Analyzing Your Games With Fritz - 01 To 03
Analyzing Your Games With Fritz - 01 To 03
Analyzing Your Games With Fritz - 01 To 03
by Albert Silver
6/2/2014 One of the chief attractions of the Fritz interface is the many options to automatically
analyze your games and help you reach your potential. We often shy away from this, since if the
world's elite can blunder, imagine the less privileged players. However, they can do more than show
us our mistakes if you look at it from the right perspective. Read more in this illustrated tutorial.
When acquiring a program such as Houdini, Fritz, or any other engine packaged in
ChessBase's Fritz interface, one of its great attractions is the ability to quickly get it to analyze
your game automatically, and tell you not only where you went wrong, but how you could
improve your play. Even top grandmasters benefit from this, since even if they might argue
with an engine's evaluation that its move is better than the player's by 0.20 pawns (the
engine's measurement unit), if the engine says there was a screw-up worth a +2 or more, then
even they just accept it as gospel.
The vision of a super chess-playing computer is very much a reality today, accessible to all,
and can help us reach our own potential when used properly. Fritz won't open the pod bay
doors either though.
Of course, classic learning dictates that ideally we should study our own games in detail, with
large notebooks holding all our thoughts and analyses, and while this may all be true, it is a
serious mistake to think that having the program digest the game and spit out its analysis is
unproductive. You may also wish to avoid this, not wishing to face the reality of the mistakes,
or number of them. Allow me to share a 'cup is half full' perspective on this instead:
Learning from your good moves is just as important as learning from your mistakes
We often forget that when a program analyzes our moves and says that we blundered twice in
45 moves, it is also telling us that 43 of our choices were acceptable, and reviewing those 43
correct moves for positive reinforcement is no less valuable. In other words, don't focus only
on where you went wrong, but also on where you went right!
Here are some of the main ways to automatically analyze your games with the Fritz interface.
Loading the game
The first step is to have a game ready to be analyzed. If you played it live, then you will need
to enter the game manually, move-by-move.
Manually entering a game
The first problem you may encounter is that if you try this without any preparation, the engine
will actually try to play against you after you enter the first move. You have two solutions:
Go to the Engine toolbar and put a checkmark in Switch Off Engine. Now the engine will
stay quiet as you enter the game's moves.
If you want to see the engine analyzing while you enter the moves, in the Home toolbar,
click on Infinite Analysis
There is nothing wrong with this practice, but it will be slower in the long run, and here's
why: even if you see the move evaluations, it will not actually record these moves into the
notation, so you would need to do this manually. Also, it is easy to get distracted or lost in the
analysis and end up spending far more time watching the engine analyze than actually
reviewing the game. Let's be honest, we're human after all.
After you are done entering the game, go to File and Save or Save As... before trying
anything.
This is not obligatory, but it is always a good practice.
Loading a game played online
If you played the game online, whether at Playchess or another much worse and far less
interesting rival server, you have two options really (aside from entering the game by hand as
above):
Open the file where Playchess saves your games by going to the Home toolbar, then click on
the Database button (F12) to go to the Database window
On the right you should see an icon that says "MyInternetGames". Just click on it and the
list of all the games you played on the server will be stored there. Choose the game you
want, and double-click on it.
Please note that if you watched a game, whether played as a blitz, or from a broadcast, you
can click on the icon "MyInternetKibitzing", and it will show all the games you watched.
For Fritz to be able to analyze a game from another site, the game needs to be saved in a PGN
file. This should not be a problem though, since almost all sites support this, and this is how
games played on Playchess on Android would be saved as well.
Go to the Home toolbar, then click on the Database button (F12) to go to the Database
window
Now click on File and then Open (the direct shortcut for this is Ctrl-O)
A pane will open, allowing you to locate the PGN file. Before you go to the directory where
the file is saved, click on Files of type, and select PGN files (*.PGN). If you neglect this step,
your PGN file will not appear even if you are in the correct directory.
