Updates have been delayed even further.
Due to the passing of a close family member, updates will be further delayed. I ask for your understanding.
The curated chess archive for your preparation
End the PGN chaos from the internet. Lumbra’s Gigabase filters millions of raw data through a highly efficient Rust pipeline into a cleaned, high-performance archive for Scid vs. PC/MAC and Scid 5.x.
The databases at a glance
- OTB Database: Over 10.3 million over-the-board games from more than 900,000 players.
- Online Database: Over 7.2 million curated games (Elo 1800+) from more than 125,000 players.
Current Version: July 2026
Databases: 2026-07-08
Incremental update: none
Time-range OTB PGN files: 2026-07-08
Opening books time ranges: 2025-02-06
Opening books ECO: 2025-02-06
Opening books NIC codes: 2026-05-05
Highest data quality through Rust deduplication
Lumbra’s Gigabase is characterized by an uncompromising focus on data quality. My custom-developed system written in Rust identifies exact and subsumed duplicates fully automatically. Short games (under 10 half-moves) are filtered out just as consistently as flawed name strings.
Partner Showcase (TBD)
This section is dedicated to project partnerships, chess training apps, and integrated platforms. Some of the links in this Partner Showcase are affiliate links. If you purchase software or subscribe through one of these links, I’ll receive a small commission to support this project—of course, the price remains exactly the same for you.
Chessever
Chessever is the mobile chess streaming platform. Follow live tournaments, keep an eye on grandmasters, and analyze games in real time on iOS and Android.
If you subscribe within 14 days of registering, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Use the code “lumbras” to get 10% off your subscription. (Disclaimer: These discount codes only count when used through web Stripe checkout on chessever.com. They do not apply to App Store or Google Play purchases.)
Thank you for your support!
Monthly Updates
The database is updated regularly on the first Tuesday of every month. To stay up to date, it is sufficient to import the monthly update file in PGN format into your existing Scid database. A complete re-download is not strictly necessary.
Support for this project
Server operations, the Rust infrastructure, and the continuous curation of the data incur monthly costs. If this free archive helps you with your chess preparation, I would appreciate a contribution via Buy Me A Coffee.
7 responses to “Free chess game database for Scid”
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Gracias por este recurso fantastico¡¡¡
Me sirve mucho para mi entrenamiento en el camino hacia la maestria en ajedrez(Thank you for this fantastic resource!!! It’s really helpful for my training as I work toward a master’s degree in chess. // translated by admin)
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Hi Team, not sure if this has been addressed yet, but 2025 games are mostly cropped, many games have moves ending in around 8 to 10 moves.
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Best database ever. It would be really nice to release a lite version with only the important games above 2200 elo.
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Thank you so much for all your hard work. I have been using SCID for many years, but now have a great database to go with it. I’m going to share this with all my students. Now, to work out how to buy you a coffee :-)
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If this page is an chess move. It will be a brilliant move.
As my favorite Gm would say.
Sanx for ze games. – Daniil Dubov -
This is a fantastic resource! Thank you so much for making this collection.
I’m in the process of writing a book on romantic style chess openings, and your database has been very helpful in finding games from some of the old masters.
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