/100ths of a pawn) how grave an error must be for the coach to intervene. 80 means: the coach comes on when the move you have made would be to your disadvantage by 8/10 of a pawn or more. Calc. time gives the amount of time it should spend when calculating advice. 10.1.4 Dynamic hints Training Dynamic hints: As you enter a move, its effects on the board are indicated visually with arrows. Attacking motifs and defensive options are shown for every square whenever you roll the mouse over it. You will find a complete description of this feature in the online help. 10.1.5 Opening hints Via the menu Training Opening hints you can access useful information for the opening phase of a game. The initial phase of a game of chess is known as the opening. During it, the program points out the most important moves with green arrows. To display opening hints you need to have an openings book loaded. 10.1.6 Spy Training Spy switches on the spy, which shows you with arrows what Fritz is planning as its next move or what it is threatening. Unlike the Show threat function, there is a display of possible counter moves.

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This function is helpful not only for beginners, since it helps you avoid elementary tactical errors. Generally speaking a game with the Spy switched on is played at a noticeably higher level. There is an improvement over earlier versions: the spy only points out strong, obvious threats.

10.1.7 Position tutor Right click in notation window Show position tutor This srarts a special chess engine which has a lot of chess knowledge. It generates a brief strategic description, in plain text, of the current board position. 10.1.8 Measurements during a game Via View Measurements you can open a window which gives you a scale of how hot the game is and the mate-o-meter. So, what is the significance of the display with the two clocks? This example is taken from an early phase of the game. Hotness gives an idea of how complicated and sharp the position is. The higher the value displayed, the more complex the tactical and positional aspects of the position. The mate-o-meter indicates the probability of there being a threat of mate. The first screenshot shows that there is no threat of mate in the offing.

The next one comes from an advanced phase of the game.

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Here you can see that the position is very sharp, containing complex tactical and positional problems. Also, the mate-o-meter tells us that the potential threat of a mate has risen. The final example shows the mate-o-meter display in a position where there is a mate in three.

The measurements window is especially useful for beginners as it offers them useful guidance during a game itself. The various scales allow a beginner or a spectator to see at a glance the present status of the game.

10.1.9 Extra Book Pane At the start of a game, Fritz chooses moves from its openings book. You too can consult the openings book during the game and choose your moves from it. In the standard layout, the openings book is displayed in the same window as the notation.

A left mouse click on the entry Openings book in the notation window brings it to the front. For every position a list displays all the moves that are contained in the openings book. A mouse click on any move will execute that move on the board. For the meaning of the numbers in the openings book, see the chapter on functions in the openings book. If the openings book is stored on the hard disk, the program will learn from its results and note in the openings book with the help of weightings which moves proved favourable for it and which did not. This does not work if you use the openings book from the DVD since nothing can be stored on a write-protected DVD.

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10.1.10 Add kibitzer Engine Add Kibitzer opens a new window, in which another chess program (engine) calculates as a spectator. From the calculations of the kibitzer you can get suggestions as to what to do in your game. Before loading a kibitzer, you are presented with a list of possible engines. More than one kibitzer can be used at any one time. 10.2 Requesting assistance This is help which Fritz can offer you at tricky points (if you ask for it) and which is not switched on permanently. 10.2.1 Hint Home - Hint give a hint suited to the present position. 10.2.2 Suggestion Home - Suggestion and Fritz will suggest a move for the position. 10.2.3 Threat Home - Threat displays the move which Fritz is planning, and what the present threat is.

11 Settings
When the program is first started, certain basic settings are loaded; these include program options and screen layout. The latter can be changed according to numerous parameters. Every such window layout can be saved and loaded later. Some functions automatically optimise the screen layout for this purpose. After the function has ended, the program returns to the previously defined screen layout. 11.1 Program options All settings can be accessed via Application Menu Options. 11.2 Switching windows on and off The ribbon menu View is where the different windows can be switched on and off. A right mouse click in a window opens the dialog with settings for the active functions (board options, settings for the engine window, etc.). 11.2.1 Notation The notation window displays the moves played so far, or main and sub-variations from games, in figurine or algebraic notation. You can also display your notation in the classic view of a score sheet by choosing Score sheet. It is also possible to switch between notation and openings book. 11.2.2 Engine The engine window displays the moves which have been calculated, the evaluation of the position, search depth and other information about the engine or the process of calculation. 11.2.3 Evaluation profile

