OPEN CORE · PRO BETA (v2.1) · LOCAL-FIRST

Chess analysis
built for Mac.

The ChessBase alternative Mac users have been waiting for.
Powered by TWIC — the world's largest free chess game database,
updated every week with thousands of real OTB tournament games.
No proprietary formats. No subscriptions. Just open PGN.

🎉 Free for the first 100 users Open Core model — Community version is always free & open source.
🚀 Goal: 15 Stars to unlock the AI Coach (Neural Link). Star us to join the Supporters Wall.
Choose an Edition View on GitHub

macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon & Intel

OPEN CORE

macbase Geek

$0
  • ✅ Identical Analysis Engine
  • ✅ Full Feature Set
  • 🛠️ Manual Setup Required
  • 🛠️ DIY Security Bypass
  • 🛠️ No Technical Support
Manual Installation
01

Command Center

Your chess mission control.

Import games from TWIC — the world's largest free chess game archive — with a single click. New issues appear weekly with thousands of real FIDE-rated OTB games. Track your database size, monitor imports, and stay current with the latest tournaments.

  • One-click TWIC import — new issues every week
  • Real OTB tournament games, not online blitz
  • Database grows as you import — unlimited, stored locally
  • All data lives on your Mac — no cloud, no account
02

Intelligence Database

Filter. Search. Study any game.

Browse your entire game collection. Filter by player name, ELO range, ECO code, event, or TWIC issue. Toggle "Annotated" to find games with your comments, or "My Study" to see games you've analyzed. Click any row to open it in the analysis board.

  • Filter by player, rating, opening (ECO), event
  • Opening family filters — Sicilian, Ruy Lopez, Queen's Gambit, etc.
  • Standard open PGN format — no proprietary database lock-in
  • Unlimited games — your database grows as you import
03

Deep Analysis Board

Annotate like a grandmaster.

Full Stockfish engine analysis with multi-PV top 3 lines and evaluation bar. Draw green arrows, pink arrows, and yellow circles on the board. Add text notes to any position — they're embedded in standard PGN so you can export your annotated game anytime.

  • Stockfish engine — top 3 lines with centipawn evaluation
  • Draw arrows and highlight squares (right-click / shift+click)
  • Inline text annotations
  • Download annotated PGN — your analysis is never locked in
  • Save to repertoire folders or clip as flashcard
04

Repertoire & Flashcards

Build your opening prep system.

Organize analyzed games into custom folders. Found a critical position? Clip it as a flashcard — the position is saved with your arrows, annotations, and tags. Review your flashcard collection later to drill key positions. Export entire folders as PGN to share or back up.

  • Custom folders — organize by opening, opponent, theme
  • Flashcard clips — save positions with arrows and notes
  • Mini chessboard previews for each saved position
  • Import/export folders as PGN — always portable
05

OTB Tournament Prep

Know what's trending at your rating.

Neither Lichess nor Chess.com has a database of real FIDE OTB tournament games. macbase does. See which openings have the best win rates at your ELO bracket. Track popularity trends across recent TWIC issues.

Bridge the online-OTB gap: You're 2000 on Lichess but have no idea what FIDE ELO that maps to? Compare your games to 1700, 1800, 1900 FIDE-rated games — see what openings they play and how your prep stacks up before you sit down at the board.

  • Win rates by ELO — filter 1700-2000, 2000-2200, 2200-2500, 2500+
  • Best openings as White (1.e4 / 1.d4) and as Black
  • Popularity trends — which openings are rising or falling
  • Data from real FIDE-rated OTB games, not online ratings
WHY TWIC?

Free database. Updated weekly.
No subscription required.

ChessBase charges $199+/year for their proprietary .cbv database. macbase uses The Week in Chess (TWIC) — the world's most comprehensive free chess game collection. Every week, thousands of real FIDE-rated OTB tournament games are added in standard PGN format. Your database is unlimited — it grows as you import, and everything is stored locally on your Mac.

  • 📦 Unlimited & growing — import as many issues as you want, stored on your Mac
  • 🏆 Real OTB games — from FIDE tournaments worldwide, not online blitz
  • 📄 Standard PGN format — no vendor lock-in, no proprietary formats
  • 🆓 100% free — no subscription, no paywall, no "premium" tier
  • One-click import — download any TWIC issue directly in macbase

TWIC has provided free chess games to the community since 1994. If macbase helps your chess, consider supporting them:

♟️ Support TWIC
COMPARISON

macbase vs the rest

Feature macbase ChessBase Lichess
Price One-time $199+/year (recurring) Free
Runs on Mac ✅ Native ❌ Windows only ✅ Browser
Database format ✅ Open PGN ❌ Proprietary .cbv N/A
Database updates ✅ Free (TWIC weekly) ❌ Paid yearly ⚠️ Online only
Database size ✅ Unlimited (local) ✅ Large (paid) ⚠️ Cloud only
OTB FIDE games ✅ Full TWIC archive ❌ Online games only
Local-first ✅ SQLite on disk ❌ Cloud
Stockfish engine ✅ Built-in ✅ Add-on ✅ Cloud
Draw arrows & circles ✅ Green, pink, yellow
Text annotations in PGN ✅ Inline comments ⚠️ Limited
Export annotated PGN ⚠️ Limited
Flashcard positions ✅ Clip & review
Win rates by FIDE ELO ✅ OTB data ⚠️ Online ELO only
Privacy ✅ Local Database ✅ Local Database ❌ Cloud
COMMUNITY

Get on the Supporters Wall

Whomever stars our project on GitHub will have their handle listed in the "Supporters" section of the next release. Help us grow the community and show your support for open-core Mac software!

⭐ Star macbase on GitHub

Phase 1 Supporters

@joe-ging (Your Name Here)

Ready to analyze?

Download macbase and start studying real OTB chess games on your Mac.
Native performance, unlimited database. Free for the first 100 users.

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