Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

[Garland Best]

Try as I might, I cannot bring myself to spend almost $300 on Chessbase 12. Even the $130 to download the bare package seems extreme. All I want it for is recording, analyzing, and organizing my own games. I've been using Fritz to do this, but the database functions in Fritz are very limited. Are there less expensive options out there?

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Try as I might, I cannot bring myself to spend almost $300 on Chessbase 12. Even the $130 to download the bare package seems extreme. All I want it for is recording, analyzing, and organizing my own games. I've been using Fritz to do this, but the database functions in Fritz are very limited. Are there less expensive options out there?

try this http://scid.sourceforge.net/

[Jean Hébert]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

All I want it for is recording, analyzing, and organizing my own games. I've been using Fritz to do this, but the database functions in Fritz are very limited. Are there less expensive options out there?

Fritz allows you to do the recording, analyzing, and organizing. If it is not enough for you, maybe you do need Chessbase... I personally believe that Fritz's database capabilities are sufficient for 95% of all players.

[Ed Seedhouse]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Fritz allows you to do the recording, analyzing, and organizing. If it is not enough for you, maybe you do need Chessbase... I personally believe that Fritz's database capabilities are sufficient for 95% of all players.

As one who owns both, I would agree. When would one need to use Chessbase for the purpose outlined?

[Garland Best]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Maybe it's just me. I'm running Fritz 12 (Viva media version if that makes any difference), and after entering a dozen games I could not figure out how to sort the games by Tournament or by date played. They only appeared as date entered. I also had to keep entering the tournament details every time, which risks making subtle errors in the database

[Ken Kurkowski]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Is the free ChessBase Light no longer available?

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Is the free ChessBase Light no longer available?

It was cancelled about a year ago. ChessBase did sell a "download" version of ChessBase 11 ( not sure if it is now ChessBase 12), which can be
downloaded from their website :
http://www.chessbase.com/download/cblight/index.asp . The cost last I looked was €99.90 or $143.67.

Bob

[Ken Kurkowski]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Well, I guess that's not surprising, given that the functionality of CB Light is probably sufficient for the vast majority of players. Company's got to make money...

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Well, I guess that's not surprising, given that the functionality of CB Light is probably sufficient for the vast majority of players. Company's got to make money...

Was a CB Light like a Win'95 style? I think in recent years they switched it to a (free) Reader without a possibility to save changes or games.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Try as I might, I cannot bring myself to spend almost $300 on Chessbase 12. Even the $130 to download the bare package seems extreme. All I want it for is recording, analyzing, and organizing my own games. I've been using Fritz to do this, but the database functions in Fritz are very limited. Are there less expensive options out there?

I use chessdb which is basically just a variant of SCID. Its free. I like it for its ability to instantly import pgn files individually or all pgn files in a directory. Of course I also use simple command prompt to join files but find chessdb quicker. I also have used most of the SCID variants and have been relatively happy with them. Lately I have been using Chessbase more as I find the printouts look a bit nicer than many of the alternatives, though there is that cost thing. I find chessdb is great for kids whose parents are not going to fork out big bucks for a commercial product.

http://chessdb.sourceforge.net/downloads/

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Was a CB Light like a Win'95 style? I think in recent years they switched it to a (free) Reader without a possibility to save changes or games.

CB light was not free, you purchased it online and it had much enhanced capabilities over just the reader. If I remember right it was something under $100 Canadian.

I had CB Light 9 but then went ahead and purchased CB 11 from Chess and Math anyway.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Hi Jerry:

No, in the early days, CBLight could be downloaded free. I advertised it in the Scarborough CC Newsletter.

But when they discontinued it, they had a CB Premium, which was under $ 100, and does most people for what they need.

Bob

[Zeljko Kitich]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Hi Jerry:

No, in the early days, CBLight could be downloaded free. I advertised it in the Scarborough CC Newsletter.

But when they discontinued it, they had a CB Premium, which was under $ 100, and does most people for what they need.

Bob

Oh, yes thanks Bob. I was thinking of CB Premium. Thanks for the correction.

[Ed Seedhouse]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

Maybe it's just me. I'm running Fritz 12 (Viva media version if that makes any difference), and after entering a dozen games I could not figure out how to sort the games by Tournament or by date played. They only appeared as date entered. I also had to keep entering the tournament details every time, which risks making subtle errors in the database

I don't see that these are in any way necessary for keeping a database of your games for study and reference purposes. On the other hand Fritz does provide opening keys but not name sorting. If I want to see what my next opponent has played against me in the pass that is a big lack, so I guess I'll have to modify my opinion about it's suitability for a database for one's own games.

[Peter McKillop]

Re: Less expensive alternatives to Chessbase?

I'm still using Paperbase 1.