1. Joined
    16 Jun '06
    Moves
    9940
    29 Sep '13 03:16
    Hi. I'm thinking about setting up a database of my games. Can anyone recommend a good programme - ideally, something fairly straightforward and free. At the moment I just use babaschess as a pgn viewer, which is fine but doesn't work as a database. Cheers.
  2. SubscriberRagwort
    Senecio Jacobaea
    Yorkshire
    Joined
    04 Jul '09
    Moves
    185547
    29 Sep '13 11:22
    I have used SCID for over ten years years now in both it's Linux and Windows formats. I found it better than Chessbase Lite on account of the no limit on Database size. At the time CBLite was limited to 6000 games. I also tried a programme called Jose which I quite liked but the writer stopped his project half way through and it lacks features and has one or two bugs.

    Each of these databases stores games in their own format (for quick search and retrieval) so I recommend that you store your games in a separate PGN file as well so that you can access them with any PGN reader. If you change your database programme later on then you can at least read the games. Don't zip them either because that technology changes too and two or three laptops down the line your original files will be irretrievable. This was brought home to me when I was controller of a postal tournament some years ago and saved the files in an early edition of Chessbase. I had the devil's own job to retrieve them some years later.
  3. Joined
    16 Jun '06
    Moves
    9940
    30 Sep '13 08:19
    Thanks. Much appreciated.
  4. Subscribersonhouse
    Fast and Curious
    slatington, pa, usa
    Joined
    28 Dec '04
    Moves
    53223
    30 Sep '13 09:361 edit
    Originally posted by Ragwort
    I have used SCID for over ten years years now in both it's Linux and Windows formats. I found it better than Chessbase Lite on account of the no limit on Database size. At the time CBLite was limited to 6000 games. I also tried a programme called Jose which I quite liked but the writer stopped his project half way through and it lacks features and has one or ...[text shortened]... s in an early edition of Chessbase. I had the devil's own job to retrieve them some years later.
    Is there such a thing as a SCID to PGN format converter?
    I found this:

    http://www.freewebs.com/pc-chess/SCID%20Convert.htm

    Does it convert both ways? Not sure at first reading.
  5. SubscriberRagwort
    Senecio Jacobaea
    Yorkshire
    Joined
    04 Jul '09
    Moves
    185547
    30 Sep '13 13:56
    Originally posted by sonhouse
    Is there such a thing as a SCID to PGN format converter?
    I found this:

    http://www.freewebs.com/pc-chess/SCID%20Convert.htm

    Does it convert both ways? Not sure at first reading.
    I've never needed one because SCID is able to save imported or inputted PGN games into it's own format - at which point it is possible to add comments and variations to the text. It won't let you edit PGN files direct. There is then an "export" option to a PGN file which provides the back up I was talking about, giving you a PGN version and a SCID version of each game.

    I haven't checked but I think the converter you mentioned is only of use to decode SCID files if you don't have SCID. There are some free Databases in SCID format on the internet that I suppose people may want to put into chess base or something. I guess such a utility may be quicker than doing each game by hand from within the program.
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