Fritz 12 FAQ

Fritz 12 chess playing software program FAQ to help you with questions about the new Fritz 12. As we get more information we will continue to post is this section as well as in our forum ChessExchange.com

Fritz 12 Languages
Fritz 12 English version will offer menus in English and German only. After online registration of Fritz 12 and online upgrade you will get the menus in  other languages (probably from beginning of November onwards).

There will also be a separate release of Fritz 12 in
- Spanish
- Italian
- French
- Dutch

Fritz 12 UCI
You can load UCI engines under Fritz 12 but Fritz 12 is not an UCI engine.

Fritz 12 Fonts
Fritz 12 gives you the option of figurine fonts or letter notation, and can be switched back and forth. It doesn't lock you into a choice between them.

Fritz 12 Serial Numbers (Activation Codes)
Fritz12 activation codes aren't case-sensitive (upper/lower case), but the possibility exists for confusing zeros with the letter "O" and ones with the letter "I". Please double-check the activation code and type it exactly as you see it on the package. If there is still a problem, try substituting letters/numbers as I've just mentioned.

Fritz 12 Activations
Fritz 12 can be activated (registered) on up to three separate computers and still maintain full Internet and Playchess access.

Premium Membership to Playchess.com (included in Fritz 12)
New on the Playchess.com server are special benefits for our Premium Members. By purchasing Fritz 12 or a separate serial number, Premium Members gain access to all offerings of the chess server.

For Basic members, live commentaries and training are still available through Ducat purchases (50 Ducats).

All important tournaments will be commented live as they happen, and Premium Members can watch all these live events for free. For Basic members, the shows will cost 50 Ducats each.

Our range of training programs are being extended. Oliver Reeh and André Schulz will broadcast in German every week as usual, just like Dennis Breder. Dennis Monokroussos and Valeri Lilov will broadcast in English every week, and so will Daniel King every month. Leontxo Garcia will broadcast in Spanish every month. In addition, there will be further authors on hand for training. Premium Members can watch all offered training programs for free. Basic members again pay 50 Ducats per program.

Starting in 2010, Playchess.com will introduce a Single League managed by Martin Fischer. Furthermore, simuls versus title holders will be offered on a regular basis and only Premium Members will be admitted to these special events.

Moreover,  Playchess.com will offer weekly workshops in English and German showing important and useful software program functions. These will be free for all members.

Insider's Guide to Revving Up Fritz
If you're considering the purchase of any ChessBase playing program (Fritz, Junior, Shredder, Hiarcs, etc.), then here's another good reason to shop at ChessCentral. With your new chess playing program you get our exclusive Revving Up your Fritz12 guide by noted ChessBase guru Steve Lopez - one link in a long chain of customer support available at ChessCentral.

No new owner of a Fritz "family" program should be without this important guide, for here you'll learn the basics of customizing the ChessBase software and optimizing your hardware so that Fritz runs at its best. The topics covered include:

* A discussion of chess engines and how to use them

* Hardware tips, including questions about RAM and resource allocation

* The effect of time control on the performance of Fritz

* Fritz opening books, and how to load them

* A discussion of hash tables, and setting their size for a particular game

* Fritz add-on products, like Endgame Turbo II & Fritz Powerbook

* Miscellaneous topics and much more!

This fact-filled guide will save you countless hours of trying to figure out what to do, and let you begin having fun with Fritz after only a few minutes. Revving Up your Fritz12 will put you on the fast track to a better understanding of chess playing software.

Remember, other chess stores will be happy to take your money all day - yet they pull a disappearing act when you have a question. ChessCentral cares about your shopping experience, that is why we offer more post-purchase support than any other chess shop in the world!

Fritz 12 Screenshots

Watch more Fritz 12 Videos

Fritz 12 Chess Software: What's New

Fritz 12 now features a completely redesigned ergonomic interface, compliant with Microsoft’s “Fluent UI” standard, giving you instant access to all the most important functions of the chess playing program. For example, board selection or challenges and formula on Playchess.com are streamlined. Plus the arrangement of windows has been improved and made more intuitive; new chess clock and arrows appear in the board display; better and faster 3D graphics include a new playing room and opponents. Never before has it been so easy and fast to play chess with Fritz.

The Fritz 12 Chess Program

• Rated chess games with a more precise, real-world rating system.
• Dial display for how sharp a position is ("hotness") plus a special "Mate-O-Meter".
• Improved "spy" function shows clear refutations and only direct threats.
• Analysis + openings classification revised and improved.
• Improved engine management: >4 GB memory for 64-Bit UCI engines, CPU display and simple settings for multi-engines.
• Evaluation profile optionally as non-linear display (as at the Chess Classic in Mainz).

 Fritz 12 at Playchess.com

• Twelve months Premium membership on Playchess.com is included
• Games grouped together under headings (tournaments or time controls), making it easier to find the chess games you want.
• Fast search in the chess players list
• Friends and titled chess players are displayed with desktop alerts.
• Multi-watch with many new functions, e.g. time difference display.
• Separate formulas for humans and computers.
• A series of chess games against the same opponent is displayed as a match in the chat window.
• The games list display includes number of moves (for games and broadcasts).
• Evaluation profile available in the chess machine room while playing and watching.

 Fritz 12 Chess Engine, Database and Multimedia

• New Fritz engine: even stronger!
• New openings book by Alex Kure
• Twelve hours chess tutorial videos with international trainers and world class players
• Updated database of 1.5 million games from 1625 to 2009 

Fritz 12 System Requirements

Recommended: PC Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 GHz, 3 GB RAM, Windows Vista or Windows 7, DirectX10 graphics card (or compatible) with 512 MB RAM or more, 100% DirectX10 compatible sound card, Windows Media Player 11, DVD ROM drive and internet access (playchess.com, updates and activation).