Extract text from chess game files (PGN)
To convert PGN chess games to another format, you need ChessBase or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Chess Match Data" file type, you need software like ChessBase or a similar tool.
The .PGN (Portable Game Notation) file is a standard plain-text format designed specifically to record chess games. It stores metadata about a chess match - such as player names, event location, date, and the final result - followed by the standard algebraic notation of the moves. Because it is encoded in basic text, typically UTF-8, it is highly compatible across almost every modern operating system. Software like ChessBase, Fritz, or popular web platforms like Lichess natively open, parse, and export .PGN files. For further technical details, you can consult the Wikipedia article on Portable Game Notation.
While .PGN files are excellent for computers and avid chess players, they are practically useless for non-players or users who want to view a game graphically without installing dedicated chess software. The format contains absolutely no visual data. Reading a 60-move text file and visualizing the board is difficult for human readers. Furthermore, the format can sometimes bundle thousands of games into one massive text file, making it slow to navigate or search manually.
To share a game on social media, in an article, or with a friend, you must convert the data. For visual representation, convert .PGN to an animated GIF or MP4 to show the game progressing visually over time. For static publishing and archiving, convert to PDF to include readable board diagrams. For web integration or capturing a single board setup, convert to FEN (Forsyth-Edwards Notation) or JSON.
Convert.Guru analyzes your PGN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted CBH, CBV, PNG, PDF, TXT, JPG, GZ, ZIP, DOCX, JPEG, EXE, BIN and TORRENT files.
If you want to convert PGN file to FEN, GIF, EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP or MAP, you can use ChessBase or similar software from the "Chess Game Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to PGN, try ChessBase or another comparable tool in the "Chess Game Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our PGN converter.