Library and Record Keeping...any thoughts?

About 9 months ago, I was forced to abandon about 25 active games on RHP, due to employment issues, and a domestic situation that was not chess friendly. As a result, my rating fell off a cliff. Now that things have stablized, I'm ready to begin again. I've tried to keep records of my completed games, as well as a record of my favorite opening lines. These are kept in a card file box, and in a few notebooks. My chess library consists of the 5 ECO volumes, 8 informants, and a few tactics and openings books, as well as the database of Chessmaster 10000 Searching for an opening line that fits the position I'm playing is often cumbersom, and time consuming. I'm not a advocate of blindly following opening lines of books, but finding the opening imformation I'm looking for, as a guide is often difficult when plowing through several volumes, a card file box, a notebook, and a software database. I have a large amount of quality games as a guide, but it's disorganized, and in several different areas. Can anyone suggest a better system than this? 😏

Seems to me Chessbase 10 is the answer for you my friend. You can keep all your games in 1 place, have a 3m game database to search, use analysis engines etc etc. Its packed full of features and if your serious about your chess, is a great bit of kit to have.

I don't use Chessbase, but I think it's a pretty good idea. I'm less computer oriented myself.

If you want a quick reference to all your games (for opening repetition) without using a computer, I have an idea.

Number all your games. Use a pencil and write in the game number next to the opening variation in ECO. That way, next time you are using ECO, you will be able to look at how you played the same thing last time.

This will take a bit of time if you have many games, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Originally posted by paulbuchmanfromfics
I don't use Chessbase, but I think it's a pretty good idea. I'm less computer oriented myself.

If you want a quick reference to all your games (for opening repetition) without using a computer, I have an idea.

Number all your games. Use a pencil and write in the game number next to the opening variation in ECO. That way, next time you ...[text shortened]... s will take a bit of time if you have many games, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Blue and Paul...thank you! Good Ideas.