Skip to main content
Profiles in Obsidian Chess Studio allow you to organize games by player, link online accounts, and track statistics across different platforms.

​
Creating a Profile

1

Open the Profiles Page

Navigate to the Profiles section from the main navigation menu.
2

Add a New Profile

Click the Add Profile button in the top-right corner.
3

Enter Profile Details

Fill in the following information:
  • Name: The player’s name (required)
  • FIDE ID: Optional FIDE identification number for OTB players
  • Lichess Token: Optional OAuth token for enhanced Lichess features
4

Save the Profile

Click Save to create the profile. A dedicated database will be automatically created to store all games for this profile.
Each profile gets its own SQLite database (stored as profile_{id}.db3) to organize all associated games efficiently.

​
Linking Online Accounts

You can link Lichess and Chess.com accounts to any profile to automatically sync your online games.

​
Adding a Lichess Account

1

Click Add Account

From the Profiles page, click Add Account or click the + icon next to a specific profile.
2

Select Profile and Platform

  • Choose the profile to link the account to
  • Select Lichess as the platform
  • Enter your Lichess username
3

Choose Authentication Method

Option 1: Without Login (Public games only)
  • Leave “Login with browser” unchecked
  • Only public games will be downloaded
Option 2: With Browser Login (All games, faster)
  • Check “Login with browser”
  • Authenticate via OAuth in your browser
  • All games (including private) will be synced faster
4

Automatic Sync

Once linked, Obsidian Chess Studio will automatically:
  • Download all your games
  • Import them into the profile database
  • Update statistics and ratings
  • Check for new games periodically

​
Adding a Chess.com Account

1

Select Chess.com Platform

When adding an account, select Chess.com as the platform.
2

Enter Username

Provide your Chess.com username.
3

Automatic Download

The app will use the Chess.com Public API to:
  • Fetch your player statistics
  • Download game archives month by month
  • Import games into the profile database
Chess.com rate limits apply - large accounts may take some time to sync initially. The app respects rate limits and will show progress during sync.

​
Account Verification

For certain accounts, you may be prompted to verify ownership:
  1. When prompted, enter your platform credentials
  2. The app validates your credentials securely
  3. Upon successful verification, the account will be linked and games will download
Credentials are only used for verification and are not stored permanently.

​
Managing Multiple Profiles

​
Switching Active Profile

  • Click the star icon next to any profile to set it as the active profile
  • The active profile is used by default when analyzing positions or viewing statistics

​
Editing Profiles

  1. Click the Edit icon next to any profile
  2. Update the name, FIDE ID, or Lichess token
  3. Save changes

​
Deleting Profiles

You cannot delete a profile that has linked accounts. First unlink all accounts, then delete the profile.
  1. Click the Delete icon next to a profile
  2. Confirm the deletion
  3. The profile database will be permanently removed

​
Profile Statistics

Each profile shows:
  • Last Activity: Most recent game or online activity date
  • Linked Accounts: All connected Lichess/Chess.com accounts
  • Account Status: Sync status and game counts

​
Viewing Detailed Statistics

Click on any profile to view detailed panels:
View the profile’s database in the integrated database viewer with all games, players, and tournaments.

​
Syncing Games

Games are automatically synced when:
  • You first link an account
  • The app starts (if more than 24 hours since last sync)
  • You manually refresh from the Profiles page

​
Sync Progress

During sync, you’ll see notifications showing:
  • Current batch being processed
  • Rate limit cooldowns (for Chess.com)
  • Total games imported
  • Optimization operations

​
Handling Sync Errors

  • Network errors: The app will retry with exponential backoff
  • Rate limits: The app will wait for the cooldown period
  • Invalid credentials: Re-verify your account

​
Unlinking Accounts

To remove an account from a profile:
  1. Find the account in the Accounts column
  2. Click the Remove (trash) icon
  3. Confirm removal
  4. The account’s PGN file and analyzed games will be deleted
Unlinking an account does not delete games already imported into the profile database. Only new syncs will stop.

​
Best Practices

One Profile Per Player

Create separate profiles for different players you coach or track. This keeps statistics isolated and accurate.

Link All Platforms

Link both Lichess and Chess.com accounts to a single profile to get a complete picture of your chess activity.

Use FIDE ID for OTB

Add your FIDE ID to help match and verify over-the-board tournament games.

Regular Syncs

Keep accounts linked for automatic syncing. The app will check for new games periodically without manual intervention.

​
Troubleshooting

​
Games Not Syncing

  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Verify the username is correct
  3. For Lichess with login: Re-authenticate via browser
  4. Check notification center for error details

​
Duplicate Games

The app automatically deduplicates games based on:
  • Player names
  • Date
  • Site/Event
  • Move sequence
Duplicates are not imported twice.

​
Missing Games

  • For Chess.com: Bot games are excluded from public archives
  • For Lichess: Ensure “Login with browser” is used for private games
  • Check the sync completed successfully without errors

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us