ChessBase Reader 2017

by ChessBase
10/27/2017 – Are you on the lookout for easy to use Windows software that can read all relevant data formats used in the saving of chess games and positions? If so, you absolutely have to install the latest version of our ChessBase Reader 2017 on your computer. It's a free download!

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

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Simple yet indispensable

This software can be used for the loading and playing through of games in all today’s data formats on your Windows PC.

file formats

Support for the text based PGN format, which is so widely used on the internet, should be of special interest. This free program provides you with a clear and easy-to-use tool for accessing the world's chess literature.

Over and above that the new Reader supports all the content in our own Chess Media format, which we use as a medium to present the FRITZTRAINER series. With the help of the Chess Media system it is possible to play videos with chess lectures embedded within the program. The graphical chess board is shown synchronised to the running of the video, but remains totally independent and playable with access to many of the familiar ChessBase tools.

Video Christian Bauer

GM Christian Bauer showing the Scandinavian defence in ChessBase Magazine 180

This allows chess lessons and chess training to be presented via the program in the most realistic fashion possible.

In the new 2017 version the MP4 format for the presentation of the media content has now been integrated. This format has established itself as the standard one for the presentation of the contents of videos on websites. That makes it possible to present FRITZTRAINER videos within web pages, and is also fully accessible on mobile devices inclduing Android and iOS tablets. In addition to MP4, the new ChessBase Reader 2017 also supports the legacy Windows Media Video (WMV) format used in the past. Therefore the new version is recommended to all users of FRITZTRAINER for accessing the contents of the DVDs.

Download and installation

The new Reader offers many of the functions of our full-fledged database program ChessBase 14. You will always find the installer on our website via "Support → Download".

From there, load the most recent version of the ChessBase Reader and save to your hard disk the installer with the file extension *.msi.

You start the installation of the program with a double-click in Windows Explorer (or any alternative file manager).

Installer file

Examples of use

Should you have neither ChessBase nor Fritz, the new ChessBase Reader 2017 is required to use FRITZTRAINER courses or when studying ChessBase Magazine. When a DVD-ROM is inserted, the reader should start automatically, otherwise you can get help by clicking on “Show Contents of DVD” in the main menu.

Show contents of DVD

With ChessBase Reader 2017 you can, of course, open all other database formats in addition to the Media DVD-ROM’s . If, for example, you own the Mega Database you can load the games and play through them in the board window. It is even possible to link to any one of the freely available UCI engines so as to obtain a specific evaluation of a position using the engine of your choice.

Example window of ChessBase reader

The new ChessBase Reader 2017 offers you all the functions you require to load current chess data formats. The database program ChessBase 14 naturally offers even more functionality, but with the Reader you can already get a good impression of the possibilities for annotation and analysis which are available.

And did we mention it's completely free?


Chessbase 14 - Starter Package - english Version

Follow the World Champion and your chess friend next door. Start your success story with ChessBase 14 and enjoy your chess even more! In addition to the Chessbase 14 Program the Starter Package contains:
• Access to the Live-Database (8 million games)*
• Big Database 2018
• CBMagazine subscription for half a year (3 issues)
• Database-Update-Service through end of 2018
• Six months Premium membership for playchess and for the ChessBase Accounts


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Squizzer Squizzer 11/17/2017 09:54
Hi, is there anybody else having problems with ChessBase Reader 2017? I installed it two days ago having uninstalled my trusty ChessBase Reader 12. I checked and confirmed that all my stored Fritz Trainer downloads worked so all seemed good. But then I purchased and downloaded Powerplay 25 by Daniel King. The problem was it would not activate properly - Daniel King spoke but the chess board did not play. It had said Activation successful but this was clearly not the case. It went round and round in a loop asking me to reactivate it with the code. I got in touch with Chessbase and they suggested a session with their technician on Team Viewer. The technician spent ages trying this and that, uninstalling ChessBase Reader 2017 and reinstalling it, but no good. As a gesture of goodwill they then offered me a free download of a Fritz trainer by Robert Ris. I nervously downloaded it. I inserted the activation code but again it failed in that it kept saying "wait for a few minutes" . ChessBase Reader 2017 is very recent. My question to the chess community is there anyone else having the kind of problems I describe? or does some technical wizz have any idea about the cause of my problem and how to fix it.
sjh sjh 10/27/2017 02:20
Hi, interested in being able to watch Fritztrainer content on my ipad - there is reference to IoS above?
Lachesis Lachesis 10/27/2017 12:42
Excellent news. Glad the free Chessbase Reader was updated.
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