--- title: "Half-move in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/half-move.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/half-move" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A half-move, also called a ply, is a single turn by one side, so a full move in chess notation consists of two half-moves, one by White and one by Black." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fifty-move-rule.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/seventy-five-move-rule.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fen.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-engine.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/algebraic-notation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/rules-notation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Half-move 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. A half-move, also called a ply, is a single turn by one side, so a full move in chess notation consists of two half-moves, one by White and one by Black. A half-move, also called a ply, is a single turn by one side, so a full move in chess notation consists of two half-moves, one by White and one by Black. Rules that count moves need a precise unit, and chess uses two. A move, in the Laws, means one turn by each player, as in 1.e4 e5. A half-move, or ply, is a single turn by one side. Count plies when you need exact tallies. The [fifty-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fifty-move-rule.md) asks for fifty moves by each player without a pawn move or a [capture](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/capture.md), which is one hundred plies, and the automatic draw at seventy-five moves by each player needs one hundred and fifty. Articles 9.3 and 9.6.2 word both rules in moves by each player, so keep that in mind when you translate them. FEN stores the number of plies since the last pawn move or capture in its fifth field, and the counter returns to zero after either event. [Chess engines](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-engine.md) report [search depth](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/search-depth.md) in plies, so a depth of eight plies looks four moves ahead for each side. On a [scoresheet](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md) each numbered line holds two plies, which is why a long count is easy to get wrong by a factor of two. Check your arithmetic before you claim a draw. Also called: ply. It sits close to [FEN](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fen.md). 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. Compare it with [Seventy-five-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/seventy-five-move-rule.md). The seventy-five-move rule ends the game in a draw automatically when each player has made at least seventy-five moves without a pawn move or a capture, unless the last move was checkmate. Knowing "Half-move" 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 - [Fifty-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fifty-move-rule.md) - [Seventy-five-move rule](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/seventy-five-move-rule.md) - [FEN](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fen.md) - [Scoresheet](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md) - [Chess engine](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-engine.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 9.3), read 2026-10-21: https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023 - FIDE Laws of Chess (effective 1 January 2023) (Article 9.6.2), 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 - [Fifty-move rule in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fifty-move-rule.md) - [Seventy-five-move rule in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/seventy-five-move-rule.md) - [FEN in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/fen.md) - [Scoresheet in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/scoresheet.md) - [Chess engine](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-engine.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)