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What are Engines Good For?

What are Engines Good For?

Only Chess

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Engines use is being trashed pretty good in another forum so how about a change of course. Whats good about an engine and how has it improved your chess?

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I purely use mine as a post-game analysis tool.
If I have played a game which I felt could have (or should have) gone a different way,
I will run the game through Fritz and see where the weak moves were
and see if there were any missed tactics... some of which can be very revealing!
For example, I recently missed a smothered mate (in two!) but I wouldn't have known if I didn't run the analysis.

I often use Fritz to help for when I annotate games, also.
It helps me remember certain lines in the opening, some of which have become pet lines,
and it has definitely helped improve my ability to spot tactical shots, both for myself and for my opponent.

I feel as though that if I find something that can be instructive in any way, it is worth annotating
and perhaps even sharing on the forum so that others may learn... or laugh at, as the case may be.

Below is an example... the game containing the missed legacy 🙁
I play Black.

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Engines have been great help to composers of chess problems. They weed out 'cooks', or unwanted solutions.

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Originally posted by 64squaresofpain
[b]I purely use mine as a post-game analysis tool.
This is one of the best ways to use it. I also like to take the tactics or positions I find and put them in a training program I have.

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This would be handy for analysis, can such a tool be downloaded or do you have to purchase.

Many thanks.

Willy............

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Originally posted by Sirdubalot
This would be handy for analysis, can such a tool be downloaded or do you have to purchase.

Many thanks.

Willy............
You can download some free machines. If you look up Arena (which is the interface) they include some engines.

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If chess is your thing, then why not spend a little bit of money and buy a program with lots of bells and whistles, e.g. Fritz? Chess is not an expensive hobby and investing in a commercial program to analyse your games must be worth it.

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Originally posted by Sirdubalot
This would be handy for analysis, can such a tool be downloaded or do you have to purchase.

Many thanks.

Willy............
I really like Chess Position Trainer. It's a great program. The closest program to it that I know it is the newer Bookup program thats currently being upgraded.

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Originally posted by Rookpawn59
I really like Chess Position Trainer. It's a great program. The closest program to it that I know it is the newer Bookup program thats currently being upgraded.
www.chesspositiontrainer.com

www.bookup.com

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Originally posted by Data Fly
If chess is your thing, then why not spend a little bit of money and buy a program with lots of bells and whistles, e.g. Fritz? Chess is not an expensive hobby and investing in a commercial program to analyse your games must be worth it.
The thing is that Crafty + Scid do all the things I want them to so a commercial engine database combination is just not worth it. I give my games to Crafty to chew over once I've finished them but it's suggested lines are often obscure. I doubt a commercial machine is going to give me anything more or produce suggested lines of play that are any less incomprehensible, so I doubt there's much point.

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I don't seem to be able to download this on my ipad, think its possibly needs a PC but I'm not great when it comes to IT.

Willy..........

2 edits
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Here is a position from a recent game I finished, see if you can find the killer move. I didn't see it in the game but it became apparent after post game computer analysis.




1 edit
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Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Here is a position from a recent game I finished, see if you can find the killer move. I didn't see it in the game but it became apparent after post game computer analysis.

[fen]r3qrk1/pp1b4/2p1p2p/3pBp2/2PPn3/P3PR2/1PQ1B1PP/R5K1 w KQkq - 0 1[/fen]


[pgn]

[FEN "r3qrk1/pp1b4/2p1p2p/3pBp2/2PPn3/P3PR2/1PQ1B1PP/R5K1 w KQkq - 0 1"]

1.Qxe4 ...[text shortened]... 8 4.Rxd7+ Kg8 5.Rg7+ Kh8 6.Rxb7+ Kg8 7.Rg7+ Kh8 8.Rxa7+ Kg8 9.Rg7+ Kh8 10.Re7+ Kg8 1-0

[/pgn]
May I ask you to confirm that Qxe4 is the killer move, Im struggling to understand as what would of happened if black had played dxe4 after Qxe4.

This is where I struggle in chess as good move depend on what your opponent does next.

Many thanks.

Willy.........

1 edit
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Originally posted by Sirdubalot
Im struggling to understand as what would of happened if black had played dxe4 after Qxe4.
The purpose of Qxe4 is to allow White to play Rg3+ without the rook being captured. It doesn't really matter which way Black captures the queen.

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Originally posted by Stansi
The purpose of Qxe4 is to allow White to play Rxg3+ without the rook being captured. It doesn't really matter which way Black captures the queen.
Thank you I see it now, sorry for the stupid question.

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