Advice please - What's a good database for opening preparation (player not computerchess)

Advice please - What's a good database for opening preparation (player not computerchess)?

Lines for openings, games played, results etc.

Preferably FREE of course

It is not free, but Chessbase 17 is the best for player games prep, and general opening prep, and game analysis.

That why i buy it. And if you buy it every 2 years. It cost much less at the upgrade price. The upgrade price from CB 16 to CB 17 was less then $100. And since CB releases a new version every 2 years. That cost me less then $50 a year until CB 18 is released.

So I have every game, and it is updated daily with the live databases with the new games and novelties.

Say I want to start playing 1.c4 as my main weapon for white. CB 17 will generate a opening repertoire, CB 17 will train me in the main, and critical lines and show me plans that arise in my new repertoire, and the endgames I can expect.

And you can generate the style of the new repertoire you wish to learn. Options are Traditional, Fashion, Side lines, Gambit, Attack, Positional, or Simplify.

I will generate a opening repertoire to learn to post here as an example with the options of 1.c4 for white, Fashion(current played theory), and Easy level depth of lines, with evaluations.  And you also have the option of checking the move with a engine to make sure the openings are sound.

[pgn] [Event "White/Fashion/Easy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2022.11.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "King's Indian: Averbakh"]
[Black "Variation without 6...c5"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "E73"]
[Annotator "Fashion"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]

1. c4 Nf6 (1... Nc6 2. Nc3 $11) (1... d6 2. Nc3 $11 {Caruana 2758 - Bortnyk 2604, 2022 ½-½ (72)}) (1... b6 2. Nc3 $14 {Sevian 2684 - Meier 2609, 2022 1-0 (35)}) (1... f5 2. Nc3 $11 {Sarana 2662 - Amin 2687, 2022 1-0 (35)}) (1... g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. d4 $14 {Sarana 2662 - Piesik 2423, 2022 1-0 (24)}) (1... c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 $11) (1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 (2... g6 3. d4 $11 {Andreikin 2729 - Abdisalimov 2472, 2022 1-0 (30)}) (2... Nf6 3. Nc3 {( -> 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 )}) 3. Nc3 $11 {Gukesh 2732 - Erigaisi 2728, 2022 ½-½ (17)}) (1... e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 (3... c5 4. cxd5 $14 {Maghsoodloo 2721 - Kasimdzhanov 2670, 2022 1-0 (40)}) (3... Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 $11 {Sevian 2684 - Aronian 2755, 2022 ½-½ (98)}) (3... c6 4. e3 $11 {Sjugirov 2709 - Kezin 2514, 2022 0-1 (58)}) 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 (5... Be7 6. e3 $11 {Giri 2764 - Vidit 2710, 2022 1-0 (27)}) 6. e3 $11) (1... e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 {( -> 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 )}) 2. Nc3 g6 (2... d6 3. g3 $11 {Caruana 2758 - Bortnyk 2604, 2022 ½-½ (72)}) (2... c6 3. d4 $11 {Abdusattorov 2688 - Robson 2682, 2022 1-0 (37)}) (2... d5 3. cxd5 $14 {Vidit 2710 - Paravyan 2592, 2022 1-0 (50)}) (2... c5 3. Nf3 {( -> 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 )} e6 (3... Nc6 4. e3 $11 {Artemiev 2701 - Grischuk 2745, 2022 ½-½ (19)}) 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. d4 $11 {Tomashevsky 2696 - Kryakvin 2505, 2022 1-0 (21)}) (2... e6 3. e4 $11 {Carlsen 2856 - Duda 2731, 2022 ½-½ (50)}) (2... e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 $11 {Sarana 2668 - Artemiev 2701, 2022 0-1 (33)}) 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. Be3 $11 {King's Indian: Averbakh-Variation without 6...c5 White/Fashion/Easy 2022 Xiong 2692 - Salem 2677, 2022 1-0 (47)} *

[/pgn]

mwyoung wrote:

It is not free, but Chessbase 17 is the best for player games prep, and general opening prep, and game analysis.

