ChessBase Engine Database Loading

[Stephen Ham]

Hello All,

About two weeks ago I had the misfortune of a crashed C-drive. It was an old PC and overdue for a crash. So, I purchased a new PC. But the latest misfortune is that now I need to cope with Windows 10, a fate nearly worse than death.

Having a new PC means I need to update my ChessBase (CB) engine GUI to maximize performance. So, I purchased CB Komodo 13.02. Naturally it comes with an engine database. Here's the problem: I want to insert/upload my ICCF games into my new database. But after reading Komodo's HELP section, I saw no instructions for uploading games into the database.

With my old Fritz 11 GUI database, one merely locates the database on the C-drive and then saves the game(s) there. Then one opens the engine database, locates the game(s) and hits the Append Games button. Done!

However, I don't see any Append Games button now as the entire process has apparently changed due to Windows upgrades. So...how does one now upload games to the latest CB engine database?

On a side note, have any Anglophones noticed that the CB/Fritz HELP commentary often makes no/little sense in English? That company clearly needs a native English speaker to write their HELP notes.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

[MikeGL]

Hello All,

About two weeks ago I had the misfortune of a crashed C-drive. It was an old PC and overdue for a crash. So, I purchased a new PC. But the latest misfortune is that now I need to cope with Windows 10, a fate nearly worse than death.

Having a new PC means I need to update my ChessBase (CB) engine GUI to maximize performance. So, I purchased CB Komodo 13.02. Naturally it comes with an engine database. Here's the problem: I want to insert/upload my ICCF games into my new database. But after reading Komodo's HELP section, I saw no instructions for uploading games into the database.

With my old Fritz 11 GUI database, one merely locates the database on the C-drive and then saves the game(s) there. Then one opens the engine database, locates the game(s) and hits the Append Games button. Done!

However, I don't see any Append Games button now as the entire process has apparently changed due to Windows upgrades. So...how does one now upload games to the latest CB engine database?

On a side note, have any Anglophones noticed that the CB/Fritz HELP commentary often makes no/little sense in English? That company clearly needs a native English speaker to write their HELP notes.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

What happens if you install Fritz11 on another machine, upload your ICCF games on your Fritz11 Database. Then copy your whole Fritz11 Database into a USB pendrive then insert this usb pendrve on your new PC with CB Komodo 13.02. Thereby accessing all your ICCF games on your new PC.

I think you just missed the correct menu option,, because I can't imagine a Databse application which can NOT upload new games.
I mean that's impossible.

[Ovyron]

But the latest misfortune is that now I need to cope with Windows 10, a fate nearly worse than death.

When this happened to me I was surprisingly happy with Windows 10, it was the best GUI I had ever used, it actually improved my workflow so I could get things done faster. Unfortunately it was also the most fragile OS I have ever used, it would randomly throw blue screens of death at me, it would refuse to start at all, and it ended corrupting the File Master Table so I actually ended losing my harddrive to it (because, to use that HDD again I'd need to format it, but I never managed to retrieve all my information from it, just 99%, but the 1% I couldn't get back is randomly scattered so I'd rather keep things as they are for the time being.)

My solution? Move to some stable Windows 8.1 and disable updates. Then my problems disappeared. I recommend you do the same. Some people on Youtube have explained why Windows 10 is a mess and why it's impossible to make it stable (short story: they fired people to save money and implemented a new system that works with the people that they have, but make it impossible to solve some problems.)

I suggest you move back to Win8.1 and think that the faster you move away from Win10 the better, you don't really want to risk your FMT being corrupted (it's like your harddrive dying, except your files are still there, it just has forgotten where they start and they end...) I was really close to replacing my power supply, my motherboard, or even my processor, but they work perfectly fine on Win8.1, so Win10 was the culprit...

[Paloma]

And now? You're unsing still Win8.1 or has the newer update for Win10 healing this issues?

I've never heard of this issues, im still in Win7.

[Stephen Ham]

Hello All,

About two weeks ago I had the misfortune of a crashed C-drive. It was an old PC and overdue for a crash. So, I purchased a new PC. But the latest misfortune is that now I need to cope with Windows 10, a fate nearly worse than death.

Having a new PC means I need to update my ChessBase (CB) engine GUI to maximize performance. So, I purchased CB Komodo 13.02. Naturally it comes with an engine database. Here's the problem: I want to insert/upload my ICCF games into my new database. But after reading Komodo's HELP section, I saw no instructions for uploading games into the database.

