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own games database software?

own games database software?

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scubily

Joined
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29 Sep 13
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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.

Ragwort
Senecio Jacobaea

Yorkshire

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04 Jul 09
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189452
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29 Sep 13

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.

scubily

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Thanks. Much appreciated.

s
Fast and Curious

slatington, pa, usa

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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.

Ragwort
Senecio Jacobaea

Yorkshire

Joined
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189452
Clock
30 Sep 13
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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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