That why i buy it. And if you buy it every 2 years. It cost much less at the upgrade price. The upgrade price from CB 16 to CB 17 was less then $100. And since CB releases a new version every 2 years. That cost me less then $50 a year until CB 18 is released.

So I have every game, and it is updated daily with the live databases with the new games and novelties.

Say I want to start playing 1.c4 as my main weapon for white. CB 17 will generate a opening repertoire, CB 17 will train me in the main, and critical lines and show me plans that arise in my new repertoire, and the endgames I can expect.

And you can generate the style of the new repertoire you wish to learn. Options are Traditional, Fashion, Side lines, Gambit, Attack, Positional, or Simplify.

I will generate a opening repertoire to learn to post here as an example with the options of 1.c4 for white, Fashion(current played theory), and Easy level depth of lines, with evaluations.  And you also have the option of checking the move with a engine to make sure the openings are sound.

[pgn] [Event "White/Fashion/Easy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2022.11.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "King's Indian: Averbakh"]
[Black "Variation without 6...c5"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "E73"]
[Annotator "Fashion"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]

1. c4 Nf6 (1... Nc6 2. Nc3 $11) (1... d6 2. Nc3 $11 {Caruana 2758 - Bortnyk 2604, 2022 ½-½ (72)}) (1... b6 2. Nc3 $14 {Sevian 2684 - Meier 2609, 2022 1-0 (35)}) (1... f5 2. Nc3 $11 {Sarana 2662 - Amin 2687, 2022 1-0 (35)}) (1... g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. d4 $14 {Sarana 2662 - Piesik 2423, 2022 1-0 (24)}) (1... c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 $11) (1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 (2... g6 3. d4 $11 {Andreikin 2729 - Abdisalimov 2472, 2022 1-0 (30)}) (2... Nf6 3. Nc3 {( -> 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 )}) 3. Nc3 $11 {Gukesh 2732 - Erigaisi 2728, 2022 ½-½ (17)}) (1... e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 (3... c5 4. cxd5 $14 {Maghsoodloo 2721 - Kasimdzhanov 2670, 2022 1-0 (40)}) (3... Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 $11 {Sevian 2684 - Aronian 2755, 2022 ½-½ (98)}) (3... c6 4. e3 $11 {Sjugirov 2709 - Kezin 2514, 2022 0-1 (58)}) 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 (5... Be7 6. e3 $11 {Giri 2764 - Vidit 2710, 2022 1-0 (27)}) 6. e3 $11) (1... e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 {( -> 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 )}) 2. Nc3 g6 (2... d6 3. g3 $11 {Caruana 2758 - Bortnyk 2604, 2022 ½-½ (72)}) (2... c6 3. d4 $11 {Abdusattorov 2688 - Robson 2682, 2022 1-0 (37)}) (2... d5 3. cxd5 $14 {Vidit 2710 - Paravyan 2592, 2022 1-0 (50)}) (2... c5 3. Nf3 {( -> 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 )} e6 (3... Nc6 4. e3 $11 {Artemiev 2701 - Grischuk 2745, 2022 ½-½ (19)}) 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. d4 $11 {Tomashevsky 2696 - Kryakvin 2505, 2022 1-0 (21)}) (2... e6 3. e4 $11 {Carlsen 2856 - Duda 2731, 2022 ½-½ (50)}) (2... e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 $11 {Sarana 2668 - Artemiev 2701, 2022 0-1 (33)}) 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. Be3 $11 {King's Indian: Averbakh-Variation without 6...c5 White/Fashion/Easy 2022 Xiong 2692 - Salem 2677, 2022 1-0 (47)} *

[/pgn]

Ok, thanks for that, is Chessbase what the youtube commentators use when they are going through a played game?

Chris Whittington wrote:

mwyoung wrote:

It is not free, but Chessbase 17 is the best for player games prep, and general opening prep, and game analysis.

