Answers.Body: <p><a href="http://caissabase.co.uk/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Caïssabase</a> is one of the biggest and best.</p>
  <p>From the website:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p><strong>What is Caïssabase?</strong></p>
  <p>When I got back into Chess a year or two back I couldn't find a decent
  free regularly updated database of Chess games.</p>
  <p>There are some good ones out there like Kingbase and Millionbase (not
  updated anymore).<br />
  ...<br />
  <strong>What is in Caïssabase?</strong><br />
  <strong>CURRENTLY 4.02 MILLION GAMES</strong></p>
  <p>I started from the following databases/sources.</p>
  <p>Millionbase<br />
  Kingbase<br />
  I then merged in all of the TWIC back issues up to the date on the archive as well as all the master games from pgnmentor.<br />
  ...<br />
  <strong>What about curation?</strong>    Glad you asked. Roughly I followed these rules.</p>
  <ul>
  <li>Removed all duplicates</li>
  <li>Removed all games with less than 5 moves</li>
  <li>Aimed for all games to have one (or both) players at least master strength</li>
  <li>Fixed names and event spellings where possible</li>
  <li>Inserted ELO's where known</li>
  <li>Inserted extended ECO opening codes</li>
  </ul>
  </blockquote>
  <blockquote>
  <p>...<br />
  <strong>Legal/Copyright</strong><br />
  Where I live facts are not copyrightable, Chess moves played in a game are facts.</p>
  <p>You'll notice there are no comments on any of the games as comments are copyrightable.</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>The latest download is from September 2019, so perhaps the intention of a monthly download is proving a bit too much. Meanwhile I've downloaded it for use with <a href="http://scidvspc.sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Scid vs PC</a> and will be a grateful user.</p>
  <p>Edit: There is a new download available as of 14th November 2020 with a <a href="https://twitter.com/caissabase/status/1327686420274802691" rel="nofollow noreferrer">new goal</a> of updating once a quarter.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-17T21:22:43.733Z
Answers.Text: Seems to be down for now. The Internet Archive doesn't have the download
Answers.UserDisplayName: qwr
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-17T21:23:44.453Z
Answers.Text: Archived https://encroissant.org/docs/assets/databases
Answers.UserDisplayName: qwr
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-02-16T11:37:16.640Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-11-16T11:44:59.930Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-11-16T11:44:59.930Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brian Towers
Answers.Body: <p>I would add the <a href="https://database.nikonoel.fr" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lichess Elite Database</a> to the list :-)
  It is the best of lichess games: only higher-rated players in &quot;decent&quot; time controls (aka no bullet).</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-12-17T21:14:49.917Z
Answers.Text: Lichess also has a Masters database of OTB games, but I can't find if it's available anywhere to download. https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/can-someone-tell-me-how-to-download-all-the-masters-games-from-lichess
Answers.UserDisplayName: qwr
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-10-07T20:39:56.397Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-10-07T20:39:56.397Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nico
Answers.Body: <p>Mere aggregation is not protected by copyright in the US. Copyright only protects creative production, not a collection of facts as stated above. Annotations and comments might be copyrighted but it wouldn't add any copyright collection to the moves in the game.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-08-04T00:39:30.053Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-08-04T00:39:30.053Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dylan Alliata
Answers.Body: <ul>
  <li><p><a href="http://ficsgames.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">FICS database</a></p>
  </li>
  <li><p><a href="https://database.lichess.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lichess database</a></p>
  </li>
  <li><p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190124214300/http://www.top-5000.nl/pgn.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Million base 2.2</a></p>
  </li>
  <li><p><a href="https://www.pgnmentor.com/files.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">PGNMentor</a></p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>Is it possible to use this information for my own purposes</p>
  </blockquote>
  </li>
  </ul>
  <p>Absolutely! Nobody has the copyright. Enjoy your machine learning adventure!</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-12-14T22:26:37.473Z
Answers.Text: Database rights may apply though, so I guess it's best to read the terms and conditions or ask for permission.
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_right
Answers.UserDisplayName: Luc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-17T14:51:48.140Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-08-05T04:03:15.710Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-08-05T04:03:15.710Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
Body: <p>Are there some free chess game databases where it is possible and allowed to download games? Is it possible to use this information for my own purposes? For example, would be allowed to make a machine learning app that learned from the downloaded games?</p>
  
