TL;DR:

• Ultra Database (formerly Masters Database): now updated in real time.
• Explorer improvements: toggle evaluation mode and see when moves were last played.
• Website redesign: new homepage featuring Anish Giri and a refreshed, modern look.

From Masters to Ultra Database

We’ve renamed the Masters Database to Ultra Database to better reflect recent changes. The database now updates in real time: games are added immediately after they finish based on the Lichess API. For now, we are not including ongoing live games, since there are already many ways to follow broadcasts. This may change in the future, and we’re open to feedback.

In addition to the games from Lichess, we continue to incorporate games from many other sources, ranging from top tournaments to small local events.

We also felt the new name better reflects the scope of the database. While it contains lots of top-level games, it has always included games from local tournaments as well. We hope the new name reflects this more clearly.

Explorer Improvements

You can now toggle engine evaluations to show outside of the table (instead of our combined mode), giving you more flexibility in how to use the engine. When the engine is disabled or you use this that view, the explorer also shows when a move was last played, helping you quickly identify recent lines when preparing for opponents.

In addition, you can now use the global explorer to browse games from the Ultra Database, rather than being limited to the online database. This change has already been added a while ago, but we never really announced it until now.

Lastly, Stockfish 18 was added to the web version.

A More Modern Look

We’ve made some minor design changes several parts of ChessMonitor to give the platform a cleaner, more modern feel. This includes a new homepage featuring Anish Giri, a redesigned Ultra database page, and a range of UI improvements throughout the site. We hope you like it! :)

App Update: Open Explorers Made More Flexible

In parallel with these changes, our app has been updated, too. You can now open the Ultra (or personal) explorer from any position in a game within the app. It’s available for iPhone and Android. If you haven’t tried it, check it out now:

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We appreciate all the feedback and ideas from the community. They continue to shape the direction of ChessMonitor. If you have suggestions or want to discuss new features, feel free to join Discord!