There are two ways to automatically analyze a game using your engine, though they can be
configured as you prefer. First you have the Blunder Check, which is a cut-down, nononsense analysis designed to highlight mistakes, then you have the Full Analysis, which is
the most complete analysis with natural language comments.
Blunder Check
If you are reviewing blitz or bullet games played online, this will be your most commonly
used analysis tool. It will give you a quick and clear overview of how you did in your game in
record time.
To use this, go to Analysis and select Blunder Check. Blunder Check is ideal for quick
analysis
to highlight which moves were mistakes, and by omission, which moves were not. You can
set it to analyze only your side, both sides, and more.
On the right side you can see Time or Depth, which is to choose whether you want each
move analyzed for a specific number of seconds, or instead prefer a determined depth
How much time or how deep is good enough? As a rule, I use a fixed depth of 14 plies and
just let it zip through. 14 plies is far deeper than a human will see as a rule, and on a modern
computer will be reached in a fraction of a second. This means that the entire game will be
analyzed quite literally in seconds. You can have the machine spend more time, but it would
be silly to have it analyzing longer than you spent playing it.
The next significant choice is the Threshold, which determines what the engine will call a
'blunder'
The default setting is 60, which means 0.60 pawns. Although a difference of 0.60 may indeed
be a mistake, you might really be interested only in flagging moves that lose a little or a lot of
material. If so, set it to a higher value such as 90 for a pawn (remember it might calculate
some minuscule compensation for the lost material, lowering the value). This is my personal
setting.
It should be mentioned that you can use the program to check your analysis as well. Suppose
you wanted to analyze the game yourself without any computer help (an excellent exercise),
and entered the variations into the annotation. You can ask the engine to not only analyze
your moves, but your analysis as well.
Karjakin,Sergey
Topalov,Veselin
2nd Norway Chess 2014 (1.5)
[Houdini 4 x64]
E10
2771
2772
03.06.2014
0.79/14
-
Full Analysis
This is the grandmaster in the house so to speak. With it you will get opening commentary
accessing your database, more natural commentary including moves that were correctly
avoided. In other words, why a certain move that was not played, would have been a mistake.
Finally, you get text commentary to emulate a human annotator to a degree, that will point out
threatened material, passed pawns, and more.
When you do this you are presented with a minimalist pane that just shows you a time to
spend analyzing. This presumes you wish to use the previous, or default choices. To modify
them, click on Advanced.
Here, a new pane opens. Most options are self-explanatory, but not
all. If you put a check mark in the Opening Reference, you need to tell
the program which database to consult. To do so, click on Reference-DB.
A pane opens in which you point it to a database it will consult this time and all future
times unless you change it. In this case, I have set it to Mega Database 2014.
The threshold is the same as in the Blunder Check above, and is the minimum difference
between its choice and yours, to highlight a move as an error. In practice, I use this only for a
rapid game or slower, and turn on all the options and let it analyze for 5-10 minutes.
Full Analysis of Karjakin-Topalov (Time 10 minutes / Threshold 30 / all options on):
Karjakin,Sergey
Topalov,Veselin
2nd Norway Chess 2014 (1.5)
[Houdini 4 x64 (10m)]
E10
2771
2772
03.06.2014
Before embarking on this, a reader sent in a question regarding the sample game provided in
the Blunder Check section: why are there no computer evaluations, and how did I get those
very cool bar charts that can be seen right under the board?
Replayer game with bar charts:
The bar charts or more than a visual perk. If you click on any point in the bar chart the game
will instantly skip to that point! The fact is that when you run Blunder Check on a game, it
appends an evaluation and depth to each and every move, whether they be a mistake or not.
The result looks like this:
The reason this does not appear in the JavaScript Replayer is that the Replayer automatically
converts this computer output into the bar charts, and does not show them (nor does it erase
them). If you publish your games online using the JavaScript Replayer from ChessBase 12
(see Web publishing with ChessBase 12 Part 2), this can be very practical. You can combine
the bar charts for a quick visual overview of how the game went, and include lines and
commentary without having the engine's numerical analysis detract from the game.
