--- title: "Database in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/database.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/database" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A chess database is a searchable collection of games, stored in a standard format, that lets a player look up positions, study opponents." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-explorer.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-preparation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opponent-preparation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/computer-chess.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Database in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. A chess database is a searchable collection of games, stored in a standard format, that lets a player look up positions, study opponents. A chess database is a searchable collection of games, stored in a standard format, that lets a player look up positions, study opponents, and see how often moves have been played and what results they scored. A database is where a serious player keeps and searches games. Most are stored as PGN files and opened in a program that can sort, filter and search them. You can filter by player, by [opening](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening.md), by rating range, by result, or by the exact position on the board. The search by position is the feature club players underuse. Reach a middlegame you do not understand, search it, and you see which moves strong players chose and how the games ended. Opening statistics come from the same idea: a tree of moves showing how often each was played and how it scored. A common [mistake](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/mistake.md) is treating the numbers as the truth. A move with a high score may simply be popular among stronger players, and a small sample proves little. Another is collecting thousands of games and reading none of them. A practical habit is to keep one small personal database of your own games, tagged by opening and by the mistake that decided each loss. Before a tournament, search for your next opponent's games and look at the openings they repeat. Then pick a handful of model games per opening and replay them slowly instead of skimming many. Also called: game database. Compare it with [Opening explorer](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-explorer.md). An opening explorer is a tool that shows, for any position reached from the start, which moves players have chosen in past games and how often each move led to a win, draw or loss. Also worth reading is [PGN](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md). PGN is a text-file standard for chess games: header tags name the event, players and result, then the moves follow in algebraic notation, so databases, engines and websites can all import the same file. Compare it with [Opening preparation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-preparation.md). Opening preparation is the work done before a game to know your chosen lines well, including studying your own repertoire and checking the likely choices of a specific opponent. An engine can tell you what "Database" means for a position, but not which mistakes you keep making; a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li reviews your games and finds those. ## Related terms - [Opening explorer](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-explorer.md) - [Game review](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md) - [Opening preparation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-preparation.md) - [Opponent preparation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opponent-preparation.md) - [PGN](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Opening explorer in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-explorer.md) - [Game review in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md) - [Opening preparation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-preparation.md) - [Opponent preparation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opponent-preparation.md) - [PGN in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md) - [Chess terms: Computer chess and analysis](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/computer-chess.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)