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The evaluation profile graphically displays the evaluation and times in the course of the game. The bars above the base line denote an advantage for White, below the base an advantage for Black. A red bar means the machine is ahead, a green bar that you are better. A yellow bar is one that goes beyond the scale of the current window. The scale is in centipawns, i.e. 1/100ths of a pawn. Superimposed in the evaluation profile is the time each side has used. The blue line marks the time you have used, the black line the time for the computer. The scale is in seconds. 11.2.4 Extra Book Pane Activating this function installs the openings book in its own window. Deactivating it puts the openings book into the notation window as an option. 11.2.5 Clock Window Activating this function puts the clock in its own window, deactivating it installs a digital clock at the right in the status line below. 11.2.6 Chatter In the talk window below the board you can choose to have displayed text comments and names of openings. 11.2.7 Engine output This window is reserved for additional messages directly from the engine. The display is engine specific and not supported by all engines. 11.2.8 Explain all moves This loads a window containing explanations for every possible move in the position on the board. 11.2.9 Chess Media System This is where videos are loaded which have been prepared with the Chess Media System You will find a more detailed explanation of the Chess Media System in online help. 11.3 Screen layout: choosing presets View Standard Layouts opens a dialog for the choice of fixed screen layouts. 11.4 Manual changes to screen layouts The size of the program windows can be changed at will: roll your mouse over the separating line between two program windows. Above it the mouse arrow changes into a symbol with two arrows pointing in opposite directions (right to left, or up and down). Hold down the left mouse button above the window and change the relative sizes by moving the mouse sideways or up and down.

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The program now has a new window management function for more intuitive docking. To use it, click on the handle and, holding down the mouse button, drag the window across the screen. You will now find on the program screen several arrow buttons. The positioning button appears every time you put a pane in a new position on the screen and want to dock it. This button makes it possible to decide the position of the pane with much greater accuracy. To dock, hold down the button and move the mouse arrow into the coloured area of the arrow button. This then gives you a preview of the exact positioning of the pane you wish to move within the window. Now release the mouse button and the positioning you wanted will now be installed. Individual panes such as notation, engine, chatter, etc. can be undocked. You can place a pane anywhere you want on the screen by taking hold of the bar for that purpose and then placing the pane where you want it on the screen. A click on (X) in the top right hand corner of the pane brings that pane back to its original starting position. 11.5 Reversing an altered screen layout View Standard Layouts. Choosing a standard layout reverses changes made to the screen layout. 11.6 Board options Fritz offers configurable 2D and 3D boards. For the 2D board you have the choice between various designs. You can turn, tilt and zoom into the 3D board. Icon list - Flip board turns the board 180 degrees. 11.6.1 2D board Board - Board 2D This switches to the two dimensional board. The 2D board is displayed in its own window, the size of which can be changed at will (see the section on manually changing the screen layout). Right mouse click in the board window opens a dialog for the setting of board colours, background, coordinates and so forth. 11.6.2 3D Board Board Board 3D switches to a photo-realistic three-dimensional view of a chess board. The program has genuine virtual reality chessboards, but makes rather high demands on your graphics capability. If you wish to make frequent use of this setting, you should have an upto-date graphics card with special 3D functions.

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Under the 3D board you will the button for Settings. The dialog allows you to select between various parameters and effects.
Tip: The 3D representation also requires a current version of Direct X, which is supplied on the DVD.

12 The database and database functions


Fritz manages games and positions in as many databases as you want. With your version of Fritz you receive a database with thousands of games from international tournaments. You can add games or copy games to any database. Fritz can open, read or edit databases in various formats (cbh, cbf or pgn). 12.1 The database window Home - Database opens the database window. This displays the contents of the database which is currently open in different ways. Other functions in the database window are: opening different databases, creating a new (empty) database into which to enter games, changing to another database, loading one or more games into the board window, analysing one or more games, accessing tournament tables, copying games either to or from another database, looking for games, installing or deleting indexes, etc. 12.2 Changing the presentation Display by themes In the database window, a left mouse click on a tab below the menu browser changes the view and the way of accessing the database: Games: displays a (chronologically sorted) list of the games in it. Opening: displays an index of the openings. Themes: displays an index of general themes. Tactics: displays an index of tactical middlegame themes. Strategy: displays an index of strategic middlegame themes. Endgames: displays an index of endgames. A double click on an index opens it and shows sub-indexes or games which have been classified. Clicking on an index tab allows you to install a new index if there is not one there for the database in question. You can always confirm your choice. Only databases in cbhformat can handle all the indexes. 12.3 Open database Database window Application Menu Open Database launches a Windows dialog for opening files.

