Author: Jay Rinde
Date: 21:45:41 01/14/99
Go up one level in this thread
I downloaded the free version of Chessvision and was surprised how good it is. It even has a version of Crafty that you can play against or use for analyis. There appears to be a few minor display problems. All in all, I find the program surprising good. While I had problems with Masterchess98 which I paid for, I had no problems with Chessvision. I even think that for free it can't be beat. I doubt that I will buy the full version though. I do have other database programs and I don't need another one. But for those who don't or aren't satisfied with what they have, they should give it a look. Big download, but free. Jay On January 14, 1999 at 14:55:25, Mike Welling wrote: >On January 13, 1999 at 21:54:29, Matthew Herman wrote: > >>On January 13, 1999 at 10:55:07, Mike Welling wrote: >> >>>On January 10, 1999 at 11:22:15, Matthew Herman wrote: >>> >>>>Yep I downloaded it, and also have deleted it from my HD.. it has tons of >>>>general protection faults, its ics interface BITES, it is NOT the most powerful >>>>db etc.. it has lots of problems and I don't consider it even NEAR Cb7 or Ca4.. >>>>Lots of hype .. but nothin to support it.. (I think it allows cheating on >>>>unrated games.. what a waste.. the last thing an ICS needs is to have people >>>>able to cheat without even opening up a seperate program!!) >>> >>>Being very amazed about your message I couldn't resist to reply. >>>I've also downloaded Chessvision a while ago and in my opinion its a great >>>package. I've looked pretty much into it and didn't experience any general. >>>protection fault yet. Also,I do not have any display-problems, however, I read >>>in the newsgroup 'rec.games.chess.computer that there are problems with it when >you have in your videosettings large fonts selected. >>> >For me, the interface of Chessvision is far more advanced and user-friendly then >cb7. For example you can create your own desktops with multiple boards, multiple >databaseviews, multiple engines etc.. and save them as sessions. Further, it has >more position-tree facilities and nearly unlimited search capabilities. It keeps >track of all the installed databases the way it should, and maintains one >central player-database with nice options like automatically rating-assignment >to unrated games and replace misspelled players by the correct ones globally. >>> >>>But Chessvision is even more than a database-package. As you noticed it also has >an interface for Internet Chess servers. I figured it out myself but Chessvision >absolutely doesn't allow you to use an engine while playing games at these >servers. You can only use them while watching games of others. Due to the >realtime engine-analyis and position-tree information, Chessvision gives me much >more pleasure to watch the Hoogovens games at ICC then with their own interface. >>> >>>Ofcourse you need an open mind to accept a new package competing with the >>>'standard'. You probably spend a lot of money and time in something like cb7 and >do not want to accept anything new which might be better. For those who think >I'm overreacting, just download Chessvision at http://www.microvision.nl and >look for yourself. >>> >>>Mike Welling >> >>Let me reply .. the part about cheating on ICS servers .. that was before I (or >>I think most anyone) knew it wasnt allowed in unrated games with chessvision. >>Secondly the database functions of CB7 and/or ca4 ARE more powerful. The engines >>interface (as reported by KomputerKorner) only allow the crafties that come with >>it (not any new or other engines, which is disappointing). Ca4 and Cb7 both give >>position-tree information and realtime engine analysis (position tree is nothing >>new). Most of what you mentioned is already in cb7/ca4 and is done better (also >>i don't have large fonts selected and I got the gp faults). Though who really is >>going to spend $300 for ChessVision "mega" when you can get CB7 with a 1.1 >>million game db, 3 issues of CBM for about 50-70$ less.. not to mention CA4 also >>being alot cheaper.. This piece of software may be useful, but there needs to be >>a few "fixes", and something a little more innovative before I am going to plunk >>down 100-300$.. this argument about not wanting to accept something newer >>because I spend alot of time in cb7 is alot weaker than the Cm6k issue (where >>cm6k does have a very powerful engine and should compete with the others). Cb7 >>is the most widely used database program at the top level.. Ca4 is also very >>widely used.. ChessVision hasn't really brought anything new to the market.. and >>ics interface is something that isn't that hard to put in and that really is the >>only "new thing" I could find.. and it is even found in chesspartner4.0026. >> >>I am not trying to put down this software.. just shed some light on its claims >>that it is the "next greatest thing" (or something like that claim was made on >>the website).. >> >>How also is ChessVision "more advanced, and more user-friendly"? >>Please explain what you are stating .. > > >On their homepage there is a link >(http://www.microvision.nl/cv_engine_program.htm)to a page for engine- >programmers that explains how to make an engine ready for Chessvision. So I >think its only up to the engine-programmmers if they want to spend a few weeks >or so to create an engine-module that can be loaded into Chessvision. > >Your mention about position-trees, indeed, they are not new, but the one >provided in Cb7 doesn't appeal to me that much. I do not like to have all >rating-levels mixed up in one big position-tree. Despite the average rating, >I never know the value of its percentages. I want to have more databases and >position-trees divided into separate rating-levels and I do not want to >struggle with them switching from one to another. Chessvision lets you create >more position-trees on your desktop each attached to its own selection of >databases and if I directly want to examine all the games with a certain >position I only have to drag it from the tree to the desktop and all >the games popup immediately no matter how many databases are involved. >The way Chessvison handles multiple databases, multiple position trees, the >link between those and how they all can be effective on your desktop is >pretty much innovative to me. (By the way, the trees show the difference >between the #games 'playing the move' and #games 'with the resulting position' >which is very useful). > >Also the user-interface is great. I created a desktop with a lot of >databaseviews active, serveral boards next to eachother with different >games analyzed by different engines at the same time and I can save this >hole thing in a session. Just reload the session and really the hole >interface with everything running including the last detail is fully >restored. I can't say other than this is user-friendly. About the >price, indeed its not cheap, but personally I mostly want to buy >something because it does things I like and not because its just cheap. > >Don't get me wrong. Cb offers a great package and certainly has deserved >its leadership in the market, its just that I found in Chessvision a bunch >of things I like more. > >Mike Welling
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