user3757: While downloading some games I came across some files in ChessBase format:

.cbv
.cbf
.cbh

I would like to know if is is possible to convert these files to .pgn format without using proprietary software and how it can be made.

user618: There is now a CBH to PGN app for Android (only handles CBH files, not cbv) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.chess.cb&hl=en
I personally would like to see this available as a command line utility on windows.

user9553: Here is a simple way to do exactly what you want: 

Open the .cbv file in ChessBase Reader
Select all the files you would like to convert to .pgn (Ctrl-A to select all files)
Go to File at the top left corner and press Selection To Text file
You will receive a popup where you should select PGN under Format and press OK
Save the .pgn in your designated area and that's it! 

You now have a .pgn database!

user3594: Well since the protocols creating cbv, cbf and cbh formats are not made publicly available, one will certainly not find any such conversion tool (i.e. unclear how they are encoded to reverse them to pgn).
Other reason maybe that the difference between all these formats is just due to an "incremental encoding" that is being used, which means that for it to be possible to go backward, to a pgn format, only the chessbase engine can do so!
Until a way around this is found, you can use playchess free program or easier the chessbase light (which is free), where using 
choose file->new database and create pgn files 
will allow you to obtain pgn formats again. 

user7056: I wrote a cli tool to extract .cbv archives.
And you can use scidb to open the resulting .cbh file.
Scidb will eventually support opening .cbv archives directly.

3757: <p>While downloading some games I came across some files in ChessBase format:</p>

<ul>
<li>.cbv</li>
<li>.cbf</li>
<li>.cbh</li>
</ul>

<p>I would like to know if is is possible to convert these files to .pgn format without using proprietary software and how it can be made.</p>
 618: <p>There is now a CBH to PGN app for Android (only handles CBH files, not cbv) - <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.chess.cb&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.chess.cb&amp;hl=en</a></p>

<p>I personally would like to see this available as a command line utility on windows.</p>
 9553: <p>Here is a simple way to do exactly what you want: </p>

<ol>
<li>Open the <em>.cbv</em> file in <strong>ChessBase Reader</strong></li>
<li>Select all the files you would like to convert to <em>.pgn</em> (<strong>Ctrl-A</strong> to select all files)</li>
<li>Go to <strong>File</strong> at the top left corner and press <strong>Selection To Text file</strong></li>
<li>You will receive a popup where you should select <strong>PGN</strong> under <strong>Format</strong> and press <strong>OK</strong></li>
<li>Save the <em>.pgn</em> in your designated area and that's it! </li>
</ol>

<p>You now have a <em>.pgn</em> database!</p>
 3594: <p>Well since the protocols creating cbv, cbf and cbh formats are not made publicly available, one will certainly not find any such conversion tool (i.e. unclear how they are encoded to reverse them to pgn).</p>

<p>Other reason maybe that the difference between all these formats is just due to an "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incremental_encoding" rel="nofollow noreferrer">incremental encoding</a>" that is being used, which means that for it to be possible to go backward, to a pgn format, only the chessbase engine can do so!</p>

<p>Until a way around this is found, you can use <a href="http://en.playchess.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">playchess free program</a> or easier the <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20090822130548/http://www.chessbase.com/download/cblight/index.asp?newsid=5654" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chessbase light</a> (which is free), where using </p>

<p><em>choose file->new database and create pgn files</em> </p>

<p>will allow you to obtain pgn formats again. </p>
 7056: <p>I wrote <a href="https://github.com/antoyo/uncbv" rel="noreferrer">a cli tool to extract .cbv archives</a>.
And you can use <a href="http://scidb.sourceforge.net/" rel="noreferrer">scidb</a> to open the resulting .cbh file.
Scidb will eventually support opening .cbv archives directly.</p>
