User Reviews (1 - 11 of 14)

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DF8 engine for $20 = what are you waiting for?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 40 / 58
Date: June 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

You want a simple chess program? Go search for WinBoard. If you want to play 3D Chess just for the look, then I am sure you can find all sorts of swanky looking 3D chess boards out there. If I want to play on-line I can go on yahoo games and play any one of the thousands of chess games for free for as long as I want. If however you are interested in chess engines (the AI behind the chess software) then obviously you are considering getting a decent piece of chess software with some brains rather than just a ritzy looking chess board (why not actually spend on a ritzy look chess board instead!). Let's just cut to the chase and see what is in the top 10 chess engines and how much they cost.

1 Rybka $70
2 Hiarcs 10 $52.95
3 Fruit 2.2.1 $35
4 Shredder 9.0 $56.95
5 Fritz 9.0 $52.95
6 Shredder 8.0 (replaced by Shredder 9.0)
7 Shredder 7.04 (replaced by Shredder 9.0)
8 Junior 9.0 $46.95
9 Deep Fritz 8.0 $69.98
10 Spike 1.1 Free (beta)

The "Deep Fritz: Grand Master Deluxe" package costs $20 and comes with the Deep Fritz 8.0 engine and some other game engines to choose from. Apart from Spike, that makes Deep Fritz 8, if got the "Deep Fritz: Grand Master Deluxe" way, an excellent quality chess engine. Not only that but you get the whole chessbase software with it which is able to run game analysis and has too many features to describe in one review. It takes a few days to learn the package and how it works, but it is worth learning because this is precisely the kind of engine you need to learn how to improve your game. It could well be the best money you ever spent on chess. Unless you are GM (grandmaster) quality then DF8 is probably going to be on your machine for the next decade at least. If you are GM then spend a bit of that tournament winning cash on some of the super engines like Rybka, Hiarcs 10, Shredder 10, Toga II or Fruit.

*Note: There are a few analysis and play bugs that have been solved in the Fritz 9 Chessbase.

Incredible Bargain On An Excellent Piece of Software

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 26 / 31
Date: November 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

As another reviewer mentioned, this is, indeed, Deep Fritz 8 packaged under a different title. Whether you have a single processor or a dual-processor computer this is a super application.

If you do have a dual-processor machine then you've got a top 10 piece of chess software. Deep Fritz 8 is ranked 10th on both the CEGT site and the SSDF website with ratings of 2793 and 2783, respectively.

And contrary to another reviewer, Fritz 9 is almost twice the price of this product (comparing Amazon prices today). And for the extra dollars you really don't get any more power. Fritz 9 is ranked 11th (CEGT) and 6th (SSDF). Why pay more for essentially the same playing-strength? Not to mention the fact that some users have complained about the bugs in Fritz 9.

No, This really is the Deep Fritz 8 Engine

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 12
Date: October 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

A review of my engine management screen shows that it is Deep Fritz 8. An "acid test", in my own mind, was the pairings with my regular Fritz 8 engine. My Deep Fritz 8 wins about 55% against my Fritz 8. The 8/2006 poster is incorrect about the product being Deep Fritz 6. Deep Fritz 6 would not have a chance against Fritz 8, much less score 55%. This is a great bargain in the modern world of cheap information that we live in, of course.

Excellent software with minor drawbacks

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Ok, I agree the interface is not so friendly but who cares ?

Once you find all the tools you need, for less then 20 dollars you have:

1) An opponent to play at ANY level, from almost random-pushed pieces to grandmaster

2) A way to analize your own games. You get your human-readable annotations and you can easily learn from your own mistakes and,
if you are not a grandmaster, you bet Fritz is telling you the truth.
I would have bought this software twice the price just to get this functionality

3) You can use games database or manage your own's.

Higly Reccomended

Wow. Shipping!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: August 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Shipping costs made the old eyes water but it still was value for money. I have not played as much as I want to but I found it friendly and usable. It also works on Vista.

excellent product

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 06, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I was pleasantly amazed at what a superb product this is. It exceeded my highest expectations. Anthony Dorato

my review

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 26
Date: December 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I got this game yesterday from gamestop, and man it is cool! only one problem, some times when you press move now, it doesn't, and it will switch sides on you, so if you started out the game contolling the white army, now you'll be contoling the black army. but this isn't to bad, just don't hit the move now button to quickly and be patient. overall I'd say this is a good game, with a good chess engine, the AI has many different levels of diffuculty, I've been playing chess for 7 years and am only using level two of six! this also has very nice 3-D chess sets, and also a 2-D mode. also has very helpful tips for beginers. very good game, i would definatelly recomend it for any one who plays chess, from a beginner to a an FIDE grandmaster.

Fritz

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: November 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have not had any running problems with this software and it really plays a good game of chess. It is a little light on instructions. I have found that the supposedly "friendly" mode is just a very advanced player stooping down to allow you to survive a few more moves than necessary. Some of the features are obscure for a hobby player but the overall experience is very educational and I know from playing other humans that it has improved my game.

Awesome Chess Engine, But...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Deep Fritz is an incredible chess engine. The big thing it lacks is training and mentoring. I have been out of the game of chess for a while and wanted to work on and sharpen my chess skills. Playing Deep Fritz for me was like going from T-Ball to the Major League overnight! When Deep Fritz recognizes you're not a high level player, it will reduce its level of play though. I did end up getting Chessmaster as well which does have an incredible training and mentoring component to it (IMHO). The difference in engine strength between the two is very noticeable (Fritz being much better) but Chessmaster has much more flexibility in how you can use it to train and learn. My bottom line opinion: If you're an expert, Deep Fritz is your best bet. If you're a beginner even up to an expert, Chessmester may be a better option. Oh, one other thing about Chessmaster: you do indeed have to keep the disk in the drive to use the software - get with the times Ubisoft!

Decent Features, like the "Sparring Mode"

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: October 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Good software for playing and analysis. My own qualm is that I was under the impression Fritz programs included a game graph showing which side had an advantage at which time (and how much of one). I wouldn't have purchased if I'd known this feature was lacking.

If it is there and I am simply missing it, someone please let me know. If not, what's a better (comparable priced) Fritz version?).

Also, didn't come with a manual (much software doesn't seem to these days).

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