Installing ChessBase 11
With ChessBase 11, the product
description says, chess becomes even more fascinating and all the more exciting.
It lists a plethora of new functions that include:
- Repertoire database completely revised (including automatic saving from
existing games)
- On playchess.com the last 40 games of a player can be downloaded as a database
(as long as the player has activated this function)
- “Try out” moves. If you hold down the mouse button, ChessBase
11 will show you by means of an arrow the best reply
- Improved super functions “Opening report” and “Dossier”
- Generation of e-books for Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader
- Single click publishing of games on the Internet, even without your own
web site
- Games can be played through directly in the main window via an embedded
board without having to open a separate board window
- More comfortable solution of training questions
- Layout of Reference search and Online database adjust independently and
ergonomically to the screen format
- Better access to MegaBase update subs: shows what is on offer with tournaments,
strong players, etc. Direct choice of which individual databases to download
Sounds tempting, and since we have heard a number of good things about the
program, e.g. the new “Fashionable Variation” function. ChessBase
11 apparently shows you not just which continuation was played most often but
which on is currently fashionable – an important distinction. It weeds
out old or amateur games and places the latest games between the strongest players
at the top of the games list. Also there is the fact that ChessBase 11 gives
you very fast access to the ChessBase Online database with over five million
games, which is kept up-to-date by the company.
Okay, we decide to take the plunge – an protocol how long it takes to
make the switch. It took us all of twelve minutes to complete, as you can see
from the times given below.

11:15 a.m. – we insert the disk and the Autoplay comes up

11:15 a.m. – After permitting "Run setup" to run we get
the Install box

11:16 a.m. – The Setup Wizard asks for permission to start. We click
"Next"

11:16 a.m. – We accept the default location for the program files

11:16 a.m. – We start the installation (Windows may sometimes ask
for special permission)

11:17 a.m. – The installation is under way. It took under four minutes
on our computer

11:20 a.m. – The Setup Wizard informs us that the installation is
complete

11:21 a.m. – We find ChessBase 11 in our start menu

11:23 a.m. – We drag the program with the right mouse key into our
quick start menu and click it to start

11:24 a.m. – ChessBase 11 offers to install standard database.
We politely decline, since we have all we need our our hard disk.

11:25 a.m. – This will cause ChessBase 11 to be fired up when we double-click
a CBV, CBH or PGN file in the Windows Explorer or in an Internet browser

11:26 a.m. – We need to enter the activation key, which is printed
on the front of the short
instruction manual. We also type in the four characters, NSBK, to prove that
we are human.

11:27 a.m. – ChessBase 11 now starts, with the new "ribbon"
look, a lot crisper of course than in the compressed picture show above. We
are glad to note that it has adopted all the defaults from our previous CB 10
installation. There are new icons for the database types, but one gets used
to that very quickly.
The rest is quite painless – there is no substantial interruption of
our workflow. On our quick start bar we see that ChessBase 10 is still there
and can be started as before, so we have a backup plan if we suffer a bout of
new program trauma. So far that has not occurred, and we are merrily on our
way to finding out about the new functions that ChessBase 11 has in store for
us.
Addendum: We are told by some readers that
it is highly advisable to reboot your computer after the above procedure,
since otherwise some of the screens – e.g. the Fritz or Rybka analysis
– might appear mangled. So the procedure takes a little longer –
let's say fifteen minutes for the switch.
Chessbase 11 Workshop
Nick Murphy shows you how to handle ChessBase 11 with ease
How to proceed? Most people want to learn the functionality of the new program
without looking into the manual? Well, there is an excellent alternative to
that: you can watch the video instructions recorded by Nick Murphy, who explains
the most important features of the new interface. Just click on the video image
to start the first lesson:
More videos:
Order
the program now