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Change to the drive and folder from which you wish to open a database. 12.4 Create database Database Window Application Menu New Database launches the dialog for saving files. Change to the drive and folder in which you wish to create a database. 12.5 Load games to board window Double clicking on a game loads it to the board window to replay or analyse. 12.6 Merge games to get an overview of variations Keyboard: CTRL+Shift+Arrow up/down marks games. CTRL+A marks all the games in the list. Keyboard: Enter loads all the games to provide an overview of the variations. 12.7 Search for games Database window Home Filter games opens the search mask, where you define the criteria for your games search. Left mouse click on a tab at the top of the dialog opens various categories to help you define what you are looking for: 12.7.1 Game data White/Black: fields for players; names and first names. You must take care with spelling, including capital and small letters. Ignore colours: with this option all games between the two players are searched for, no matter who had which colour. Tournament/Annotator: search for games from a specific tournament or annotated by a specific person. Capital letters need to be input accurately. Entering parts of words in the boxes for White, Black, Tournament and Annotator also produces results: for instance, and also finds games by Anand. Year: searches for games from a specific time frame, 1999-1999 finds games only from the year 1999. ECO: searches for games from a specific opening (classified according to the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings). D85-D85 finds all the games classified under D85 (the modern Exchange Variation of the Greenfield Defence). Moves: finds games of the specified length. Text: finds database texts. ELO: finds players within a specific ELO range (playing strength). Result: finds games with the specified result (including mate, stalemate or check).
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12.7.2 Medals This looks for annotated games which display a specific characteristic. 12.7.3 Position This searches for games containing specific positions. To enter the position, you proceed as in position setup. Look for board: to enter the pieces / structures for which you are looking. Exclude board: to enter the pieces / structures which should not be present. Or board: to enter alternative possibilities. Mirror horizontal: finds the position specified with the colours reversed. Mirror vertical: finds the position specified with the board sides reversed. 12.7.4 Search window First: the first move from which to search. Length: how long the specified structure should remain on the board (in half moves) Last: up to which move should the search continue. Copy board: copies the position from the board window into the search window. Sources of error: The start position cannot be found with the definition = 5. (Definition: looking for a position like the starting position from the 5th move of the game onwards) Look for board and Exclude board should not contradict themselves from a logical point of view, e.g.: Look for board: white pawn on d4, Exclude board: white pawn on d4. (Definition: looking for a position which has a white pawn on d4 and which does not have a white pawn d4) 12.7.5 Annotations This searches for annotated games containing specific text, graphic or special commentary.

13 Creating, saving and editing games / Position setup


In Fritz you can enter games, save them, change them, add to them, edit them in any way and save the changes in the game. 13.1 Create a new game Home New Game creates a new game in the starting position and empties the notation window. Then tick the box Engine Switch off engine. In this mode you can enter moves for both sides without the program making moves in reply. 13.2 Save a game Application menu - Save opens a dialog with text boxes to save a game. 13.3 Delete game In the database window, Application Menu Home - Delete: the marked games are struck through and marked as deleted. The menu in the icon list Remove Deleted Games permanently removes deleted games from the database.

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13.4 Replace game In the database window, Application Menu Save Replace Game overwrites an already saved game. This is most useful for later adding moves, commentaries and analyses to a game that has already been saved in the database. 13.5 Edit game In the game window, right clicking in the notation window opens a dialog with the selection of commentary tools and various settings. All comments added to the game are first stored in the programs memory and arent saved to the disk until you tell the program to save or replace a game. You can find a detailed description of these functions in Fritzs online help, which you can start by hitting the key F1. 13.6 Setup Position In the game window, pressing the key S opens a dialog to set up a board position. Clear Board empties the board. Clicking on a piece prepares this piece to be placed on the board. The mouse cursor takes the form of the piece that has been selected when you move it over the board. Clicking on a square in the board places the selected piece. Clicking on a square containing a piece of the same type and colour empties the square. Right clicking on a square places a piece with the opposite colour of the one that you selected. The Castling boxes decide what castling is allowed. The Side to move boxes decide which side moves next. The Move number box decides what numbers should be used for the following notation. The En Passant box determines the row in which an en passant capture is allowed. If this box is left empty en passant is not permitted. There are two buttons beneath the figures:

White <-> Black swaps the colours and mirrors the position vertically, while King <-> Queen mirrors the position horizontally. Copy ASCII copies the position in ASCII format to the Windows clipboard. Copy FEN copies the position in FEN format to the Windows clipboard. Paste ASCII and Paste FEN copy a position that has been stored in the Windows clipboard onto the board. Note: You can find a detailed explanation of words like PGN and FEN in Fritzs online help.

