FAQ – ChessBase 9 Basics

By Mark Kaprielian

This purpose of this FAQ is to provide you with instructions on doing “basic” tasks with ChessBase.  These instructions are written for ChessBase 8 running on a Microsoft Windows XP operating system on a PC.  As things are uncovered that are specific to ChessBase 9, they will be designated as ChessBase 9.

 

Revision History

Date

Person

Change

2004-03-27

Mark Kaprielian

Initial Creation of Document

2005-08-06

Mark Kaprielian

Added how to insert a diagram before the first move

2005-11-13

Mark Kaprielian

Started changes to denote CB 9 differences.  How to email dialog is

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents. 1

How to understand the instructions. 2

What do you mean when you instruct me to “Click on” something. 2

What do you mean when you instruct me to “Right Click on” something. 2

What do you mean when you instruct me to “Double Click on” something. 2

What is a “keyboard shortcut”?. 3

Where can I find if there is a keyboard shortcut for the thing I want to do?. 3

Tips when looking at the list of databases. 3

What is a Database?. 3

Where do I see the Databases?. 3

How do I see what games are in a database?. 3

How do I close a database?. 3

What do the letter codes that appear to the right of the information for a game in some views of the database mean?. 3

What do the color bars that appear in the information for a game in some views of the database mean?  4

Do I have to close an open window to go back to another window?. 4

How do I close ChessBase?. 4

How do I create a new database?. 4

How do I change the name of the actual database, not just how the name appears in the database window?. 4

How do I delete an entire database?. 4

How do I set the Reference Database so that my searches for games will be done in the database I want, such as the Mega Database?. 5

Tips when you have a database open and are looking at the list of Games. 5

How do you “unselect” things that you have selected?. 5

How do you select more than one game at a time when you need to?. 5

How do you select a range of games at a time when you need to?. 5

How do I merge several games into one game?. 6

How do I send several games at once to someone via Email?. 6

How do I open a game?. 6

How do I change the way Games are shown in the database?. 6

How do I delete a game?. 6

How do Sort the games in a database?. 6

How do I get the sorted games to stay sorted once I’ve sorted them?. 7

Tips when you have a game open. 7

What does Save do?. 7

What does Replace do?. 7

How do I get the “Replay” buttons beneath the board?. 7

What does the Undo a move button do on the “Replay” Buttons below the board?. 7

How do I enter a variation?. 7

How do I fix one move that I entered wrong without re-entering all the other moves?. 7

Is there another way to “undo” a move other than clicking the Undo Move button?. 8

How do you send the game you have opened to someone?. 8

How do I make a diagram appear when the game is printed out?. 8

How do I remove a diagram from being printed out?. 8

How do Insert a diagram before the first move of a game?. 9

How do Insert a diagram before the first move of a game when I have not yet entered any moves?. 9

How do I put in those various special annotation markings that you see in a game score?. 9

What are some of the more useful keyboard short cuts to know about when you have a game open?. 9

Advanced Features. 9

What does an Opening Report do and how do I make one?. 9

Other tips not yet written just outlined to be done later 9

 

How to understand the instructions

What do you mean when you instruct me to “Click on” something

When you see us instruct you to do something that we write like Click on View, Details, this is a series of instructions that are to be done by using the left mouse button to click on the first item listed.  You can then move the mouse pointer to the next item listed.  If there are more items listed, look for a little triangular arrow next to the current item and move the mouse pointer over it until a new list of choices appears and then look for the next item.  Repeat this until you have reached the last item listed and then release the left mouse button.

What do you mean when you instruct me to “Right Click on” something

When you see us instruct you to do something that we write like Right Click on the database, Edit, Details, this is a series of instructions that are to be done by using the right mouse button to click on the first item listed.  You can then move the mouse pointer to the next item listed.  If there are more items listed, look for a little triangular arrow next to the current item and move the mouse pointer over it until a new list of choices appears and then look for the next item.  Repeat this until you have reached the last item listed and then release the left mouse button.

What do you mean when you instruct me to “Double Click on” something

When you see us instruct you to do something that we write like Double Click the Database, you should the mouse pointer over the item listed and then click the left mouse button quickly twice.   If you do not do the two presses of the left mouse button fast enough, nothing will happen.

What is a “keyboard shortcut”? 

A keyboard shortcut is a series of keys press on you keyboard that allow you to do something instead of doing a sequence of left or right mouse clicks  As you use ChessBase more, you will find that learning certain shortcuts will save you a lot of time. 

Keyboard shortcuts will appear in these instructions looking like:   Alt+A, Crt+-Q, Ctrl+Shift+A

The abbreviation Alt means the Alt key on your keyboard. 

The Ctrl abbreviation means the Control key on you keyboard which may appear on your particular keyboard as some variation of the word control. 

Shift means the Shift key.  

When you see some combination of these you are supposed to hold the keys down simultaneously starting with the left most listed and proceeding to the right. 

For example, Ctrl+Shift+A  means hold the Ctl key down, then the Shift Key then the A key.  You then can release all the keys at once or in any order.

Where can I find if there is a keyboard shortcut for the thing I want to do?

When you reach the last step of selecting something to do with your mouse, if there is a shortcut available, it will be shown next to that last step.  Here are some examples:

1.      When you are looking at the database, Click on View.  Look next to the choice Details and you should see  Ctrl+D

2.      When you are looking at games in the database, Click on View, List Format.  At the bottom you will see next to the choice Toggle,  Alt+Q

Tips when looking at the list of databases

What is a Database?

A database is a collection of one or more games.

Where do I see the Databases?

When you first open ChessBase it will present you a view of Databases.  ChessBase may display the Databases three different ways that it calls; Details, Large Icons and Small Icons.  We recommend you select the Details view by Menu, View, Details.

How do I see what games are in a database?

To see the games you must “open” a database.  Double click on the database you want to open

How do I close a database?

While the database is open, click on the X in the upper right corner of the window.

What do the letter codes that appear to the right of the information for a game in some views of the database mean?

v

contains some variations

V

contains many variations

R

contains huge nested variations ("repertoire")

S

contains symbols but no text

C

contains text

I

contains critical positions

A

contains colored squares or arrows

T

contains training questions

M

contains multimedia annotations

G

contains a game quotation

F

contains correspondence management data (CB6 only)

 

 

What do the color bars that appear in the information for a game in some views of the database mean?

You need to look at the definitions which is also where you can change which color appears or not.

3.      Open the game for which you want to see what the colors mean

4.      Right Click on any move, Special Annotation, Select Medal

5.      Check or Uncheck any box to see what color is associated with it.

Do I have to close an open window to go back to another window?

No, each time you or ChessBase open another window, a new “task button” should appear in your “task bar”.  This is a standard thing that happens with Microsoft Windows operating systems on PCs.  You can go to another window by clicking on a different task button.

How do I close ChessBase?

While in the window that shows the databases, click on the X in the upper right corner of the window.

How do I create a new database?

6.      In ChessBase 9,  File, New, Database  to open the dialog window “New Database”

The dialog box that is open is the typical File dialog box that MS Windows uses everywhere.  As you would do any other file, you would do the following steps

7.      Navigate to the folder location  you want to save the new database

8.      In the File Name portion of the window, edit the right most part of the file name where it says, “New Database.cbh” to be whatever you want to call your database file.  Be careful to not disturb the rest of the file name to the left of this.

9.      Click OK to close the Window

How do I change the name of the actual database, not just how