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Subject: Re: How to Create a Game Database from an Opening Book?

Author: Bob Durrett

Date: 07:42:46 01/28/04

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On January 28, 2004 at 00:32:58, Mike Hood wrote:

>Paul, I read your instructions, and I tried to carry them out with Fritz 8 (the
>latest GUI update). The database window offers .CTG as an input format, but it
>doesn't work. I also tried the same procedure with Chessbase 8, and it also
>doesn't work.
>
>But I have a question for Bob Durrett. Even if it were possible, why would you
>want to do it? When an opening book is generated from a database a lot of
>information is discarded. First of all, the lines are truncated to a "sensible"
>opening length, depending on the preferences set. Secondly, all the details
>about the players is eliminated. And the win-loss details are coded into the
>statistics. So, what's the point? Why not just get a good database? Chessbase's
>megabase is a good starting point, but if you're interested in openings study
>you'd probably be better with Chessbase's Openings Encyclopedia CD.

Those are good questions, not just for ME but for anybody working with opening
books and opening repertoires.

For my purposes, all of the stuff discarded when a book is created is "junk"
[for my purposes] which I would discard myself.  For example, I could care less
who won the game or if it ended in a draw.  [I will not care who won and lost in
CCT6.  Instead, the games themselves are what I will care about.]

Books typically offer transpositional lines not found in the original game set.
These transpositiional lines are very interesting to me and I would like to
identify and study them.  That is my primary purpose.

The Megabase2004 database I use is wonderful.  I could not improve on it.  I
also very much like my correspondence game database and database of
problems/studies.  They are all very useful for what I do.  I do not seek to
replace them with anything else.  Incidentally, I also have Chessbase's Openings
Encyclopedia CD which I have copied to my hard drive.  I also like it!

The Steve Lopez article referenced elsewhere in this thread gives some insight
into why someone would be interested in specialized books.  Some people like to
create specialized opening books to investigate openings of interest to them. It
is easy to create such specialized opening books using the Opening Report
feature of Chessbase 8.0 and I do that.

If a specific line is being investigated, it is useful to have a "game" [also
called a "line"] for that specific line.  Then findings relevant to that line
can be entered as annotations &/or variations into that game.  This is a good
way to keep a record of one's research findings.  Having all relevant materials
kept together facilitates later review and extensions.

I could go on for hours, but maybe that answered your questions.

Hopefully.  : )

Bob D.



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