All that is fine and well, but what if you don't publish online, how is this useful? As a matter
of fact, if you don't already see it open, Fritz offers a bar chart of its own within the program.
Now you can see the bar charts just as in the Replayer above. Just like the JavaScript
Replayer
you can actually click on any point in the chart and the game will automatically skip to that
point.
Let's Check
You can also consult the computers of online users via the Let's Check function. Although a
wonderful resource if you are on a limited computer such as a netbook, or need to save
battery, you need to understand that the moves will be distributed throughout the system, and
the engines and computers used will vary enormously. As a result, you will see moves
analyzed by all manner of engines and depths. Finally, you also need to be aware that there is
a cost to use this resource, in the nature of credits earned by lending your own computer to
Let's Check users.
With those limitations accepted and understood, it needs to be pointed out that there is no way
you could obtain such deep analysis in so short a time.
Playchess broadcasts
If the game you are looking at is a grandmaster game that was broadcast on Playchess, the
chances are every move has already been analyzed in great depth by more than one engine.
Some Playchess users have incredibly powerful machines they enjoy running on top games.
These analyses can be retrieved for free, and here's how:
Now a new pane opens with even more options. Fear not as they are
mostly irrelevant since we are recovering analysis that has already been
done. The one option that really interests us is selecting All Variations.
This means we get the computer evaluations and the the main lines.
Karjakin,Sergey
Topalov,Veselin
2nd Norway Chess 2014 (1.5)
E10
2771
2772
03.06.2014
28...xa5 0.04
[ 28...xa5 29.c3 xc3 0.10/25 Fritz 13 ]
29.c3 0.00
[ 29.c3 xc3 30.xc3 0.04/19
Deep Rybka 4 x64/ Clare ]
29...xc3 0.00
[ 29...xc3 30.xc3 f8 0.00/31 ]
30.xc3 -0.15
[ 30.xc3 h6 31.f6 0.00/27 Deep Fritz
13/Blackborn ]
30...h6 0.00
[ 30...f8 31.f2 d8 -0.15/31 Stockfish
240514 SE/Bertman ]
31.f2 0.00
[ 31.f6 g5 32.d6 0.00/34 Stockfish
240514 SE/Bertman ]
31...b5 0.36
[ 31...d8 32.c2 g5 0.00/40 Stockfish 5
SE ]
32.f6 0.29
[ 32.a2 a8 33.cxb5 0.36/30 Stockfish
240514 SE/Bertman ]
32...d7 0.50
[ 32...c8 33.c5 d7 0.29/24 Houdini 3
x64 ]
33.xa6 0.72
[ 33.xa6 bxc4 34.ea1 0.50/29
Deep Fritz 14 x64 ]
33...bxc4 0.71
[ 33...bxc4 34.ea1 e3+ 0.72/28
