Annotating in ChessBase: creating training positions

by Albert Silver
11/1/2021 – You've seen the program create training positions automatically, but what if you wanted to create your own? This could be to show a student, show some friends, post online, and more. The tools are all there to generate your own hand-crafted test positions for tactics, strategy, and endgames, and it is useful tool to know. Read on to learn how!

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The training positions tend to be for tactics as they are the most cut-and-dry types of quizzes there are. Plans can often be a fluid choice, but winning a piece is winning a piece, which is why they are the most common. Still, don't let that stand in the way of your curiosity and imagination.

For our example, let's take a position from a game between Alekhine and Keres in 1942:

 
Alekhine-Keres, Salzburg Masters (1942)
White to play and win

We have a signature combination by Alekhine after a misstep by Keres. What we want though is to convert the move so that it stops and asks the viewer to find the move. Let's start by adding a diagram, so that the viewer will have a visual cue there is a training question to come. 

First click on the move just before the quiz and click on the Diagram button at the bottom of the notation.

Now we have a diagram before the move. This is not obligatory, but it takes one second, and is a much more elegant presentation.

Now we go to the actual move we want to test

and right-click on it and choose Special Annotation and then Training Annotation. 

Alternately, you can go to the top ribbon menu, and under the Training tab select the large Training Annotation button.

It opens a pane with a variety of options:

At the top we can enter our text question or introduction. The move shows the move the player is supposed to find.

You can give the move a time in seconds and a score in points for each move if there is more than one.

This can even include mistakes so you can warn the player the move they chose was one to avoid, and set a different score, even a negative one!

You can add tips in case the player gets stuck. Click on Help1 and fill out the tip:

Now when you return to the pain you will see an asterisk denoting a hint has been added. If there is no asterisk then it is empty.

Now after we click ok, we can see it was added to the notation, both the Tip (AKA Help) and the solution if you give up or don't want to solve it.

The Default Wrong button is to add a text in case of a mistake.

Click on it and you will see a new pane open to add that message.

Once all done, here is what it might look like:

 
New ...
Open...
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Layout...
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Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
Alekhine was in strong form in 1942 and defeated Keres no fewer than three times that year 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Qe2 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.Rd1 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Bg5 12.d5 Bd7 13.b3 12...Bg4 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Nbd2 Rfd8 15.Nf1 Nh5 16.h3 Be6 17.Ne3 f6 18.Nh2 g6 19.Bh6 Bf8 20.Bxf8 Kxf8 21.g3 Rxd1+ 22.Bxd1 Rd8 23.a4 Nc4 24.axb5 axb5 25.Nd5 Qb7 25...Bxd5 26.exd5 Rxd5 26.b3 Nd6 27.c4 bxc4 28.bxc4 Bxd5 29.exd5 Ng7 30.Ng4 Qe7 31.Bc2 Nge8 32.h4 e4 33.Ne3 Qe5 34.Ra7 Kg8 35.Ng4 Qd4?
An imprecision that has the virtue of allowing Alekhine to play one of his signature combinations. 35...Qb2 36.Kg2 f5 37.Nh6+ Kh8 38.Qd2 38.Qe3? Qxc2 39.Qxc5 Qd3!= 38...Ng7 39.Nf7+ Nxf7 40.Rxf7
Keres made a mistake, which allowed Alekhine to play one of his signature combinations. White to play and win.
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Alekhine,A-Keres,P-1–01942C86Salzburg 6 Masters5

And now you can consider yourself an expert in ChessBase annotation!


Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.

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