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Deep Fritz 8 - Multiprocessor version

Even Garry Kasparov admits: “I use Fritz regularly for my analysis.” Fritz is also the only chess program that has been in space. In April 1999 it was transported to the space station Mir to entertain the cosmonauts who were spending many months in orbit.
 

Deep Fritz 8 - The new multi-processor version with spectacular 3D

This is the program that fascinated the world in the recent Man vs Machine duel in New York, where Deep Fritz 8 (playing under the version name X3D Fritz) held the greatest chess player of all time, Garry Kasparov, to a 2:2 draw. Millions of chess fans watched the games live on the Internet, after the match Kasparov said that the new program was clearly better than its predecessors, better than the Deep Junior program he had played in January and “stronger than Deep Blue.”´

Garry Kasparov testing out the new Fritz 3D graphics, with programmers Mathias Feist and Jeroen van den Belt.

Deep Fritz also proved that it can stand up to pure computer opposition. At the Computer Chess World Championship 2003 in Graz, Austria, it tied for first place with Shredder (both programs scored 9.5/11, Shredder won the playoff).

Deep Fritz 8 is markedly stronger than all previous versions of Fritz. Even on a single processor system Deep Fritz 8 is clearly superior to its little brother Fritz 8. On a dual processor system Deep Fritz 8 calculates 85% faster than Fritz 8, achieving an even better performance.

One of the most interesting features of Deep Fritz 8 is that in addition to its speed the program has gained a remarkable degree of positional understanding. The endgame technique has also been improved, something you will see especially in the way it prepares the way to an advantageous ending in the middlegame – just like a strong human master. All of this has been achieved without sacrificing any of the program's legendary tactical strength.

Deep Fritz comes with the World Championship engine and the World Championship openings book. The package includes the latest interface with many new features, like the Chess Media System which offers a new dimension in chess training. The media system provides video pictures, sound, notation, text and a synchronized graphical chess board – there is no better way of presenting chess! And the stylish 3D chess playing room creates the right atmosphere.

Deep Fritz 8 - The Spanish Room

Click image to enlarge to 1024 x 768 size

One of the most startling features of Deep Fritz 8 is the “Spanish Room”. This is a full interior of a house in photo-realistic 3D graphics, with windows looking out on a garden, doors, bookshelves, a wash basin, and a table and chairs in the middle of the room. On the table is the chessboard, which is always the center of the graphic display. This means that when you zoom into the picture or move around the room the board always remains in the center.

	Selecting the Deep Fritz room. In the board window click "View – 3D". This will give you a photo-realistic 3D board. Click "Settings" at the bottom right and select "Deep Fritz Room". This will give you the Spanish room. Depending on your graphics card you can use low, standard or high texture resolutions.
	3D effects Here you can set a number of advanced effects. "Real shadows" actually calculates the shadow of each piece, which may fall on another piece next to it. "Collision of pieces" allows you to push other pieces out of the way when you are moving a piece, just as in real life. They jump back into place when you put your piece on its destination square – unlike in real life! Naturally your graphics card and processor should be quite powerful if you want to use all the functions to their maximum.
	Geometry and board One of the functions here was implemented especially for the X3D match in New York against Garry Kasparov in November 2003. Can you guess which one it was? The solution is: the knight orientation. Kasparov needed the knights to look to the left, not straight ahead. With the sliders at the bottom you can set them to look any way you want.

Click on the picture to display a full-size version (which you can use as a wallpaper for your desktop).

Everything is made as realistic as possible, and it is an adventure to look around the room. The shelves have books, pictures, vases and bottles. The table has drawers, the floor is tiled, the plaster on the walls is cracked in places.

Next to the chess board there is an analog clock, of the well-known Garde brand. This clock actually works, the hands move, the flag rises and falls.

Zooming in always keeps the board centered

Deep Fritz 8 - Egyptian pieces

Deep Fritz 8 has a number of other very vivid 3D piece sets. One that is quite extraordinary is the Egyptian set. The chessboard is located on the top of a mound, with pyramids in the background.

The pieces are fashioned after mythical Egyptian figures.

ChessBase 8 users

If you are a ChessBase 8.0 user and have installed Deep Fritz 8 you must upgrade your (ChessBase 8) program in order to be able to use Deep Fritz 8 as an analysis engine.

This is done by clicking “Online upgrade” in the “Help” menu. The download should only require a few minutes, after which ChessBase 8 will automatically upgrade itself. After that you will have no problems starting Deep Fritz 8 as an analysis engine.

The Fritz 8 package includes 12 months free subscription to the chess server Playchess.com. Another new function is that the DGT chess board can now be linked to the chess server so you can play games against people all over the world using a regular chess board.