Houdini 4 x64 ]
34.ea1 0.75
[ 34.ea1 e3+ 35.f1 0.71/29 Houdini 4
x64 ]
34...e6 0.84
[ 34...e6 35.a8 e3+ 0.75/33
Stockfish 5 SE ]
35.f2 0.67
[ 35.a8 e3+ 36.f1 0.84/33 Stockfish 5 ]
35...f8 0.67
[ 35...f8 36.a8 c5+ 0.67/39 ]
36.a8 0.76
[ 36.a8 c5+ 37.g3 0.67/34 Stockfish 5
SE ]
36...c5+ 0.75
[ 36...c5+ 37.e2 xa8 0.76/27
Houdini 4 x64 ]
37.e2 0.77
[ 37.e2 xa8 38.xa8+ 0.75/27
Houdini 4 x64 ]
37...xa8 1.33
[ 37...f8 38.h3 xa8 0.77/21 Deep Fritz 13/
Blackborn ]
38.xa8+ 0.74
[ 38.xa8+ g7 39.a5 1.33/38
New Engine ]
38...g7 1.39
[ 38...g7 39.a5 b6 0.74/26 Deep Fritz
13/ Blackborn ]
39.a5 0.71
[ 39.a5 g1 40.h3 1.39/35 ]
39...b6 0.94
[ 39...b6 40.b5 g1 0.71/33 Houdini 4
x64 ]
40.a6 0.74
[ 40.b5 g1 41.f3 0.94/36 Stockfish 5
SE ]
40...g1 0.66
[ 40...g1 41.h3 h5 0.74/27 Deep Fritz 13/
Blackborn ]
41.h3 0.63
[ 41.h3 h5 42.f3 0.66/28 Houdini 4 x64 ]
41...g5 0.82
[ 41...h5 42.d2 g5 0.63/41 Stockfish 5
SE ]
42.g4 0.31
[ 42.f3 g6 43.e4 0.82/43 Stockfish
030614 SE/erdling ]
42...h2 0.28
[ 42...h5 43.a1 h2 0.31/45 Stockfish
030614 SE/erdling ]
43.a8 0.19
[ 43.f3 h5 44.a5 0.28/49 Stockfish 5
SE ]
43...h6 0.72
[ 43...h5 44.f2 hxg4 0.19/39 Stockfish
030614 SE/erdling ]
44.d8 0.17
[ 44.e3 h5 45.gxh5 0.72/42 Stockfish
030614 SE/erdling ]
44...g6 0.60
[ 44...h5 45.f3 hxg4+ 0.17/46 Stockfish
030614 SE/erdling ]
45.f3 0.49
[ 45.d1 h5 46.f3 0.60/26 Deep Fritz 13/
Blackborn ]
45...f4 0.60
[ 45...h7 46.e4 g3 0.49/29 Deep Fritz
14 x64 ]
46.h4 0.67
[ 46.h4 c1 47.d1 0.60/31 Deep Fritz 13/
Blackborn ]
46...h5 0.75
[ 46...g7 47.h5 c1 0.67/36 Houdini 3
x64/badbishop1 ]
47.hxg5
[ 47.hxg5 c1 48.gxh5+ 0.75/34
Houdini 3 x64/badbishop1 ]
47...c1
[ 47...c1 48.gxh5+ xh5 0.75/35
Houdini 3 x64 ]
48.gxh5+
-
However, let's suppose the game you are interested in is not in the Live Book already, what
then? In that case you can submit your game to the Let's Check users and have the entire
game analyzed in great depth.
With your game open, go to Analysis and then click on Submit Game
The caveat is that you have no control over the hardware or engine used, but the advantage is
that the variety of engines may provide a more balanced analysis and each and every position
will have been analyzed for at least a minute if not more. Above all, it is far quicker than what
you could achieve on you own computer. The reason is that the moves are all distributed by
the Let's Check server to different users to analyze at the same time. Which means that
several moves will be analyze simultaneously.