14 Analysis
Fritz offers many functions to make automatic or manual analyses of positions or complete games. Some of these functions are only active when a game has been loaded or is being played.

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14.1 Automatic Analysis of a Game Analysis Full Analysis opens a dialog to set the options for a full analysis. The default values are set sensibly, so it is possible to start an analysis by immediately clicking on OK. For the full analysis the game is examoned backwards, starting from the position on the board. The analysis ends at the point where the loaded opening book ends. The analysis can be halted at any time by clicking by clicking the Stop Process button in the ribbon. 14.1.1 Options for Full Analysis Calculation Time Per Move: The calculation time for each move in seconds. Threshold: This setting determines what deviation from the evaluation there should be before a suggestion is made. This threshold is expressed in centipawn units. Last move: This determines where the analysis is to begin (in reverse order). Referenz-DB: This opens a dialog to select a database which should be used as a reference for the analysis. Storage: This option is only active if the function is called from the database window. Annotations: These boxes activate and deactivate different types of annotations, such as natural language comments, graphical comments on the board or the insertion of training questions. Side: This determines which sides moves should be analysed. 14.2 Automatic Blunder Check in a game Analysis Blunder Check opens a dialog box with settings for the automatic blunder check. This looks for errors in a game and in variations already included in the game. 14.2.1 Options for the Blunder Check Side: This determines which sides moves should be checked for errors. Output: This decides whether the suggested moves should be added as variations or as text commentary in the game notation. Storage: This option is only active if the function is called from the database window. Time/Depth: This determines whether a fixed time (in seconds) or a fixed search depth (in half moves) should be used while searching for errors. Threshold: This determines the minimum deviation from the best evaluated move that should be considered an error. Write full variations: If this is deactivated suggestions made are only a single move. Erase old annotations: Activating this option deletes all old commentary. Training: If this is activated Fritz puts training questions in the game notation. Check main line/Check variations: This determines where Fritz should search for errors. 14.3 Full Analysis and Blunder Check In the database window, Database Full Analysis analyses one or all of the games that have been marked in the game list. Storage: Replace overwrites the games with the analysed versions. Storage: Append adds the analysed versions of the games to the end of the database. The original games are left unchanged. 14.4 Position Analysis In the board window, Analysis Deep Position Analysis opens a dialog box with options for analysing the position, for instance for adjourned games. The default settings are sensible, so you can immediately begin the analysis by clicking on OK.
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14.4.1 Options for the Position Analysis Time/Depth: This determines whether a fixed time (in seconds) or a fixed search depth (in half moves) should be used for the analysis. plus (Root): This is the additional time allowed for analysing the original position. Branching in 1st (2nd, 3rd) move: This determines the maximum number of variations to be analysed for each move. Branching: White, Black, Both: This determines for which side variations should be analysed. Length of variations: This determines the length of the variations to be suggested. Evaluation window: This determines the maximum deviation that is allowed, in centipawns, for suggesting a variation. 14.5 Mate Search Home Levels Mate Search opens a dialog box to set options for a mate search. Fritz 12 has several engines which are designed to solve mate problems. Only the engines listed in this dialog window are guaranteed to find the shortest possible mate. The mate announcements made by other engines during game play or analysis are not always exact. The engine Mate 2.16 is also able to solve the problems Helpmate and Selfmate. Clicking on an engine in the list selects this engine for the mate solution. Activating the option Last move also displays the last move of the solution. The button Parameters offers additional settings for experts. Not every mate engine has all of these settings.

15 Print
Fritz prints the current game, along with all diagrams and notation, and the evaluation of a game that is in play. Application Menu Print opens a menu with different options. 15.1 Page Setup This opens a dialog window containing several tabs to set up the page layout: Diagrams: The option Style determines whether the diagram should be printed in black and white, or with the same colours that the diagram has on the screen. If the option Standard Size is deactivated the exact size can be determined in pixels, as well as the size of the left margin. Diagram title: This determines the headline and bottomline. Fonts: This determines the size and style of the fonts used. Coordinates: This determines whether coordinates should be used, and where they should be. Layout: This determines the borders and the number of columns. Page numbers: This determines whether the pages should be numbered, and the format of the numbers. Title: This determines the style of each pages headline and footline. 15.2 Print game This prints the full notation of a game. If diagrams are included in the notation (see Edit game above) they are also printed out with the notation.

