Every game in Lumbra’s Gigabase contains a special SOURCE tag. This allows you to filter games in Scid specifically by source (Menu: Search -> Game Data -> Extra Tags). The underlying raw data comes from the following public sources:
Important Note Regarding Lichess API Data
Games originating from Lichess (LichessBroadcastAPI, LichessBroadcastDB) are retrieved exclusively via the Lichess API. According to the Lichess development team, the data retrieved via this API is not subject to any specific restrictive license (unlike the licenses that apply to the database dumps provided by Lichess).
Player Provided Datasets
Various small to medium-sized PGN packages shared by individuals players for distribution with Lumbra’s Gigabase.
Export-Source tag: Kept the original name
- Varga Csaba Zoltan
Community Projects
Games aggregated from well-known, partially ongoing projects and platforms that provide data under free licenses or as open downloads.
Export Source-Tag: gemapped [Source "Community Project"]
Independent Collections
The compilation includes data from large historical collections that were once popular but have since been abandoned by their maintainers (e.g., Kingbase in 2019). As original websites or repositories often no longer exist, reliable or binding licensing information can no longer be found. The community de facto treats this data as free public goods.
Export Source-Tag: Mapped to [Source "Independent Collection"]
Legacy Software Dumps
Portions of raw data originating from providers in the commercial or semi-commercial software space who offered significant parts of their PGN archives as free raw data downloads for the general public.
Export Source-Tag: Mapped to [Source "Legacy Software Dump"]
Official Chess Federations
Pure game notations (who played, when, where, and the sequence of moves) are factual data and are not subject to copyright worldwide. Raw PGN data from official federations is therefore practically considered public domain, as it does not constitute a creative work.
Export-Source tag: Kept the original name
- Britbase
- CanadianChessFederation
- ChessScotland
- DanBase
- Federscacchi
- GreekBase
- NiederrheinischerSchachverband
- NiedersächsischerSchachverband
- SchachverbandRuhrgebiet
Open Platform Data
Games aggregated from well-known, partially ongoing projects and platforms that provide data under free licenses or as open downloads.
Export-Source tag: Kept the original name
- LEDB (Lichess Elite Database, published under CC0)
- LichessBroadcastAPI (No specific license restrictions, as confirmed by the Lichess team)
- LichessBroadcastDB (published under CC BY-SA 4.0, as confirmed by the Lichess team, exportet to separate file to prevent contamination of main database)
Academic Datasets
Datasets compiled specifically for academic research, statistical analysis, and scientific publications. These datasets are generally made openly accessible for research purposes and to ensure reproducibility, even if they are not always explicitly accompanied by formal open-source licenses.
Export-Source tag: Kept the original name
- AnaSchaigorodsky (ResearchGate Study) Published under the CC BY 4.0 license
Historische Archive & Abandonware
Die Zusammenstellung umfasst Daten aus umfangreichen historischen Sammlungen, die einst beliebt waren, deren Betreiber sie jedoch inzwischen aufgegeben haben (z. B. Kingbase im Jahr 2019). Da die ursprünglichen Websites oder Repositorien oft nicht mehr existieren, lassen sich keine verlässlichen oder verbindlichen Lizenzinformationen mehr finden. Die Community behandelt diese Daten de facto als freie öffentliche Güter.
Export Source-Tag: Mapped to [Source "Historical Archive"]