Feature Request: Merge Multiple Games

[DimEyeChessGuy]

Hi there.
I would like the ability, please, to merge multiple games into a single game in my database. It's quite tedious having to add games one by one to merge. Is this a possibility?

Thanks,
DECG (Tom)

[EloDeficit]

Have you tried

https://github.com/olleeriksson/pgn-tools ?

[DimEyeChessGuy]

Thank you very much for your suggestion.

I am hoping to get these tools built in to HCE. I can do them one at a time with HCE and it works great... But I'd love to be able to do multiple at once. This exists in Chessbase. (I own a copy of CB15 but no longer own a windows machine). I am, happily, a Mac only user now. I've chosen HCE Pro and invested in it. So I'm hoping to suggest some of these quality of life features for my program of choice.

Again, I very much appreciate the suggestion.

DECG (Tom)

[Mark Uniacke]

What do you mean by Merge Multiple Games:
1) Adding games to a database? or
2) Merging multiple game notations into an existing game notation?

If it is 2) how many games would you want to merge and why?

Are you wanting headers to be merged?

Currently games can be inserted and merged into a notation for annotation purposes. Normally that is done at specific points in a notation.

A bulk merge into a notation seems strange to me as you will lose the value of games being part of a database and more easily referenced through trees, filtering etc. The notation will also become complex with lack of obvious game context.

[DimEyeChessGuy]

Hey Mark.
To notation.

My use case example... I have a db that I've created for my white repertoire. I have a game in that database for each critical position of that rep. (see my other request for critical position annotation and medals).
As I gather new games (TWIC, etc), I want to be able to search on those positions (games) to monitor current theory and and/or refutations to each one of those line (games). Or current trends in lines I like to play, etc. I like to keep a handful or so of current games that support the existing theory or a change in the theory in each line (game). Or maybe a new idea that I want to flesh out with supporting games of that idea.

So, currently I have to add those games one at a time to the annotation. I obviously have to manage all of that to keep it reasonable. For example, I only keep 3-5ish games (and their headers) for each line... and of course, I truncate the games to reasonable and useful lengths. HCE Pro obviously already has the ability to do that stuff.

So this DB is very fluid and I put a lot of work and study into it. Having the ability to select a handful of games, have them copied to the clipboard, and then merge in to my game annotation at once would be a quite a time saver.

DECG (Tom)

[DimEyeChessGuy]

A bulk merge into a notation seems strange to me as you will lose the value of games being part of a database and more easily referenced through trees, filtering etc. The notation will also become complex with lack of obvious game context.

See my response post... you wouldn't do this with a bunch of games... but 3-5 games each time per line (my white rep db has about 32 main positions in the g3 English that I've prepped... so doing that 3-5 times per main position every time I go through new game sets is LOOOOONNNGGG.

Being able to drop those games in IN BULK (3-5ish games) per line would save time. This is a very common way to do opening prep (see Mig Greengards column on Kasparovs opening 'playbook'). It's where I got the idea many years ago and I've been doing it that way ever since (of course, I'm not Kaspy - hahaha)

DECG (Tom)

[Mark Uniacke]

HCE Pro already allows you to insert and merge multiple games into the notation if you really want to do that using the Tree Browser but I am wondering if merging 3-5 games for every line or position as you mentioned in a large notation is the best way to manage your opening repertoire. Surely that makes the notation very complex, you might prefer to have the position/moves/stats info that could be obtained from a reference database using the Tree view.

I can understand you might want a specific opening variation repertoire in a game notation and you might want to insert the occasional model game etc but beware these can become out of date. However, if you keep the model games separately in a reference database you can check any position in your notation against all the games in your reference database via the Tree Browser and have HCE Pro do the searching for you.

For example at any point in your notation repertoire you can load the Tree Explorer and set it to your reference database (load the reference DB in another tab first). You will then have the positions, moves and stats for your reference in the Tree view. In addition you can then open the Tree Browser from the Tree Explorer for any position and it will automatically index all the games for that position from the reference database into the Tree Browser and allow you to navigate and select them. Yes you can even select one or more games to be inserted and merged into your notation and they can be inserted for annotation or repertoire purposes.

More on the Tree browser here: https://www.hiarcs.com/hce-pro/manuals/ ... ialog.html
Use the game checkboxes to multi-select.

In addition you might want to use the Book Explorer to cross reference and check the latest H-Reference book which has all the human moves played in OTB and correspondence master chess history or use the Tournament book for extra computer resources. You can have the Tree and multiple books displayed at the same time referencing the current position automatically.

Personally having worked with some very strong players I would keep the notation free of too many model game examples embedded in the notation (they could become outdated and the extra complexity in the notation can be counterproductive) and reference them using the Tree from your reference database and the Books.

In any case if you really want to inset and merge 3-5 games per line or position into your notation you can do that in HCE Pro using the Tree Browser as explained above. I hope that helps you, note you can set a reference DB tab for the Tree view using the DB list selector in Tree view.

[DimEyeChessGuy]

Thanks, Mark.
I'm pretty open-minded to new ways of doing things. So, I'll give this a try.

The one thing that maybe I'd still ask for is the other thread for critical positions and medals. This would allow me to 'automate' some of these tasks. IE. have HCE Pro search a new set of games for ALL 'critical positions' from my repertoire database.

Again, I appreciate the help and I'll give this a try.

DECG (Tom)

[mrudolf]

The one thing that maybe I'd still ask for is the other thread for critical positions and medals. This would allow me to 'automate' some of these tasks. IE. have HCE Pro search a new set of games for ALL 'critical positions' from my repertoire database.

As this was mention in another thread, I suggest keeping the discussion about medals/critical positions there. This will make it easier to track the discussion.

As Mark mentioned, merging multiple games is implemented, but probably not what you want for tracking new games.

[DimEyeChessGuy]

The one thing that maybe I'd still ask for is the other thread for critical positions and medals. This would allow me to 'automate' some of these tasks. IE. have HCE Pro search a new set of games for ALL 'critical positions' from my repertoire database.

As this was mention in another thread, I suggest keeping the discussion about medals/critical positions there. This will make it easier to track the discussion.

As Mark mentioned, merging multiple games is implemented, but probably not what you want for tracking new games.

Indeed. My apologies.

DECG (Tom)