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Part 1 - Basics 1.3.2 Reference database, Megabase 2017

1.1 Technical basics, installation and activation To use the extensive search functions of the program a reference database is necessary. Your
computer needs a reference database. Our recommendation: Megabase 2017 with weekly
Before the training starts you have to set up the program. This is easy and does not require any updates of 5000 games minimum. This keeps your reference database always up-to-date.
previous knowledge. For ChessBase 14 you do need Windows 7 or a more recent Windows
operating system. Insert the DVD and run the exe-file your system (32-bit or 64-bit) requires. 1.3.3 Create your own databases
Follow the installation instructions. During the installation process you will be asked to enter
the serial number. You do find the serial number in your DVD box or, when you bought Creating databases is easy. Use the commands File 
ChessBase 14 as download, in your online account. Before starting the program for the first
New  Database or the shortcut Ctrl+X . The picture
time, you are asked to activate your program. This again requires the serial number. You can
use and activate your ChessBase 14 program on three computers at the same time. After the on the left shows the menu that appears – you can
activation you do have access to the online database and you receive free updates of ChessBase choose where you want to save the database. Tip: you
14. should create a database to use as desk. In this database
you can save and analyze games which you can copy
1.2 The ChessBase 14 start screen into other databases when you are finished with your
work.
On the left is the ChessBase explorer which
allows you to browse your computer and to open
files quickly. Below that is the button linking to You can assign properties and icons/images to databases to access them
our service that updates your database with the faster on the desktop. Right-click with the mouse on the database
newest games and below that is the button that symbol and from the menu shown on the left select the suitable icon
links to [Link]. On the right is the list of for your database. In the example given, the hammer symbol was
your databases – here shown by icons. chosen for the database “desk”. The properties Reference- and
Repertoire Database are important for the search functions.
It is useful to log in with your ChessBase account.
This allows you to access [Link], the
update service, the database cloud, the engine 1.4 Enter games and positions, enter variations and annotate
cloud or your sparring partner, Fritz-Online, with
one click. 1.4.1 Enter game

The ChessBase 14 serial number includes a three-months Premium Membership for With a click on the board symbol or with the

! the ChessBase Account. A ChessBase-Premium-Account means access to the

entire ChessBase world with its many modern WebApps anytime and
everywhere.
shortcut Ctrl+N you open the board, and now you
can play through and enter a game. If you notice
that a wrong move was entered, just go back to the
position in question and enter the right move
1.3 Databases while keeping the Crtl-key pressed. Now choose
from the options.
ChessBase is a database program. You need databases to use it efficiently. You can create
databases yourself or you can get them from other sources. The program allows databases of To save a game you can either use the command
any size, no matter how big, and is thus an ideal tool to maintain your games and your training File  Save  Save game or use the shortcut
materials. Ctrl+S . Enter the game data – surnames, names,
etc. – into the mask shown in the picture on the
1.3.1 Online database left. To save the current version of the game again
use Ctrl+S for „Save“. To create a copy of the
ChessBase 14 gives you access to the online database. And the combination ChessBase game use the command File  Save Game As.
14/ChessBase-Premium Account gives you access to about 70,000 annotated games in the
online database.
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1.4.2 Enter a position In the position you see on the left White has just played 39.Bc5 to
attack the queen and to threaten 40.Qe8+. Click on the bishop on
f8 and all possible moves of the bishop are evaluated – in red.
To enter a position just press S – while the board is open Basically, the evaluation ranges from red to green – green is good,
– and the menu shown on the left will appear. With red is bad. The „Assisted Analysis“ gives you an opportunity to
„Drag & Drop“ you can position the pieces on the board. have a second or third look and to find the right move for yourself.
After positioning all pieces on the board, mark whether In this case the hint informs you that any bishop move is bad (in
it is still possible to castle, whose move it is, and the the game 39.Bc5 was played). Time for a fresh look at the
move number of the next move. To conclude, press OK position:
and the position will appear on the board.
You will probably quickly see that a move with the queen, 39.
Qe8, is called for. By highlighting this move in green „Assisted
1.4.3 Enter variations and annotate games Analysis“ confirms that this is indeed the best move in the
position.
To enter analyses and annotations is easy. Just go to the „Assisted Analysis“ stops you from copying moves blindly. You
„critical“ position with the mouse and play a different remain focused on the board and your chess mind gets animated
move than the one given in the text. ChessBase opens a while you enter variations that are not marred by blunders.
variation. A double-click on a move opens a text editor
to enter comments. ChessBase 14 highlights current
variations by coloring them. 2.3 Tactical analysis of games

The tactical analysis in ChessBase 14 allows you to the let the program analyze games
Please note the toolbar below the board: automatically. Let a strong chess program (Elo 3000+) check your games to create a basis for
your own analyses, or analyze a whole number of grandmaster games with just a few clicks.

Select the games you want to analyze in the list of games in the database. After right-click with
the mouse select the option „Tactical Analysis“.
These tools allow you to promote or delete variations, delete remaining moves or enter text
before or after the move, enter or delete diagrams, evaluate the moves or the position or delete
You will be asked to enter a time. This is the value the program on average applies to each half-
all commentary with the eraser symbol.
move. The program makes a proposal that takes the performance of your computer into account.
Part 2 – Train with ChessBase 14

The following are only a few of the many options to train with ChessBase. We focus on some
of the new options in ChessBase 14.

