9/26/2021 – When mentioning the name Mega Database, many players automatically think of either the millions of games contained in it, or the equally impressive number of annotated games – well over 80 thousand. However, the price tag also includes a full year of weekly updates, which can then be renewed every year. Learn all here.

9/16/2021 – Mega database is easily the greatest database one can buy. Not only does it come with 8.4 million games, but over 85 thousand of them are annotated, many by world champions and the elite. It doesn't come free, though its asking price includes a full year of unparalleled updates, but what if you could have access to it without having to buy it?...

10/2/2020 – Some might think that ChessBase was the inventor of the chess database. That is true to some degree, but there is a predecessor, and Frederic Friedel was a part of it. In the video we talk about one of the very first commercially available chess database systems, called "Intelligent Chess", and we opened our little ChessBase museum to present to you, the original prototype including a database on audio cassette.

6/12/2018 – Tactics are fun and solving tactics puzzles improves your chess. The search mask of ChessBase and Fritz allows you to quickly find games with sacrifices. And that's only one of the many options for this tool! | Drawing: ChessBase

5/15/2018 – This article will help you learn how to annotate your games using ChessBase 14. There are many features that can be used with this wonderful software. You'll find further details on the different tools and resources you can use to get the most out of studying your games or for preparation against your next opponents, including a helpful video from International Master and FIDE Trainer MICHAEL RAHAL.

3/21/2018 – People are generally worried about draws, which are often considered “boring”, where games may last up to six hours. To the common viewer (non-chess player), this may seem dull, and many believe this has led to a decline in sponsorship. But what do the statistics tell us? Using data now available, Qiyu Zhou, a remarkably young scientist has undertaken a thorough study of the numbers and provides a paper on her findings.

1/27/2018 – When using ChessBase 14, most players tend to focus on its most obvious functions, such as searching for a player, or just analyzing with an engine. However there are numerous powerful functions that can be great learning tools to accelerate your progress. One such tool is the Similar Structure function, and in this tutorial we will learn how to use it and some methods to work with it.

12/15/2017 – Computers help to prepare for games, they help to study openings, and they help to analyse complicated tactical positions. But if you want to understand chess it is better to turn to a strong grandmaster with honest and direct answers...you can find some in the ChessBase Mega Database.

11/28/2017 – It is one of the most important tools of chess professionals and amateurs alike: the flagship database of 7.8 high quality games, from 1560 to 2017, extensively classified, with direct access to players, tournaments, openings, middlegame and endgame themes. 71,000 games are annotated by top players. And best of all: the database is constantly updated, for a full year, with around 250,000 new games expected in 2018. How it all works and how you can use the Mega Database is explained in a very instructive video by IM Sagar Shah.

11/3/2017 – The Mega Database is chess. With 7.1 million chess games, of which 71,000 are commented, the mega documents over 500 years of chess history and always has up-to-date opening knowledge for the preparation for the next game and the next opponent. A must for every chess player!

10/13/2017 – An introductory tutorial to using ChessBase 14, from our resident expert. Learn installation and activation, navigating the program, working with databases, entering games, training, the cool "assisted analysis" feature, how to use Fritz as a sparring partner effectively, advanced search functions, creating a custom repertoire against your next opponent, and using databases in the cloud! You'll want to bookmark this for future reference for sure!

6/29/2017 – The ChessBase Mega Database contains more than 6.8 million games, the whole history of chess, from 1560 to 2016. And the Mega has a powerful search mask which gives ample opportunity for a little chess fun. For instance, if you want to know what is the shortest game of all time that ended with stalemate.

3/6/2017 – Have you played a game of chess that you were always proud of? You wanted to share this game with others, but never really found a way to reach the maximum audience. Well, the developers at ChessBase have come up with a way to upload your best game to the best chess database – the Mega Database 2017 and share it with the world. Here's how you do it:

2/6/2017 – Davide Nastasio wanted to take his game to the next level. He bought ChessBase 14 along with Mega Database 2017 and started experimenting with it. He was amazed at the things he could do with these tools. After working for a few days, he realised that CB 14 and Mega 2017 allowed him to not only study master games, but also analyse them, learn from world class annotators and find out errors in his own game. He now shares his experience with you in this detailed review.

2/4/2017 – The ChessBase Mega Database 2017 lists 35 casual games Adolf Anderssen (photo) played from 1851 to 1859 against Louis Eichborn. Eichborn won 32 of these games, lost 2 and only one game ended in a draw. Now Anderssen is considered as one of the best if not the best player of that time while Eichborn is relatively unknown. How then to explain his overwhelming plus against Anderssen?

12/14/2016 – There is little question the most impressive feature of Mega 2017 is the staggering number of commented games: around 70 thousand. One obvious question is “how good are they?” While some contain light notes, you will also find thousands of games commented in great depth by legendary players through time. Don’t take our word for it. See for yourself a small sample of early games by great masters of the past with in-depth annotations by Botvinnik, Tarrasch, Fine, and more!

12/9/2016 – When looking at the flagship database by ChessBase, Mega 2017, it would be understandable to conclude that its asking price was buying you the 6.8 million games it comes with, not to mention the over 70 thousand commented games, but that is only part of what you get. When you purchase Mega 2017, you also get a professional 12-month service that will keep your database completely up-to-date. Here is a tutorial on how to activate and use it.

12/1/2016 – Christmas is coming, advent is there. Every day, from December 1 to December 24, we invite our readers to open a door in our advent calendar. Each day, a little surprise waits for you. Enjoy!

12/11/2015 – "You can buy the fanciest GUI," writes John Hartmann, "and you can collect all of the strongest engines around, but if you’re working with poor quality data, your research will suffer for it." He takes a look at the chess databases that are available for ambitious players and takes a special look at the Big and Mega Databases from ChessBase, each currently with 6.46 million games.

11/3/2015 – The latest Mega Database 2016 has arrived and builds on a tradition that is now measured in decades. Yes, it is millions of games, it is tens of thousands of commented games and photos that span a player's career (and you can send yours!), but it is also the ultimate tool to prepare against a player, study endgames or openings and is a library of chess books all-in one!

12/16/2014 – Sure, with it's 6.1 million games the Mega Database invites work and research. You can prepare for opponents, find thousands of games played in the Najdorf or the Dragon, and check how 2700+ players treat the King's Indian, the Grünfeld, or the Sicilian. But you can also have a lot of fun. For instance, by enjoying the annotations of today's best players.

12/11/2013 – When describing Mega Database 2014, it is easy to get caught up in all the numbers, however impressive they may be, but this truly is the Rolls-Royce of chess databases. The reason is not in the numbers, but every aspect that make it such a wonderful tribute to chess, and indispensable tool. From pictures of Philidor, to commented games by Carlsen, it is all there. Here is a detailed review.