With my old Fritz 11 GUI database, one merely locates the database on the C-drive and then saves the game(s) there. Then one opens the engine database, locates the game(s) and hits the Append Games button. Done!

However, I don't see any Append Games button now as the entire process has apparently changed due to Windows upgrades. So...how does one now upload games to the latest CB engine database?

On a side note, have any Anglophones noticed that the CB/Fritz HELP commentary often makes no/little sense in English? That company clearly needs a native English speaker to write their HELP notes.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

What happens if you install Fritz11 on another machine, upload your ICCF games on your Fritz11 Database. Then copy your whole Fritz11 Database into a USB pendrive then insert this usb pendrve on your new PC with CB Komodo 13.02. Thereby accessing all your ICCF games on your new PC.

I think you just missed the correct menu option,, because I can't imagine a Databse application which can NOT upload new games.
I mean that's impossible.

Hi Mike,

I too assumed that I overlooked something. But I read through the entire HELP Index twice, looking for key words, such as Database, Upload Games, Save Game, etc. I never found any instructions for uploading games, although instructions for editing existing games and then saving exist. Also, did a search for Append Games, but nothing.

Surely somebody here knows how this process is now done, since I agree that it's "impossible" that it can't be done now.

Mike, I too thought about the solution you mention. But again, without an Append Games equivalent process, how can i see those games in the database?

All the best,
Steve

[Ovyron]

And now? You're unsing still Win8.1 or has the newer update for Win10 healing this issues?

Still on Win8.1 and still loving it.

I never used Win7, jumped straight from WinXP to Win10 and then jumped back. WinXP is still my favorite, but new software (say, Chrome) just doesn't run on it anymore.

[Stephen Ham]

Dear all,

Is there really nobody here who can tell me how to upload a game in the latest ChessBase engine database GUI?

If so, please provide the solution.

Thanks in advance.

-Steve-

[carldaman]

Their primary database program is Chessbase (currently up to v15), not Fritz. Database capabilities are only an afterthought in Fritz GUI. Anyone serious enough about their chess would get their DB program. I would wait another month till CB have their semi-annual sale and buy their Chessbase DB program at a discount.

[Stephen Ham]

Their primary database program is Chessbase (currently up to v15), not Fritz. Database capabilities are only an afterthought in Fritz GUI. Anyone serious enough about their chess would get their DB program. I would wait another month till CB have their semi-annual sale and buy their Chessbase DB program at a discount.

Hi Carl,

Several years ago I spent about $200 on ChessBase (CB) 10, including additional database games. The package arrived by mail with ZERO Instructions! The database was not intuitive, so I couldn't get it to do what I wanted/needed. Yes, there was some confusing and poorly written online support (English is not CB's primary language), but I wanted a handy indexed booklet for easy reference. Who wants to struggle with online gibberish for answers to questions that can be resolved in a simple instruction booklet, like those provided with CB engine disks?

Ironically, I was playing Jon Edwards at the time, a man who wrote a book of instructions for the CB database. Naturally, he's delighted by CB's business error, since he makes money off the sale of his book.

In anger, I deleted the software and destroyed the disks, mentally writing off the $200 loss. What retailer ever sells a product without instructing clients to properly use it? I then vowed to never purchase from CB again. I've kept that vow until now, since I need a GUI with which to maintain my game database and into which I can load Leela.

CB engines have always come with a game database into which one can upload and edit games. So, the market expects it. Therefore, if they now pull the rug out from under their clients by removing that feature from their chess engines, shouldn't they have the moral decency to inform their buying public of that? If the public has always purchased a product with X features, then the expectation exists that the upgraded product will perform at least X, if not more. Anything less, the public needs to be informed.

That said, Carl, are you certain that one can no longer upload games into the CB engine databases? If that's true, that's really shocking. If true, then shame on CB for removing this valued feature without telling us.

I still have the discs for Fritz 11, dating back to when I had Windows XP. I could otherwise re-install the engine and its game database. Unfortunately, my modern PC doesn't have a disc drive, as it seems that most software is now downloaded from the internet.

All the best,
-Steve-

[Cumnor]

You can add games to another database by uploading the database into fitz as a new database then copying the games in that database to a different database. Here is the help file explaining this http://help.chessbase.com/Fritz/16/Eng/index.html Reference>Database functions>Copying Games.