Understanding Over
Memorization
The world's first truly explained chess openings database—where every move tells a story.
Our Story
The Atlas began as an ambitious vision back in 2020—a project born from the frustration that chess players know all too well. Endless hours spent memorizing move sequences, only to crumble when opponents deviate from book lines.
Traditional databases give you millions of games but zero understanding. We set out to change that fundamentally. Years of meticulous work went into building what is now the world's first truly explained openings database—where every variation comes with deep strategic insight, not just notation.
This isn't just another chess resource. This is the culmination of years of dedication to solve a problem that has plagued chess education for decades.
Our Mission
We believe chess understanding should be accessible to serious players who want more than surface-level theory. Our mission is to provide strategic explanations that help you understand why each move is played.
When you learn with The Atlas, you can adapt when opponents deviate—because you understand the ideas, not just the moves. Some openings or variations might not be available yet, but our database continues to grow with carefully curated content.
What Sets Us Apart
Deep Strategic Analysis
Every move comes with comprehensive explanations of the underlying strategy. Understand the plans, ideas, and reasoning—not just the moves.
Curated Database
Every variation is meticulously analyzed—from popular main lines to critical sidelines that can catch opponents off guard.
Quality Over Quantity
We don't aim to have the most entries—we aim to have the most valuable ones. Each explanation is crafted to genuinely improve your understanding.
Constantly Evolving
Chess theory never stands still, and neither do we. New variations and refined explanations are added regularly.
Our database is built using established chess theory, scraping, and carefully crafted and individually analyzed explanations. We continuously refine our content to ensure accuracy and depth.