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15.3 Diagram This prints the current game position. The format of the diagram can be configured by the options in the menu Page setup. 15.4 Evaluation Profile This prints the evaluation profile of the current game.

16 Using the Windows clipboard for copying diagrams and notation


Fritz can copy notation and the current board diagram into the Windows clipboard. These can be pasted back into Fritz. Home Copy Game copies the notation in the selected form (short or long notation) into the Windows clipboard. Home Copy Position/Diagram copies the current board position in several formats into the Windows clipboard. You have to choose the desired format in the input options of your word processor (Winword: Options, Insert content); text creates a TrueType diagram, whereas Bitmap creates a board graphic. Home Paste Position/Game copies positions or game notation from the Windows clipboard into the notation window or as a board position. 17 Openings book functions Clicking on the Openings Book tab in the notation window displays the openings book. If no book is being used a button is displayed to load an openings book. If you click on this button a Windows dialog appears to open a file. Select the drive and folder of your computer which contains the openings book that you wish to use. The openings book displays a list of all the moves that have been played in the current board position. 17.1 Display The numbers after the moves have the following meanings: N = The bumber of games in which this move has been played. % = The success of this move as a percentage. Av = The average Elo rating of the players who played this move. Perf = The Elo performance that was reached by playing this move. Fact = The weighting (plus or minus) based on the results the program has achieved by playing this move. Prob = The probability that the move will be played, without taking the weighting into consideration. [%] = The probability that the move will be played, taking the weighting into consideration.

When the openings book is copied to the hard drive the program learns from the games it plays and writes comments into the book. By using these comments (weightings) Fritz avoids opening moves which have led to losses and prefers moves that have led to wins. The menu Edit Openings Book Reset Weights deletes the results that have been learned.

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17.2 Editing moves in the book Moves have different colours. The colours have the following meaning: Green: The move is played whatever the statistics say. Blue: The move is only played if certain statistical criteria are fulfilled. Red: The move is never played, whatever the statistics say.

Right clicking on a move in the openings book opens a dialog with options for this move. !,?...; +-,=...: Comments which have no effect on the probability with which this move will be played. Main move: This promotes the move, and it will now be marked green. Only one of the main moves will be played. Dont play in tournament: The move is coloured red and will no longer be played. Change weight: This increases or decreases the probability that the move will be played. Delete move: This deletes the move from the tree. Delete subtree: This deletes all the games in which this move was played from the tree. 17.3 Book options Key F4, Book options opens a dialog window to change the book options. Use book: This determines whether the book is used. Tournament book: Activating this means that only green moves will be made (if present). Minimum games: This determines the minimum number of games that must have been played for a move to be used. Variety of play: This determines how many moves are used in the repertoire (slider right is maximum). Influence of learn value: This determines how much influence the results of the previously played games should have on the choice of the move (right is maximum). Learning strength: This determines how much effect the results of the games played should be made to the book (right is maximum). The buttons Optimize, Normal, Handicap: Preset modes for computer chess, normal games and games with reduced playing strength. 17.4 Advanced functions in the book window Right clicking on an empty space in the book window opens a dialog with advanced book settings and functions.

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Search games: This searches the currently loaded database for games containing the board position. Sort: This changes the list display according to the number of played games (N), the success of a move (%), the average Elo of the players, or the performance of this move. Delete whole tree: This deletes the whole tree from the disk. Weed tree: This removes moves that have rarely been played from the tree. Allow move adding: If this is activated moves added to the openings book are saved. (This is not possible with openings books on CD or DVD). Properties: This opens a dialog window to display or change important features of the openings book. Choose font: This opens a dialog to change the size and type of the font. Close book: This closes the openings book. 17.5 Copy tree to the hard drive Analysis Copy tree to hard disk copies the current openings book from the CD or DVD to the hard drive.