That why i buy it. And if you buy it every 2 years. It cost much less at the upgrade price. The upgrade price from CB 16 to CB 17 was less then $100. And since CB releases a new version every 2 years. That cost me less then $50 a year until CB 18 is released.

So I have every game, and it is updated daily with the live databases with the new games and novelties.

Say I want to start playing 1.c4 as my main weapon for white. CB 17 will generate a opening repertoire, CB 17 will train me in the main, and critical lines and show me plans that arise in my new repertoire, and the endgames I can expect.

And you can generate the style of the new repertoire you wish to learn. Options are Traditional, Fashion, Side lines, Gambit, Attack, Positional, or Simplify.

I will generate a opening repertoire to learn to post here as an example with the options of 1.c4 for white, Fashion(current played theory), and Easy level depth of lines, with evaluations.  And you also have the option of checking the move with a engine to make sure the openings are sound.

[pgn] [Event "White/Fashion/Easy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2022.11.26"]
[Round "?"]
[White "King's Indian: Averbakh"]
[Black "Variation without 6...c5"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "E73"]
[Annotator "Fashion"]
[PlyCount "11"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]

1. c4 Nf6 (1... Nc6 2. Nc3 $11) (1... d6 2. Nc3 $11 {Caruana 2758 - Bortnyk 2604, 2022 ½-½ (72)}) (1... b6 2. Nc3 $14 {Sevian 2684 - Meier 2609, 2022 1-0 (35)}) (1... f5 2. Nc3 $11 {Sarana 2662 - Amin 2687, 2022 1-0 (35)}) (1... g6 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. d4 $14 {Sarana 2662 - Piesik 2423, 2022 1-0 (24)}) (1... c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 $11) (1... c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 (2... g6 3. d4 $11 {Andreikin 2729 - Abdisalimov 2472, 2022 1-0 (30)}) (2... Nf6 3. Nc3 {( -> 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 )}) 3. Nc3 $11 {Gukesh 2732 - Erigaisi 2728, 2022 ½-½ (17)}) (1... e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 (3... c5 4. cxd5 $14 {Maghsoodloo 2721 - Kasimdzhanov 2670, 2022 1-0 (40)}) (3... Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 $11 {Sevian 2684 - Aronian 2755, 2022 ½-½ (98)}) (3... c6 4. e3 $11 {Sjugirov 2709 - Kezin 2514, 2022 0-1 (58)}) 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 (5... Be7 6. e3 $11 {Giri 2764 - Vidit 2710, 2022 1-0 (27)}) 6. e3 $11) (1... e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 {( -> 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 )}) 2. Nc3 g6 (2... d6 3. g3 $11 {Caruana 2758 - Bortnyk 2604, 2022 ½-½ (72)}) (2... c6 3. d4 $11 {Abdusattorov 2688 - Robson 2682, 2022 1-0 (37)}) (2... d5 3. cxd5 $14 {Vidit 2710 - Paravyan 2592, 2022 1-0 (50)}) (2... c5 3. Nf3 {( -> 2.Nc3 c5 3.Nf3 )} e6 (3... Nc6 4. e3 $11 {Artemiev 2701 - Grischuk 2745, 2022 ½-½ (19)}) 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. d4 $11 {Tomashevsky 2696 - Kryakvin 2505, 2022 1-0 (21)}) (2... e6 3. e4 $11 {Carlsen 2856 - Duda 2731, 2022 ½-½ (50)}) (2... e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 $11 {Sarana 2668 - Artemiev 2701, 2022 0-1 (33)}) 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. Be2 O-O 6. Be3 $11 {King's Indian: Averbakh-Variation without 6...c5 White/Fashion/Easy 2022 Xiong 2692 - Salem 2677, 2022 1-0 (47)} *

[/pgn]

Ok, thanks for that, is Chessbase what the youtube commentators use when they are going through  a played game?

Yes, for most of them I believe. By the look of the chessboard they display. But I know some use Chess.com as they are streamers on the platform. And I can also tell by the chess board.