John Cordes wrote in message ...
Michael Byrne wrote:
John Cordes wrote in message ...
Michael Byrne wrote:
John Cordes wrote in message ...
I'm looking for a simple way to convert from algebraic notation (a full
or partial game) into descriptrive notation (other than 'by hand', so to
speak, which I *can* do when necessary).

My real need is to have something simple and fast to just translate a
game line quite often; I don't have a collection of games that need
converting.
John Cordes

This shoudl do the trick!
http://www.dfong.com/chessbd/index.html
it works very well with "dirty" text

Thanks again. I've followed up on your suggestion and installed Don
Fong's program; the downloaded program includes both ChessBD and SLICS.
I see that the ChessBD component is now freeware, as opposed to the
SLICS part.

I'm guessing that ChessBD is the program you're implying will do the
conversion from algebraic to descriptive notation. I have pasted a line
in algebraic notation into ChessBD and that much works fine. But after
looking through the help screens and trying various menu options I
haven't found a way to transform the notation to descriptive. Would I
have to write a little script and send it to ChessBD?

And then there's the problem of exporting the descriptive notation,
assuming the conversion can be accomplished; saving a file would be a
nuisance. The ChessMaster route is probably simpler.

Oh, for a Linux command line utility! Simon, are you still considering
writing something in Perl?

John Cordes


for what you want to do - the freeware version slics21a.zip works
better and simpler in my opinion -- it's at the pitt ftp site - search
"slics21a" on google and you should find it

from the help file
================================================== ================
outnotation (default: 0)
Controls move notation used for output by the program. If =1 moves are
output in english descriptive notation; if =2 moves are output
in algebraic notation. if =0 moves are printed in the same notation
that was used for the last input move. See also the innotation
variable.
================================================== ================
set the

outnotation=1

in CHESSBD.INI

the output is a little funky - not sure if it works for you or not,
the Chessbase 8 method works the best IMO ...you can just print one
gane or whole database at once.

best,

Michael