18 Advanced functions
Fritz offers a multitude of special funvtions which are only intended for those with experience in the use of chess programs. 18.1 Edit openings book Analysis Openings Book opens a menu with the functions: Import games: This imports the opening moves of all the games in a selected database into the current openings book. Reset weights: This deletes all the learning values from the current openings book. Learn from database: This analyses the results of the opening moves from a selected database and adds the results as learning values into the current openings book. Add priority analysis: This imports the variations from the games in a selected database and marks the moves as tournament moves (for both White and Black). Import book: This imports the moves from another openings book into the current openings book. Import old book: This imports the moves from an openings book in an old format. 18.2 Create new openings book Application menu New Openings book opens a dialog window to create a new (empty) openings book. 18.3 Change engine Engine Change main engine opens a dialog to select a new chess engine. Other options: Change hash table size, delete hash tables, activate tablebases (Nalimov endgame databases), switch off engine.

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18.4 Engine versus Engine 18.4.1 Engine Match Engine Engine Match opens a dialog to load two engines and to set the options for an engine match. 18.4.2 Engine Tournament Engine Tournament opens a windows dialog to create an engine tournament. Save the tournament file after choosing the tournament name. This opens a dialog with options to carry out a tournament with different engines or a combination of engines and humans. Options in engine tournament dialog: Invite Engine: This selects an engine to take part in the tournament. Invite Human: This inserts the named Fritz user as a participant in the tournament. Edit: This changes the parameters of the selected engine. Delete: This deletes a participant from the tournament. Unify Book: This determines that all engines should use the same openings book. Unify Hash: This determines that all engines should have the same size hash tables. Time control: This determines the length of the tournament. Tournament type: This determines the type of tournament. Cycles: This determines the number of rounds in the tournament. 18.4.3 Open Engine Tournament Ctrl-Shift-O opens a dialog to load an already existing engine tournament. Clicking Run/Continue restarts an interrupted tournament. 18.4.4 Play from a position Analysis Shootout opens a dialog with options for a shootout (i.e. playing from a given position). One or more selected engines use the settings to play the game with different search depths from the current position to the end. It is sensible to play games with a search depth from five onwards. The results give information about the way in which the evaluation of the position is going. If only one engine is selected it will play out the game against itself.

19 Functions of the chess server


Fritz 12 offers complete access to our chess server Playchess.com. Buying the program gives you access to the server for one year. On the server there are offers that you can access by pressing the button marked Playchess.com in the start window. Using the chess server you can play games with people from around the world, analyse games, discuss games or simply chat with one another. New offers are continually being made on the server. You can find a detailed description of the server functions in the programs online help.
Note: Program upgrades are made exclusively on Playchess.com.

19.1 Access requirements In order to use the chess server you need a stable Internet connection. If you intend to play chess on the server frequently you will need a fast connection, such as cable or DSL.

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19.2 Server settings Accessing the content of the chess server is only possible if your Internet connection is active. This means that your Internet connection should be running before you click on Playchess.com in the start window.

After connecting to the server you first see a dialog box called Login in which you must enter your account name and password. Note: If you use a firewall or proxy server it must be configured so that the computer on which the program is running can use a TCP/IP connection with port 6002 to www.playchess.com. 19.2.1 Guest Access To try out the chess server its enough to enter as a guest. Clicking on the button Enter as Guest allows you to immediately enter the server and see what possibilities are offered. However, if you intend to use these offers you have to set up an account with your personal details, including a user name and a password. 19.2.2 Setting up an account Clicking the button Create New Player Name opens a dialog box called User Data. The following data must be input: Unique Nickname: the name that appears in the player lists. Email: Your email address is needed if you forget your password. This is the only way that we can send you a reminder. At the same time this is used to identify the user to protect other users against the server being misused. Accounts without a valid email address are deleted after a while. The email address that you use will not be used for advertising purposes. First and Last Name: When you play a game these details are sent to your opponent. Country, Geographic Position: These details are used to represent the nationality of the user with a flag and display a marker showing his position on the world globe.

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Find Coordinates: If you do not know the geographic coordinates you can enter the name of the next large town. You can enter your nationality manually. Rating and Title: This data, which is voluntary, is used for special rating lists and awards, such as Best Youth Player, Best Female Player, etc. Change Picture: A picture which is no larger than 100 KBytes, either in JPG or BMP format, can be sent to the server. This picture is saved on the server and is sent yo your opponent when you are playing a game. Personal Information: Here you can enter optional personal data which can be seen by other users on the server.
Note: Please follow the rules for using Playchess.com. You can find the rules in the Main Playing Hall. Click on the tab Info -> Rules

19.2.3 Choose password After entering the user data the dialog box opens Choose password. For safety reasons you have to type the password twice. Note: Please make a note of the password and remember it carefully. For security reasons the server does not store any passwords in plain text. If you forget your password you can request a reminder by email. For this reason a sensible text that is easy to remember should be chosen as the password. If the password is forgotten completely the user account is lost. 19.2.4 Enter serial number In order to use the servers functions you have to authorize your account by entering a serial number. The serial number is printed on the cover of the programs user manual. Please enter the serial number in the input fields. If the account already exists and has been activated there is no need to enter a serial number.
Note: A serial number can only be used to authorize one account.