2.1 Loading a game

To work with a game or a position you have to load it. Just

open the database and open the relevant game with a double-
click. Game and notation appear on the screen.
Then you are asked to enter whether the program should already react to slight inaccuracies,
2.2 Assisted Analysis common mistakes or only to blunders. You then can choose whether the program should store
the evaluations into the notation of the game, whether it should overwrite the existing
„Assisted Analysis“ is the digital form of „thinking aloud“. In this kind of training you speak commentary or whether it should ask training questions. Replace means that the game is
your thoughts out loud while a coach gives hints to push you gently into the right direction. replaced in the database (an alternative is to append the game to the end of the database). If you
And this is what the „Assisted Analysis“ function in ChessBase 14 does. generate training questions the notation of the game stops (if training is activated) after the
training question and you are asked to solve the task given to you.
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2.4 Fritz – Online as sparring partner 3.3 Preparing for an opponent

One of the most important options of the search functions is the preparation for an opponent.
ChessBase offers a range of options to do that. One of the most efficient and fastest options is
to use the reference database to create a dossier about your opponent.

Open the reference database

(Megabase) and go to
“Players”. Enter name and
surname of your possible
opponent into the search bar
at the bottom. The names of
various players appear in the
The evaluation of the position on the left is: „And White has a crushing attack“. But maybe you list. Select the name you
want to check this evaluation. However, you do not have a training partner who is ready to want, right-click with the
serve as punching bag for the sparring that might ensue – maybe for hours on end. In ChessBase mouse and select „Dossier“.
14 Fritz-Online serves as sparring partner. Click on Training and choose „Play Out Against Now the program creates a
Fritz“. If you are online, you will be connected to Fritz-Online. The position appears on the tree and a report about the
board (right). Before starting you can adjust the playing strength of the program. games of this player.

Part 3 –Search functions Instead of “Dossier” there is also the option „Prepare against
White“ or „Prepare against Black“. This option lists only the
A significant part of the time available for training can be wasted by searching for suitable games – and merges them into a tree – your potential
training material. Here, ChessBase 14 helps you to save a lot of time with its new, improved opponent played with White (or Black). In both cases you
and simplified search functions. Time which can be used for actual chess training. only need a few mouse-clicks to know the opening
preferences of your potential opponent against your own
3.1 Search similar positions opening repertoire.

ChessBase already had the functions “Report” and “Similar Endgames”, “Similar Structures”
and “Similar Maneuvers”. But these search functions are now connected to the search mask to 3.4 – The search mask
get even better results.
One of the mightiest feature of ChessBase is the search mask. The search mask allows you to
For example, take this typical position with the isolated d- search for games according to all kind of game data, a lot of different annotations, typical
pawn. Now Report  „Similar Structures“ activates the positions, specific material distributions and specific moves. Each local database, especially the
search mask. Under Game data you can limit the Elo-range Mega database with the annotated games, is a (giant) source of training material and you have
to get only games of good players. Or you can define more access within minutes. No more need to look for dozens (or hundred) of books and magazines.
search criteria such as Material or Maneuvers. The games Give it a try and play a little bit around with the search mask. New in ChessBase 14 is the option
found will be sorted according to their similarity to the to save your searches, load them again for new searches or fine-tune them.
starting position.
Moreover, you can save all searches to use them again at a 3.5 – Reference database
later time.
For the search functions mentioned above the program uses a reference
database which you have to define. Such a database should be big
(contain a lot of games). We recommend the Mega Database. The
Mega Database 2017 contains about 6.8 million games of which about
70,000 are annotated. The annotated games provide an inexhaustible
source of material and inspiration, even more so because the database
The program uses the position board (Entry: pawns have to be on these squares) and the includes annotations by the world’s best players. Another nice option
exclusion board (Entry: on these squares no pawns are allowed) to define the key elements of is that you might update your Megabase in the very next year for the
the structure. The games are then sorted according to their similarity with the starting position. same price as a new Big Database (the one without annotations).
Entering additional search criteria (e.g. only players with Elo 2400+) refines the selection.
Part 4 – The cloud databases
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ChessBase 14 allows you to create databases in the cloud and to work with them. This allows
you to access these databases from everywhere – you can access the material not only with
ChessBase, but also with your ChessBase Account and every web browser.
Go to the „Cloud“ menu and you are logged onto your personal ChessBase-Cloud. Your Cloud-
databases are shown on the screen.

4.1 Access with the web browser

In the web browser the App „MyGames“ allows you access

to your Cloud databases. You can also work with these
databases in the web browser, that is, you can add, annotate
and analyze games. An engine is available even if the device
you use to access the database does not have one.

4.2 Access via web addresses

You can share cloud databases with other users. You can give
them the right to load the database which gives them access to
and the right to copy the content of the database though they
cannot change it. But a user with writing authorization can revise
the games, save this revision, and he can add and delete games.
Another option is to publish the cloud database on the web –the
cloud database is given an individual URL that will not change.
This allows to embed the database into a website and to access
the database without a ChessBase Account.

Without a ChessBase account the content of the

cloud database is still available via a powerful
replayer. You can play through the games,
analyze with an engine and save the games as a
pgn-file. Training questions will also be shown.

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