Chess Board Editor (FEN)
Set up any chess position by placing, dragging and removing pieces, set side to move, castling rights and en passant, and copy the FEN — or paste a FEN to see it on the board with clear explanations of anything invalid.
This tool runs entirely in your browser.
How to use the Chess Board Editor (FEN)
- 1Start from the standard position or an empty board.
- 2Pick a piece from the palette and click squares to place it; use Move to drag pieces (or click a piece, then its new square) and Delete to remove them.
- 3Set the side to move, castling rights, en-passant square and move counters.
- 4Copy the FEN, or paste a FEN into the box and press Load to show it on the board.
What is the Chess Board Editor (FEN)?
FEN (Forsyth–Edwards Notation) describes a chess position in one line. The first field lists the ranks from 8 down to 1, using letters for pieces — uppercase for White (KQRBNP), lowercase for Black — and digits for runs of empty squares. The rest give the side to move (w or b), castling rights (KQkq or -), the en-passant target square, the halfmove clock for the 50-move rule and the fullmove number.
The editor checks that the position could exist: one king each, no pawns on the first or last rank, castling rights only where king and rook are still on their starting squares, and an en-passant square only right behind a pawn that just moved two squares. It doesn’t check move legality or whether a king is in check.
Keyboard users can move around the board with the arrow keys, press Enter to pick up and drop a piece, and Delete to remove one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FEN of the starting position?
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1 — Black’s pieces on ranks 8 and 7, White’s on 2 and 1, White to move, all castling rights, no en passant, halfmove clock 0 and move 1.
How do I use the FEN?
Paste it into a chess app or site (Lichess, Chess.com, a chess engine’s “set up position” option) to analyse or play from that position, or into a chess diagram tool for books and worksheets.
When should I set an en-passant square?
Only right after a pawn moved two squares forward: it’s the square the pawn skipped. The menu lists only squares that fit the current board and side to move.
Why are my castling rights flagged?
A castling right needs the king on its original square (e1 or e8) and the rook on its corner. If either has moved, remove that right — K and Q are White’s kingside and queenside, k and q Black’s.
Is the Chess Board Editor (FEN) free and private?
Yes. The Chess Board Editor (FEN) is free, needs no account, and runs entirely in your browser. What you type is never sent to a server or stored.
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