Sample game submitted to Let's Check:
Tonkov,Bojan
Dermatopoulos,Konstantinos
Grand Open Blagoevgrad 2013 (2.28)
E11
2323
1664
29.9.13
x64/Blackborn ]
18...d7 1.71
[ 18...h6 19.a4 e6 0.87/32 Stockfish 5/
Michael R ]
19.c4 0.78
[ 19.c4 g6 20.b3 1.71/12 Deep Fritz
13 ]
19...e7 1.61
[ 19...d8 20.c7 e6 0.78/24 Deep Fritz
14 x64/steffan ]
20.fc1 0.92
[ 20.b5 d8 21.xe4 1.61/32 ]
20...d7 0.98
[ 20...g4 21.b4 a5 0.92/23 Houdini 3
x64 ]
21.b3 0.70
[ 21.b4 b6 22.d6 0.98/28 Komodo 7 ]
21...c8 1.58
[ 21...b6 22.a6 e5 0.70/32 ]
22.b4 1.89
[ 22.b4 xc3 23.xc3 1.58/29 Houdini 4
x64 ]
22...xc3 1.58
[ 22...xc3 23.xc3 g4 1.89/32
Stockfish 4/Kaos_00 ]
23.xc3 1.54
[ 23.xc3 d8 24.xb7 1.58/28
Deep Fritz 13 ]
23...b5 2.50
[ 23...g4 24.h3 e6 1.54/31 Stockfish 5 ]
24.c7 1.95
[ 24.c7 a6 25.h3 2.50/32 Stockfish 5/
Michael R ]
24...a6 3.06
[ 24...a5 25.xa5 e5 1.95/19 Deep Rybka
4 x64/Clare ]
25.d6 2.06
[ 25.h3 3.06/26 Houdini 4 x64/
derkranvonhuenge ]
25...e6? 6.05
[ 25...e5 26.a7 g5 2.06/27 Komodo 7/
Blackborn ]
26.xe6 6.11
[ 26.f5 xc7 27.xe7+ 6.05/25
Houdini 4 x64 ]
26...fxe6 6.79
[ 26...xe6 27.xd7 xd7 6.11/28
Houdini 4 x64/steffan ]
27.xe4?! 2.72
[ 27.b7 f7 28.xe4 6.79/25 Deep Fritz
14 ]
27...f7+- 3.52
[ 27...f7 28.xa6 f8 2.72/17 ]
28.xa6 3.71
[ 28.xa6 e7 29.d3 3.52/23 Houdini 4
w32 ]
28...d8 4.82
[ 28...d8 29.d6 3.71/23 Houdini 3 x64 ]
29.d6 3.62
[ 29.d6 f6 30.f3 4.82/30 Stockfish 4/
Kaos_00 ]
29...f6 3.78
[ 29...f6 30.f3 e8 3.62/14 Deep Fritz 13 ]
30.d2 3.27
[ 30.f4 e8 31.c8 3.78/22 Fritz 11 SE ]
30...e8 3.17
[ 30...e8 31.c8 f8 3.27/25 Houdini 3
x64 ]
31.xf7 3.47
[ 31.c8 f8 32.f3 3.17/28 Houdini 4 x64/
steffan ]
31...xf7 4.50
[ 31...xf7 32.a5 e7 3.47/33
Stockfish 4 SE/ Kaos_00 ]
32.g2 3.41
[ 32.c6 h5 33.xb5 4.50/21 Deep Fritz
14 x64/ steffan ]
32...e7 4.66
[ 32...e8 33.d6 f7 3.41/22
Deep Rybka 4 x64/ Clare ]
33.a4 4.59
[ 33.a4 bxa4 34.bxa4 4.66/33 Stockfish 5/
Michael R ]
33...e5?! 14.44
[ 33...bxa4 34.bxa4 4.59/25 Houdini 4 w32 ]
34.axb5+[ 34.axb5 e6 14.44/31 Houdini 4 x64 ]
34...f8
[ 34...c7 35.a2 e6 6.18/28 Houdini 4
x64 ]
35.b6
1-0
Batch Analysis
An incredibly useful feature of Fritz is its ability to run Blunder Check and Full Analysis on
several games or even a full database.
Go to the Home toolbar, then click on the Database button (F12) to go to the Database
window
Here you must first open the database where the games you want analyzed are located
First click on File and then Open (the direct shortcut for this is Ctrl-O)
A pane will open, allowing you to locate the database. If it is a PGN file (*.PGN), then before
you
go to the directory where the file is saved, click on Files of type, and select PGN files
(*.PGN). If
you neglect this step, your PGN file will not appear even if you are in the correct directory.
Now you should see a list of games. You can select several games using the typical Windows
shortcuts. In other words click on one, the holding the Shift key, click on another and it will
select all the games in between, and/or you can select one by one holding the Ctrl key pressed
down and clicking the games you want.
Once the games are chosen and highlighted, go to the Database tab at top, and then choose
Blunder Check or Full Analysis. Just remember to consider how much time this will take. For
example, if you choose 20 games, then even if you choose to have each one analyzed for only
five minutes that is still nearly two hours before it is done.
Happy analyzing!