19.3 Playing online Playchess.com is made up of several virtual rooms. The available rooms are shown in the Rooms window in a style similar to Windows Explorer. By clicking on the name of a room you enter the room, and you are given a short description of the activities taking place in the room. As soon as you enter a room you see a list of everyone in the room in the Players window. In the Games window you see a list of all the games being played. As soon as you enter a room you can watch a game as a spectator, you can ask someone for a game, or you can simply chat with the other players present.
Tip: You can find information about the server, tournaments, rules and ratings on the information page of the Main Playing Hall of the chess server. The servers functionality is fully described in the online help documentation.

19.3.1 Challenging players As soon as you enter a room you can challenge other players. To do this you have to select a player (by clicking on his name in the list) and then clicking the button Challenge. You can also make a challenge by double clicking on a name in the list. The conditions for the game are presented in a configuration dialog. If Allow Take Back is set a player can request to take back a move if an obvious input error has been made. The option Send opening moves
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starts a game with a position other than the opening position. In the menu Game the challenger can load the first moves from a database, an adjourned game or a special opening variation. When the options have been chosen the clocks are activated and the game begins. 19.3.2 Accepting a challenge As soon as you enter a room your name is put in the list of people present. Other users may challenge you to a game. Incoming challenges are shown un the window Challenges in red letters. You now have three possibilities: 1. Select the challenge, then click the button Accept. The game is started in a new window with the conditions as agreed. 2. Select the challenge, then click the button Decline. The challenge is then refused. 3. If you agree to a challenge in principle, but are not happy with the conditions (such as the game length) you can click the button Modify to change the conditions for the game.

19.4 Chatting It is possible to talk directly to other people on the chess server. You can talk to either one person or to several at once. To select the ones tou want to talk to you have to select them with Ctrl-Click in the player list. After you have selected one or several people to talk to you can type a message after the > sign in the Chat window. The text is sent by hitting the Enter key. To answer someone who has spoken to you you only have to click on the text in the Chat window. The person who spoke to you will automatically receive your message.
Note: Misusing the chat function, for instance to insult other players, is not allowed and may lead to your ability to chat being blocked.

19.5 Kibitzing It is possible to watch other games being played live. In chess circles it is usual to call spectators kibitzers. In order to kibitz you have to open the games tab, and then double click on the game that you would like to watch. If you would like to analyse the board yourself, uncheck the box Home Receiving Moves. Now you can enter your own alternative moves on the graphical chess board. When you check the box again the board will be overwritten by the server. Tip: When you are watching a game you can start an engine (Home Add Kibitzer). In this case a separate window will open in which the chess engines evaluation is displayed during the game. 19.6 The internal mail system There is a mail system that can be used to send text messages to other users and receive replies. In contrast to chatting it is not necessary that the other person is online, because he will receive the email as soon as he logs onto the server. In the Chat window there are two tabs called Inbox and Sent. In the Inbox tab you will see messages that you have received.

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In the Sent tab you can create mails using the New button and send them to other users. The address to send to is simply the name of the other player.

20 Chess Media System


Fritz supports the Chess Media System. By using the Chess Media Systems it is possible to play videos that have been embedded in chess lectures. The advantage of this is that the cgraphical chess board is fully synchronous with the video. This means that the program can be used to present chess lessons and training in a realistic way. The new Chess Media System requires Windows Media Player 9 or newer. The newest version of Media Player for your version of Windows can be found on the Microsoft support pages. The Chess Media System is activated in the board window by the option View Chess Media System. At the bottom of the window Audio/Video there is a small row of buttons that can be used to control the system. Open: This opens files in Windows Media Player format. They have the extension *.wmv. Play: This plays an already loaded media file once more. Stop: This stops a presentation of the Chess Media System. Pause: This pauses a presentation of the Chess Media System. Pressing a second time resumes the presentation. Using the slider you can navigate to any position in the presentation. The board position is automatically synchronised with the lecture

21 3D Boards
Fritz includes several attractive 3D boards and animated chess opponents. The option Board 3D Board turns on the photo-realistic board display.

