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Z.F.'s Free Chess Programs
Links to the best free chess downloadsMenu:
Fritz 5.32
Fritz 5.32 was the first chess program I bought for my first PC back in 1998, and it's now one of the best all-round free chess downloads on the net. Use it for playing, analysis, and managing databases.
http://www.top-5000.nl/dl.htm?file=dl/fritz532.zip
The program comes with the old, but strong, fritz 5.32 engine. Other free chessbase engines can be downloaded from Chessbase.com, and fritz 6 can be used from chessbase light. Aside from playing against fritz, you can use program to analyze your games, study opening statistics, and organize engine matches. One of its most useful abilities is to create and search large databases in either pgn or cbv format. You'll need an opening book, such as the latest Perfect .ctg, or you could use the one provided with Rybka 1.0 beta. You could download a large database from Lars Balzer's chessgameslinks, or even create your own from the Week in Chess archives.
Useful short cuts
F11 (main window) to view the opening book.
F2 (while playing) for the coach's suggestion.
T (database window) for the tournament table.
O (database window) for a game overview.
Ctrl Y to have Fritz analyze and comment a game.
Limitations
The only shortcoming of this program is that it doesn't handle UCI engines. Not bad for free!