FEN (Forsyth–Edwards Notation) is the standard notation for describing any chess position using a single line of ASCII text. It was developed by Scottish journalist David Forsyth and later extended by Steven Edwards. FEN is used by chess software, databases, and websites to represent board states compactly. A FEN string contains 6 fields: piece placement, active color, castling availability, en passant target square, halfmove clock, and fullmove number.

Simply select a piece from the palette above, then click any square on the board to place it. To move a piece, click it on the board to pick it up, then click its new square. Use the eraser tool to remove pieces. You can also import existing FEN strings, use preset positions, and export your custom setup with a single click.

Uppercase letters represent White pieces: K (King), Q (Queen), R (Rook), B (Bishop), N (Knight), P (Pawn). Lowercase letters represent Black pieces: k, q, r, b, n, p. Numbers (1-8) represent consecutive empty squares. Ranks are separated by slashes (/), starting from the 8th rank at the top.

Yes! Copy the generated FEN string and share it via message, email, or social media. Anyone can paste the FEN into any FEN-compatible chess software or website (including this editor) to recreate your exact position. You can also download the FEN as a text file.

FEN describes a single position (snapshot) on the chessboard, while PGN (Portable Game Notation) records an entire game move by move, including metadata like player names, date, and result. A PGN file may contain multiple FEN strings to mark critical positions within the game.

If you have the FEN string from a game database or chess website, paste it into the "Import FEN" field and click "Load." Alternatively, use our preset positions as starting points and modify them piece by piece using the palette and board.

Absolutely! The editor is fully responsive and optimized for touch screens. The board scales to fit your device, and all controls remain easily accessible. You can tap pieces in the palette and tap the board to place them — no keyboard or mouse required.

Beyond the board layout, a complete FEN string specifies whose turn it is (White or Black), which castling rights remain, any en passant target square, and the halfmove/fullmove counters. These details matter when loading positions into chess engines or for tournament record-keeping.