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I don't see anything I can use. The engine is weak. I currently even have to use old CB 16 and Fritz 18 patches because the latest patches have BUGs (I reported about them in the Talkchess forum), e.g. syzygy GUI BUG. ChessBase should make its buyers who bought CB 17 CB 16 and Fritz 18 and Powerfritz 18 happy. ChessBase doesn't do that unfortunately, but always selling new things is more important for them. I feel ripped off because I've bought almost everything so far but everything is buggy.

Example: I am currently using Fritz 18 version 10 on the server. It is the last update (from 2022) without the Syzygy BUG -> where losing moves are automatically moved for 5 and 6 pieces. Powerfritz 18 and CB 16 also have the same Bug. Not only did I show many positions on Talkchess, I also sent everything well explained to ChessBase by email. After all, those are 3 programs that I bought. But there is no bug fix. Should I now buy Fritz 19 so that, perhaps, or not, I don't know, the Bugs has been fixed? I don't think it's OK for ChessBase to expect me to throw away the old software and buy the new one because of old bugs. This is 100% rip off! I will not do that. By the way, if there were a bug fix, I would be so happy that I would still like to buy the new software. It's not about money for me, just about bug-free software that I would like to have.

Fritz 19 was released. ChessBase presented the chess program Fritz 19 today. Is it worth buying? My answer is NO. I have purchased all of the newer Fritz chess programs. Today it is November 2023, but I am still playing on the PlayChess.com server with a Fritz 18 update from August 2022. Reason: All newer updates have a Syzygy BUG! I reported about it in detail --> HERE (Talkchess Forum):
https://talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=82242

I'm still waiting for this BUG to be corrected. I also own the database program ChessBase 16, but this BUG is also present here. I don't know whether Fritz 19 no longer has this BUG, but as a buyer of Fritz 18, Powerfritz 18 and CB 16, I would like to have BUG-free software that I have already purchased.

Engine Fritz 19: In my tests with Powerfritz 18, this engine landed in last place in my position test. And nothing could be gained on the Fritz server PlayChess.com, there were almost only losses. Fritz 19 is advertised as computer chess world champion (like Powerfritz 18). You have to know: Only 4 chess programs played at the WCCC 2023, which on normal hardware have no chance against Stockfish, Lc0 or Komodo-Dragon.

Playing at the WCCC 2023: https://icga.org/

Arasan: 24 cores
Fritz: 2x Boston AMD Epyc 9654 (2×96 cores) overclocked; 1.5TB Ram
Jonny: Cluster of 100 x AMD Epyc 7302 (100×32 cores)
Stoofvlees: AMD Threadripper Pro 5995wx (64 cores, 128 threads); 4x nVidia RTX 4090 256GB Ram

There were 4 engines playing for three world champions titles! The hardware was also partly utopian. If you want to convince yourself that Fritz has absolutely no chance against Stockfish on normal hardware, please buy Fritz 19 and then go to the Fritz server PlayChess.com to play with it. You won't have much fun. I'm sorry.

https://solistachess.jimdosite.com/solista-news/

I posted at talkchess only a few Syzygy GUI-BUG examples, there are many more positions. Here are some more positions that my friends lost with the GUI 18 update version 18. Finally, my friends had to install the old update 10 from August 2022 to stop the defeats! ChessBase does nothing so that we can play correctly with the latest GUI 18 update. And now should I buy Fritz 19? Why did I buy Fritz 18 and Powerfritz 18?

As I said, these are just examples from my friends, actually 2 players.

Examples from my database (losed games on PlayChess.com with GUI 18, positions are draw):

5r2/5P1k/7P/8/4K3/8/5R2/8 b - - 0 113
8/8/K4p2/3Qq3/4P3/4k3/8/8 b - - 0 90
8/5k2/8/8/1B6/5p2/6Kp/8 w - - 0 92
8/4Pk2/2rB4/5p2/8/5K2/8/8 w - - 0 145
8/8/1R4p1/3k4/5PK1/8/5r2/8 b - - 0 67
8/6p1/8/8/4PK1k/8/8/8 b - - 0 45
7r/7P/8/7R/4kp2/8/5K2/8 b - - 0 58
8/6K1/4kPP1/8/5rP1/8/8/8 b - - 0 77
8/8/8/5k2/3P2p1/2N5/6Kp/8 b - - 0 67
8/R7/7P/6pk/4Kr2/8/8/8 w - - 0 70
8/K7/1P2kp2/8/8/5R2/8/1r6 b - - 0 61
8/8/8/P5R1/6p1/5r1k/4K3/8 w - - 0 104
8/8/8/5N2/4k3/8/8/q2K1R2 w - - 0 123
8/6p1/8/2p5/6k1/6P1/5K1P/8 w - - 0 55
8/8/8/5pp1/4k3/4P1K1/5P2/8 w - - 0 113
2k5/8/4K3/8/6p1/6R1/6n1/8 b - - 0 65

Read more here...correction of
8/8/K4p2/3Qq3/4P3/4k3/8/8 b - - 0 90
https://talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic. ... 84#p954679

PGN of a disastrous game with GUI 18+Syzygy.

