Functions, mostly - the big `awk` command in the example goes into something like

    # @param $1 whatever
    chess_extract_scores() {
         awk blah blah blah
    }

and then your whole pipeline simplifies to

    cat foo | grep bar | chess_extract_scores

which is pretty readable. You can even do most of this in a live bash session with ^X ^E.

bash has functions; functions are just like commands. Write your comments in the functions, and your final line will be the pipeline of awesomeness:

   generate_data ()
       {
        # make it rain
       }

   process ()
       {
        # chunky
       }

   gather ()
       {
        # puree
       }
  
   generate_data | process | gather