ChessBase 9.0 – Part 1
The new database browser
Installing ChessBase 9 is a simple matter of inserting the program disk into
the drive and choosing the install option. However a few things have to be
said. For one the program is delivered on a DVD, not a CD. This means you will
have to have a DVD drive on your computer in order to install the new program.
DVD drives have become standard these days, so if you do not have an older
system there should be no problems. The advantage of the DVD is that everything
you need for productive work with the program is installed in one session:
the program itself, a big database of 2.6 million games, openings keys, the
players encyclopaedia, etc.
ChessBase 9.0 main workspace (click to enlarge)
When you first start the program you will, as a user of ChessBase 8, feel
immediately at home. Not much seems to have changed. The layout is very similar
to what you have been working with so far, but there are a few things you might
notice immediately. One is the Playchess.com button at the bottom
left of the screen. This takes you straight to the Playchess server for a quick
game, or when you want to follow a lecture or some live event. The other is
the “Game History” folder in the navigation window on the left.
This is the place where you can find any material you recently looked at.
Once you start delving deeper you will find that although everything looks
very familiar, there are countless enhancements that make its operation simpler
and more efficient. And very much faster. Searching, sorting, classifying –
operations that used to require a considerable amount of computing power and
time, are no problem for the new program. We will look at some of the new functions
in this article, although the space will only allow us to do so somewhat cursorily.
In future editions of ChessBase Magazine we will describe individual functions
and operations in greater detail. You can also visit our web site, www.chessbase.com,
where we regularly publish tutorials and support articles on our software.
The list windows
ChessBase 9.0 has a completely new and very powerful list window format.
Each list is freely configurable, and the tabs at the top of the window allow
you to switch very easily between different lists. The information contained
in each can be sorted by clicking on the column headers with the mouse.
The new list window with one-click sorting (click to enlarge)
One useful feature is the tool-tips information. If you move your mouse cursor
onto any entry (and leave it there for a second or two) you will get more specific
information on it. For instance moving it onto an ECO code will produce the
full name of the opening in plain language.
Here are some of the things you can do in the ChessBase 9.0 lists:
In summary: you can reorganise lists, add new columns, remove the ones
you don’t need, sort the lists, automatically by clicking on column headers,
or manually by dragging entries around, and then make the new sorting permanent
if you wish.
– To be continued –