--- title: "FEN in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fen.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fen" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "FEN is a compact line of text that records a chess position. FEN stands for Forsyth-Edwards Notation. It has six fields separated by spaces." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/en-passant.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/half-move.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/algebraic-notation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # FEN in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. FEN is a compact line of text that records a chess position. FEN stands for Forsyth-Edwards Notation. It has six fields separated by spaces. FEN is a compact line of text that records a chess position: the pieces rank by rank, whose turn it is, castling rights, any en passant square, and two move counters. FEN stands for Forsyth-Edwards Notation. It is a software convention, not part of the Laws, but it records exactly the facts the Laws make decisive in a position. It has six fields separated by spaces. The first lists the board from rank eight down to rank one, with a slash between ranks, capital letters for White pieces, lower case for Black, and a digit for each run of empty squares. The second is the side to move, w or b. The third lists [castling](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md) rights, K and Q for White, k and q for Black, or a dash when none remain. The fourth is the [en passant](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/en-passant.md) target square, or a dash. The fifth counts [half-moves](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/half-move.md) since the last pawn move or [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md), which feeds the [fifty-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fifty-move-rule.md), and the sixth is the full-move number. The [starting position](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md) reads rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1. Use it whenever you need to share a position exactly, for example to ask a coach about a puzzle or to set up a position on a board editor. A move list can lose a position; a FEN does not. Also called: Forsyth-Edwards Notation. A neighboring idea is [Long algebraic notation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/long-algebraic-notation.md). Long algebraic notation is the fuller form of algebraic notation in which each move lists its square of departure as well as its square of arrival, so the knight move Nf3 becomes Ng1-f3 and the pawn move e4 becomes e2-e4. It sits close to [PGN](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md). PGN is a text-file standard for chess games: header tags name the event, players and result, then the moves follow in algebraic notation, so databases, engines and websites can all import the same file. Knowing "FEN" is the easy part; what to practice next depends on your rating, and the [improvement plans by rating band](https://georgelichess.com/improve.md) list the habits worth building at each level. ## Related terms - [PGN](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md) - [Starting position](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md) - [En passant](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/en-passant.md) - [Half-move](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/half-move.md) - [Castling](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md) - [Algebraic notation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/algebraic-notation.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. ## Sources - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Article 2.3), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Article 9.2.3), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Article 9.3), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Appendix C.5 to C.7), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [PGN in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pgn.md) - [Starting position in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/starting-position.md) - [En Passant: Rule, Diagrams and Mistakes](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/en-passant.md) - [Half-move in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/half-move.md) - [Castling in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/castling.md) - [Algebraic notation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/algebraic-notation.md) - [Chess terms: Rules, notation and equipment](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)