Tags: <database>
Title: What are the biggest free chess game databases? Is it legal to download games from them?
ThreadText: # What are the biggest free chess game databases? Is it legal to download games from them?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-17)
  
  Are there some free chess game databases where it is possible and allowed to download games? Is it possible to use this information for my own purposes? For example, would be allowed to make a machine learning app that learned from the downloaded games?
  
  **Tags:** database
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2017-07-17. Score: 17 | Accepted answer
  
  * [FICS database](http://ficsgames.org/)
  * [Lichess database](https://database.lichess.org/)
  * [Million base 2.2](https://web.archive.org/web/20190124214300/http://www.top-5000.nl/pgn.htm)
  * [PGNMentor](https://www.pgnmentor.com/files.html)
  
    > Is it possible to use this information for my own purposes
  
  Absolutely! Nobody has the copyright. Enjoy your machine learning adventure!
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_6**: Database rights may apply though, so I guess it's best to read the terms and conditions or ask for permission.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_right  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2020-02-16. Score: 3
  
  [Caïssabase](http://caissabase.co.uk/) is one of the biggest and best.
  
  From the website:
  
  > **What is Caïssabase?**
  >
  > When I got back into Chess a year or two back I couldn't find a decent
  > free regularly updated database of Chess games.
  >
  > There are some good ones out there like Kingbase and Millionbase (not
  > updated anymore).  
  > ...  
  > **What is in Caïssabase?**  
  > **CURRENTLY 4.02 MILLION GAMES**
  >
  > I started from the following databases/sources.
  >
  > Millionbase  
  > Kingbase  
  > I then merged in all of the TWIC back issues up to the date on the archive as well as all the master games from pgnmentor.  
  > ...  
  > **What about curation?** Glad you asked. Roughly I followed these rules.
  >
  > * Removed all duplicates
  > * Removed all games with less than 5 moves
  > * Aimed for all games to have one (or both) players at least master strength
  > * Fixed names and event spellings where possible
  > * Inserted ELO's where known
  > * Inserted extended ECO opening codes
  
  > ...  
  > **Legal/Copyright**  
  > Where I live facts are not copyrightable, Chess moves played in a game are facts.
  >
  > You'll notice there are no comments on any of the games as comments are copyrightable.
  
  The latest download is from September 2019, so perhaps the intention of a monthly download is proving a bit too much. Meanwhile I've downloaded it for use with [Scid vs PC](http://scidvspc.sourceforge.net/) and will be a grateful user.
  
  Edit: There is a new download available as of 14th November 2020 with a [new goal](https://twitter.com/caissabase/status/1327686420274802691) of updating once a quarter.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Seems to be down for now. The Internet Archive doesn't have the download  
  > **username_2**: Archived https://encroissant.org/docs/assets/databases  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2020-10-07. Score: 2
  
  I would add the [Lichess Elite Database](https://database.nikonoel.fr) to the list :-)
  It is the best of lichess games: only higher-rated players in "decent" time controls (aka no bullet).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Lichess also has a Masters database of OTB games, but I can't find if it's available anywhere to download. https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/can-someone-tell-me-how-to-download-all-the-masters-games-from-lichess  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2021-08-04. Score: 1
  
  Mere aggregation is not protected by copyright in the US. Copyright only protects creative production, not a collection of facts as stated above. Annotations and comments might be copyrighted but it wouldn't add any copyright collection to the moves in the game.
  
  
  ---
  
  