Maximum Data Integrity Instead of Guessing
- Rigorous deduplication: Automatic selection of the most informative “master record.”
- Strict Quarantine: Games involving conflicts (color swaps, FIDE ID discrepancies) are not grouped together but are treated separately.
- Transparent Identities: Phonetic and historical reconciliation with proof of origin included in the PGN tags.
Full PGN and SCID support
- Optimized Formats: Available immediately in PGN format as well as in the Scid formats
si4andsi5. - Focus on Standard Chess: Games played exclusively from the starting position (no Chess960 or fragment games).
- Cleaned data: Removal of unnecessary engine evaluations while fully preserving the thinking time (
%clk,%emt). - Chronological Sorting: Sorted deterministically by date, event, location, and round.
Independent
- Focus on Quality: Developed and maintained by Michael Jansen, the sole developer in Germany.
- No mass at any cost: Conservative data processing ensures reliable analyses without incomplete fragments.
Deduplication Logic
- 10-Step Processing: A multi-stage pipeline for the precise identification and resolution of duplicate batches.
- Fuzzy Matching & ELO-Resolver: Intelligent matching of variant spellings of names and assignment based on ELO histories and FIDE IDs.
- Subsumptions-Check: Automatic detection of incomplete batches, fragments are replaced with the complete batch without any data loss.
Performance & Rust-Backend
- Modern Infrastructure: High-performance data processing with a specially developed Rust pipeline.
- Fast Exports: Efficient storage cleanup and fast loading times despite massive amounts of data.
- Resource-efficient: Minimized memory requirements for smooth operation in Scid and Scid vs. PC.
Monthly release cycles
- A Reliable Rhythm: New Database releases and OTB updates are reliably delivered during the first week of every month.
- Incremental Patches: Monthly update files for directly updating existing Scid collections.
Database version for Scid
- Optimized for Scid and Scid vs. PC (
.si4&.si5). - OTB database: Over 13 million games.
- Online database: Over 6 million games
Database Version as a PGN File
- Universal format for all common chess GUIs.
- Contains exactly the same cleaned-up dataset.
- Ready for immediate analysis or conversion.
Current Versions
Current status:
November 2026
Main Database:
2026-11-01
Incremental Update:
none
Opening Books:
ECO/NIC 2025-11-01
License Model (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Lumbra’s Gigabase is a free project for the chess community. Use for personal analysis, preparation, and training is completely free under the Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC 4.0). To integrate it into commercial chess apps or databases, please contact me directly at moc.esabagigsarbmul@ssenisub
Secure Lichess Integration
- No Contamination: To avoid legal disputes, Lichess broadcast data is strictly excluded from the main database until December 2023.
- License-Free: As a result, the main database remains free of ShareAlike restrictions (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Separate download: If needed, the broadcast data is available to you as a completely separate, deduplicated download.
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Support the project
The ongoing curation of the data, maintenance of the Rust infrastructure, and server operations for the monthly downloads incur ongoing costs. If this solo project helps you with your chess preparation, I would greatly appreciate a small contribution.
Note on TWIC
The use of TWIC (The Week in Chess) data was deliberately removed from the Gigabase, as this project relies on donations for its long-term sustainability and should not be undermined by database exports. TWIC is an extremely important project for the chess community.
“Send a £30 donation via Paypal and contact me via email (Email Mark Crowther – moc.tenretnitb@htworcdm) I’ll send you an address for a cbv file of my personal copy of every issue of the games in one database. Over 4 million games. Alternatively subscribe to donate £4 a month”
Partner Showcase
Some 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 cost to you.
Use the code “lumbras” to get 10% off your subscription. (Disclaimer: These discount codes are only valid when used through the Stripe checkout on chessever.com. They do not apply to purchases made on the App Store or Google Play.)
ChessRoller
ChessRoller is a desktop chess database for Mac and Windows, built for speed.
- Search by position, pawn structure, or motif, with opening stats updating as you search
- Import PGN, SCID, and ChessBase .cbh/.2cbh databases
- Analyze with Stockfish or your own UCI engines
- Scout opponents with player reports
- Build a repertoire from your games and drill it with spaced repetition
One-time purchase, 7-day free trial. Watch how to import the GigaBase
Use code LUMBRA at checkout for the current discount.
Tabiya: A Chess Database
Tabiya is a modern chess database for Windows and Mac, built around fast, flexible access to millions of games. It is designed to work seamlessly with Lumbra’s Gigabase, so players can open one of the largest collections of chess games available and start exploring right away.
Browse the full Gigabase alongside your own databases, import games from PGN files, and export your work whenever you need it. Find Position lets you search any board position across the entire collection, while Advanced Search narrows millions of games by player, event, result, opening code, date or rating. The Opening Explorer shows how a position has been played, so you can study openings the way strong players actually play them.
Tabiya also includes tools for study and analysis: an annotation system for marking moves and positions, engine lines on the board, and customizable boards and pieces so the program looks the way you like. Gigabase updates are delivered through the app, so your collection stays current.
Whether you are a club player preparing for your next opponent or a coach building lessons, Tabiya puts the games, the search tools and the study features in one clean, fast program.
Thank you for your support!