Fritz 12 Released in October

Fans of Chessbase software will no doubt be pleased to hear that the release of the latest version of their flagship playing program Fritz, is due in October. 

So what is new in Fritz 12?  Well, the menu layout has been completely re-designed for a start.  Anyone familiar with the Microsoft Office 2007 "Fluent User Interface" (better known as the "ribbon"), will know what to expect.

The program itself is faster and stronger than ever before, and includes a new opening book and 12 hours of video tutorials from leading GMs.

Some existing features, like the "spy" function, rated games, and analysis have been improved, while new features have also been introduced such as:

• a dial display which rates how "hot" (i.e. sharp) the position is..
• a special "Mate-O-Meter" which is...well, I've no idea, but it sounds pretty cool!

Popular online chess shops around the world, including Wholesale Chess and ChessCentral in the US, have started accepting pre-orders for Fritz 12, which should be ready for shipping in the week of 12 October.

If you've never owned any chess software before, now could be a great time to start - before Fritz gets to unlucky number 13!

UPDATE: Video now added