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This representation is very life like, but it requires a lot of power from your graphics card. If you intend to use this function a lot you should buy a fast graphics card with special 3D functions. Beneath the 3D board there is a button Settings. This opens a dialog window which can be used to choose between different visual effects.

Below the 3D display there is a navigation button. This button can be used to adjust the size and the rotation of the board in the window. Note: The photo-realistic 3D display requires the current version of DirectX. The installation program offers the option to install the latest version of DirectX. Clicking on the button Settings opens a dialog to choose between different board views and animated opponents.
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Double clicking on an element in the list starts the relevant selection dialog. There is a complete description of all the options available in Fritzs online help. 21.1 Magic Eye in the 3D Board There is a magic eye for every 3D board in Fritz. This magic eye shows what the program is currently calculating. This display is shown by two laser rays on the board.

Apart from this, in the top left of the screen you can see the chess board through the eye of the opponent. The colour of the eye always follows the evaluation.

22 Appendix
22.1 Connection of an RS232 cable / Connection of a PC board Engine Two Computer Match opens a dialog to activate the connection of another computer with an RS232 cable. Select the type of interface and the Com port.
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If you are using a DGT external chess board you can activate the board with the option Board DGT-Board. 22.2 Playing strength / Elo-Rating In chess it is customary to measure the playing strength with a rating called Elo (named after Professor Arpad Elo). The highest Elo rating to date was Garry Kasparov in July 1999 with 2851. Hobby players usually have a strength between Elo 1000 and 2000. 22.3 Kompatibility Fritz is compatible with all the current Chessbase programs, databases, training CDs/DVDs and Chessbase magazines. Fritz reads and writes the Chessbase formats CBF (the old format for Chessbase 3 Dos to Chessbase 1.1 Windows, Fritz 1 to Fritz 4), CBH (new multimedia format from Fritz 5 and Chessbase 6.0 onwards), CBV (packed CBH-Format) und the text format PGN. When copying games from a database in one format into a database in another format the games are automatically converted. Fritz reads the openings book format CTG (new format drom Fritz 5 and Chessbase 7.0 onwards). All Chessbase engines can be used for playing and analysis, but 16-bit programs cannot be used with Windows NT/2000/XP. The program supports the Chess Media Format.

23 Common errors and their solutions


23.1 Fritz always makes the same opening moves. A) No openings book has been loaded. Solution: Load an openings book: Application Menu Open - Openings Book, for instance the openings book on the program DVD. B) In the book options the setting optimal has been chosen. In this case Fritz repeats the moves with which he has already defeated you. Solution: Change the book options to the setting normal. 23.2 When I print the right border of black and white diagrams is uneven This is caused by some printer drivers when printing empty white areas. Solution: In Application Menu Print Page Setup Fonts Font Type select the option ChessBase Alternate. 23.3 General problems or irregularities with the graphic display It often happens that irregular behaviour happens with new graphics cards. The reason for this is that the graphics card drivers have not been sufficiently tested. Solution: Ask the graphics card manufacturer for an updated driver. In some cases the problem can be solved by reducing the hardware acceleration (Control Panel Display Settings Advanced Troubleshoot Hardware Acceleration, move the slider left).

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23.4 Problems with the 3D Board The display of the 3D board demands a lot of power from your graphics card. It is recommended that you use a card with special 3D functions. If you have problems you should check if you are using the newest driver for your graphics card. Check that all the cards 3D functions are activated. By going to Control Panel Display Settings you can check the current settings. The 3D display requires a recent version of DirectX, such as the version that is included on the program DVD. If you want to use the 3D board you should install the version of DirectX offered by the setup program. 23.5 Problems with the Chess Media System The Chess Media System is based on components of the Windows Media Player. Check that you are using Windows Media Player 9 or newer.

24 Support und technical assistance


If you have questions about technical problems this is how to receive assistance: Check the FAQ on the Chessbase website, www.chessbase.com, the support link If this does not work use the support form on the Chessbase web site, also in the support link.

25 The Chessbase catalog


Chessbase offers many additional programs that complement Fritz. For instance, at the end of every year a carefully edited database with many annotated games is published. ChessBase Magazine and ChessBase Magazine Extra DVD give reports on the latest tournaments, including interviews and thousands of new tournament games. Chessbase offers training CDs/DVDs about openings, middle games and endgames. There is a full list of products offered on the Chessbase web site, www.chessbase.com.

ChessBase GmbH, Hamburg 2009

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