[Event "Rated game, 5 min"] [Site "Engine Room"] [Date "2023.08.18"] [Round "?"] [White "YuliGM, Stockfish dev-20230"] [Black "IG-88A, Torero PRO-avx2"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D43"] [WhiteElo "3160"] [BlackElo "3159"] [Annotator "0.02;0.04"] [PlyCount "220"] [EventDate "2023.08.18"] [SourceTitle "playchess.com"] [TimeControl "300"] {Stockfish dev-20230816-46756996 (8 threads): 59.9 plies; 7,304kN/s AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-Core Processor 3700MHz, (6 cores, 12 threads), Solista Attack v5.3.ctg, 8192 MB} 1. d4 {B 0} d5 {B 0} 2. c4 {B 0} e6 {B 0} 3. Nf3 {B 0} Nf6 {B 0} 4. Nc3 {B 0} c6 {B 0} 5. Bg5 {B 0} h6 {B 0} 6. Bxf6 {B 0} Qxf6 {B 0} 7. e3 {B 0} g6 {B 0} 8. Be2 {B 0} Nd7 {B 0} 9. O-O {B 0} Bg7 {B 0} 10. e4 {B 0} dxc4 {B 0} 11. Bxc4 {B 0} e5 {B 0} 12. d5 {B 0} Nb6 {B 0} 13. Bb3 {B 0} Bg4 {B 0} 14. Re1 {B 0} Bxf3 {B 0} 15. Qxf3 {B 0} Qxf3 {B 0} 16. gxf3 {B 0} O-O {B 0} 17. dxc6 {B 0} bxc6 {B 0} 18. Na4 {B 0} Rfc8 {B 0} 19. Red1 {B 0} Rc7 {B 0} 20. Rd6 {B 0} Nxa4 {B 0} 21. Bxa4 {B 0} Bf8 {B 0} 22. Rxc6 {B 0} Rxc6 {B 0} 23. Bxc6 {B 0} Rb8 {B 0} 24. b3 {B 0} Ba3 {B 0} 25. Bd5 {B 0} Rc8 {B 0} 26. Bc4 {B 0} Rd8 {B 0} 27. Re1 {B 0} Rd2 {B 0} 28. Re2 {B 0} Rxe2 {B 0} 29. Bxe2 {B 0} h5 {B 0} 30. Kg2 {B 0} Kf8 {0.04/41 10} 31. Kf1 {0.02/72 11 (Bc4)} Ke7 {0.02/46 4} 32. Bc4 {0.02/54 7} a5 {0.02/43 0 (h4)} 33. Bd5 {0.00/66 4} Bc5 {0.00/45 7 (h4)} 34. Ke2 {B 0} Bd4 {0.00/47 3} 35. Bc4 {B 0 (h3)} Bc5 {0.00/57 16} 36. Bd5 {0.00/61 5 (Bd3)} Bd4 {0.00/46 4 (h4)} 37. h3 {0.00/63 4} Bc5 {0.00/47 0} 38. Bc4 {0.00/58 2 (Kd3)} Bd4 {0.00/50 4 (h4)} 39. Ba6 {0.00/61 4 (Kd3)} Kd6 {0.00/55 6} 40. Bc4 {0.00/63 0} Ke7 {0.00/48 4} 41. f4 {0.00/62 0 (Kd3)} exf4 {0.00/48 4} 42. f3 {0.00/63 0} f6 {0.00/45 3 (Ab2)} 43. Kd3 {0.00/67 5} Bb6 {0.00/43 1 (Ab2)} 44. Bb5 {0.00/67 5 (Bd5)} g5 {0.00/49 4} 45. Ba6 {0.00/58 4} Ke6 {0.00/45 0 (Rd6)} 46. Bb7 {0.00/68 4 (Kc4)} Kd6 {0.00/46 4} 47. Bc8 {0.00/62 4} Ke5 {0.00/44 0 (Ac5)} 48. Kc4 {0.00/65 5 (Bf5)} Bg1 {0.00/44 5 (Af2)} 49. Kd3 {0.00/57 10 (Bf5)} Bb6 {0.00/52 4 (Af2)} 50. Bd7 {0.00/62 4 (Bf5)} Bc5 {0.00/48 3} 51. Bf5 {0.00/60 0} Ba7 {0.00/51 2} 52. a3 {0.00/62 1 (Bd7)} Bc5 {0.00/45 9} 53. a4 {0.00/61 0} Bd4 {0.00/53 2 (Ab6)} 54. Kc4 {0.00/55 4 (Bc8)} Bf2 {0.00/49 3 (Ae3)} 55. Kd3 {0.00/58 5 (Bc8)} Bc5 {0.00/48 3 (Ad4)} 56. Bd7 {0.00/77 10 (Bc8)} Ba7 {0.00/45 3 (Rd6)} 57. Kc4 {0.00/61 3 (Bf5)} Bf2 {0.00/46 3 (Ab6)} 58. Bf5 {0.00/63 4 (Kb5)} Bb6 {0.00/49 2 (Ae3)} 59. Bd7 {0.00/56 4} Bf2 {0.00/48 0 (Ac7)} 60. Bf5 {0.00/62 5 (Kb5)} Be3 {0.00/47 3 (Ab6)} 61. Kc3 {0.00/63 8 (Bd7)} Bc5 {0.00/56 7 (Aa7)} 62. Kd3 {0.00/59 3} Bd4 {0.00/47 0 (Aa7)} 63. Kc4 {0.00/65 7} Bf2 {0.00/49 0} 64. Bd7 {0.00/59 2} Bb6 {0.00/47 1 (Ae3)} 65. Kb5 {0.00/66 4 (Bf5)} Bc7 {0.00/47 11 (Ad8)} 66. Kc5 {0.00/69 3 (Kc4)} Bd8 {0.00/43 2} 67. Bf5 {0.00/61 0 (Bc8)} Bc7 {0.00/51 2 (Ae7+)} 68. Kc4 {0.00/62 5} Bb6 {0.00/49 0 (Ad6)} 69. Kb5 {0.00/66 3 (Bd7)} Bd8 {0.00/53 4 (Ac7)} 70. Kc5 {0.00/74 3 (Kc4)} Be7+ {0.00/41 2} 71. Kb5 {0.00/58 0} Kd4 {0.00/40 0 (Ab4)} 72. Kxa5 {0.00/48 3} Ke3 {0.00/44 0} 73. Kb5 {0.00/49 0} Kxf3 {0.00/42 1 (Ad6)} 74. a5 {0.00/53 4} Bd6 {0.00/44 0} 75. a6 {0.00/48 2} Bb8 {0.00/44 1} 76. Kc6 {0.00/43 0} Ba7 {0.00/44 3} 77. b4 {0.00/46 0} g4 {0.00/44 0} 78. hxg4 {0.00/50 0} hxg4 {0.00/46 0} 79. b5 {0.00/51 0} g3 {0.00/46 0} 80. Bh3 {0.00/55 3} Ke3 {0.00/46 0 (Re2)} 81. b6 {0.00/51 2} Bxb6 {0.00/50 0} 82. Kxb6 {0.00/52 0} f3 {0.00/50 1} 83. a7 {0.00/54 0} g2 {0.00/49 0} 84. Bxg2 {0.00/61 2} fxg2 {0.00/80 10} 85. a8=Q {0} g1=Q {0.00/1 0} 86. Qc6 {0} Qb1+ {0.00/0 0} 87. Ka7 {0.00/1 0} Qb2 {0.00/0 0} 88. Ka6 {0} Qd4 {0.00/0 0} 89. Qd6 {0.00/1 0} Qe5 {0.00/0 0} 90. Qd5 {0} Qf4 {0.00/0 0} 91. Qe6 {-1/0 0} Qxe4 {-5/1 0} 92. Qh3+ {-5/1 0} Kd4 {-4/0 0} 93. Qd7+ {-4/0 0} Kc3 {-3/1 0} 94. Qg7 {-3/1 0} Qd4 {-2/1 0} 95. Qf8 {-2/0 0} Qd3+ {-1/1 0} 96. Kb6 {-1/0 0} f5 {-6/1 0} 97. Qa3+ {-6/1 0} Kd2 {-5/1 0} 98. Qa5+ {-5/0 0} Ke2 {-4/1 0} 99. Qa2+ {-4/1 0} Kf3 {-3/0 0} 100. Qa8+ {-3/1 0} Qe4 {-2/0 0} 101. Qa3+ {-2/1 0} Qe3+ {-1/0 0} 102. Qc5 {-1/0 0} Qxc5+ {-1/0 0} 103. Kxc5 {-1/0 0} f4 {-2/1 0} 104. Kb4 {-2/0 0} Ke2 {-1/0 0} 105. Ka3 {-1/0 0} f3 {-1/1 0} 106. Ka2 {-1/0 0} f2 {-1/1 0} 107. Ka1 {-1/0 0} f1=Q+ {-4/1 0} 108. Kb2 {-4/0 0} Kd2 {-3/0 0} 109. Ka3 {-3/0 0} Kc3 {-2/0 0} 110. Ka2 {-2/1 0} Qg2+ {-1/0 0 YuliGM,Stockfish dev-202308 rinde} 0-1

And because of things like this, until this kind of bugs are fixed, it is pointless playing at PlayChess (unless you have a non-buggy version).

Some users told me that the GUI sometimes even accepts draws when you are in a winning position and your opponent is totally lost!

In this situation, the opponent sends a draw offer request and the GUI of the player winning the game accepts it!

That is actually insane.

But it is even more insane that you have to pay to play in the server or to buy the GUIs when they are full of bugs.

Solista wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 11:49 am ChessBase does nothing

You are wrong, they taking money.. Who knows, maybe this bug added in purpose to take a "revenge" from Stockfish team (just kidding).

Fritz 19 also currently has a Syzygy BUG. 5-Pieces Syzygy are not found by the GUI.