Largest database of master chess games in the world?

  Hey all. Okay, here it is. I've never been a very knowledgeable openings wiz. In fact it's by far the weakest part of my game, I know that now, always have really. I guess everyone that plays me knows it too. I've NEVER took the time to seriously learn openings, just thought my way through it, figured it out move by move during my tournament games. But it's hard to do that vs. 2000+ players and score consistently well. Now, I have decent middle game strategical understanding, decent tactical ability, and better that average endgame technique (my official tournament record vs. masters in slow time controls is +2 -5 =1 for a 31% score. I haven't played any fast time controls with them). But even though I feel I could or should play better I'm just stagnant and seem to stay where I am rating wise. Have been for a long time. It's depressing.

   I want to put some serious effort into getting better in the opening for the first time in my life. I'm not going to put significant study time into chess after this so I want to give some real effort. I want the best there is. Cost isn't that important to me right now, maybe in the past, so I would like some suggestions on what to do and what to get that's the very best.

  It's hard coming out of every opening vs. 2000+ and them having a python grip on my position simply because they're familiar with the openings. Not because they're better players but because I'm struggling from a deficit from the very beginning. Just drifting aimlessly, just wandering around goofing off I guess. But I don't know any better and I want to try to fix it. I don't want to get a database with non masters like a bunch games between John Doe (1682FIDE) vs. Tootie Fruity (1907FIDE) London, 2006. Just 2200 FIDE and up. But any suggestions, even if it's not a database idea would be helpful. Are there opening trainings tools that are out there that are interactive and help players absorb and remember better than simply going through a book? I mean, there are players 500-600 points below me that know openings inside out (it usually stops there, not much else in their game. But that's another story) I want to be better in that area. Maybe it would help me. I've spent almost all my study time on middle games and some endgames, they're the most exciting part of chess to me. But maybe if I knew my opening strategy I would like it more and have stronger, more consistent results. 

  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Damon

yeah im looking for the same, chessmentor has good stuff on the opening too but i dont guess its for building a complete repertoire. 

pawn structures are very important, to know how to put the pieces behind them and what trades you want.  only then will concrete lines make more sense.

I don't think interactive software is what you want although there are some products out there that I'm sure someone else can recommend.  You're already a diamond member here and have access to the chess.com master database called "game explorer".  You can learn an awful lot about openings just clicking through some lines and then checking out the games it reveals. Good stuff, but it's not my real recommendation.  What you need is an understanding of the "why" behind each opening.  You need the typical ideas for each side and how it affects the upcoming middle game struggle.  My recommendation is a wonderful book that does just that: Fundamental Chess Openings (FCO) by Paul van der Sterren.  It's not about presenting endless variations to be memorized.  It's about a patient incisive explanation (including historical perspective) of just what white and black are trying to accomplish.  The main variations are given and explained but it rarely goes more than 8 to 12 moves deep.   You will already know each side's plans by then and can use a database to explore further.  At 478 pages, this is not a book you're going to read in a weekend (or probably even in a season), but it will provide a source of explanation for each and every recognized opening.  I use it almost daily. Are there times I use other source to go deeper?  Sure, that's what DB's and repertoire books are for, but as a primary "go to" tutor I don't think it can be beat.

I'll check into that

 I definitely agree about pawn structures. Pawn structures are the basis of strategical planning. I've read Pown Power by Kmoch and the pawn structure book by Soltis. Also, the 4 cd set set by Kopec. Any opening training I do will START with a refresher course on the structures connected with them. Abslutely, that's FIRST and foremost

What openings do you use primarily?

You seem to be missing something basic here. With ChessBase and I presume other DBs as well you can "filter" games by almost any criterion possible, including one or both players ratings. So now what's the major malfunction in not being able to use any major DB?

I've been using my CB BIG DB 20111 that came with 3.5 million games and now thanks to TWIC and a few other free DBs I'm up to 5.5 million games and I haven't lost any because of all the "amateur" games in it (percentage wise maybe 20, I'm only guessing though), I've lost them due to my own limitations, carelessness or outright stupidity.

BTW why is everyone absolutely certain that only masters ALWAYS play perfectly and amateurs always play like absolute beginners?

I'm interested in learning the Caro Kann, Slav, London. I'm more positional/strategical minded and they all have similar pawn structures

Does chessbase have the biggest collection in the world?

i expect CB has quite a large selection of annotated games as well as chesspub, chessgames.com has some, u can find annotated games in chess.com articles/blogs, on the web [tournament sites, chesszone magazine i think it is called, etc].  it's easy enough to construct a large db with ICCF/LSS [corr games], TCEC [hi qual. comp. chess games] and TWIC files for high quality games.

I dont think that many quality games have been played in chess history, everything over 5 million you are gonna get some rubbish, IMO.

For specific openings http://www.pgnmentor.com/files.html#openings is good.

Probably 2million plus good quality games here, not annotated, but all tagged properly (event, date etc).

Thanx, but I wouldn't know how to assemble a database collection. I don't know too much about using the computer. I'll get more familiar with it as time passes but for now....I was hoping to just buy a collection already in place.

Who knows? Why are you so hung up on quantity instead of quality? You have heard about DBs with duplicate games, typos, GM Draws and other deficiencies right? Do you really think the BIGGEST DB in the universe is going to be immensely more helpful to you than any other DB?  

Also I just noticed you're not too familar with PCs but you're all set to use massive DBs on PCs? I think not but what do I know? I've only been using PCs since the 1980s...

I thought it might. I didn't know about duplicate games, typos and so forth. That screws up the statistics I would imagine. So what IS the very best product to buy out there?

Buy Megadatabase 2013 by Chessbase. I assume you already owned Fritz program.

No. But Ill get whatever is needed

Megadatabase 2013 and Houdini 3 by Chessbase. These 2 products (database and chess program) are presently the best. It won't take long before you master using it's features as I find them user friendly.

Mega DB is NOT worth the extra money, it is exactly the same as BIG DB except 1% or so of the total games in it are annotated. 

MrDamonSmith it looks to me like you need to research this matter some more on your own, you didn't know anything about COMMON errors in DBs but you've already convinced yourself you need the biggest DB in the known universe; interesting...