Chess Assistant 8.0 includes a database of 2,675,000 games that can automatically be updated with 2,500 new games weekly on the Internet. Entering games possible, as well as adding databases in the CA, PGN or CBH formats while removing any duplicate games.

The Chess Opening Encyclopedia 2004 mode includes rich theoretical material on all the openings, over 8,000 annotations from GM Kalinin as well as 500,000 key opening positions expert evaluations. Access to the opening encyclopedia improved thanks to a new revolutionary mode – Opening Tables, presenting theoretical material in the form of encyclopedic table and allowing to replay opening lines on chessboard. Annotating theoretic lines with the Adding\Editing variations new facility possible.

For middlegame studies the program provides analysis by a wide variety of chess engines. Built-in playing programs like Chess Tiger 2004, Ruffian, Delfi, Crafty and Russian Dragon. Broad opportunities for play and analysis provided: deep automatic game analysis mode, multi-variant and background analysis, etc.

Facilitated with an easy-to-handle drag and drop interface plus a navigation/database browser window, standard for programs of this type. Tools for keeping player and tournament names consistent and removing doubles from a player's collection at the highest possible speed and correctness, the entire Market offers at present.

All sorts of search tools at your disposal, like searches for material, pawn structures, positions, players, sacrifices, piece movements, statistical analysis, etc.

Internet Chess Assistant Club mode – playing on the Internet for free, scheduled tournaments (from blitz to correspondence) with prizes, chess training, special chess mail service, Internet access to databases, online support for Chess Assistant 8 customers, etc.

Using Chess Assistant 8 possible both in combination with its built-in engines (Chess Tiger 2004, Ruffian, Delfi, Crafty and Russian Dragon) and with a wide variety of separate engines (Shredder 6, 7 or 8, Winboard engines).