Online PGN viewer
Paste a PGN and step through the game on a real board. Stockfish runs alongside, so you can see what actually happened.
Open a sample PGN → Morphy's seventeen-move Opera Game, loaded straight from the link.
What is a PGN file?
PGN stands for Portable Game Notation. It is the standard plain-text format for recording a chess game: a header block with the players, event, date and result, followed by the moves in algebraic notation.
Because it is just text, a PGN can be copied out of an email, a forum post or a database and pasted anywhere that understands it. You can even leave the headers out and paste the moves alone: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 1-0.
How to open a PGN
- Copy the PGN text from a game page, a chat message, or a
.pgnfile opened in any text editor. - Open the import screen and paste it in.
- Step through the game with the arrow keys, or click any move in the list to jump to that position.
- Stockfish starts as soon as the game loads and shows the evaluation and the best moves at every point in the game.
A PGN with variations, comments and NAG annotations (!?, $2) still loads, but only its main line reaches the board. The sidelines, comments and annotation symbols are left out.
Viewing versus analyzing
A basic PGN viewer replays the moves and stops there. This one is the analysis board with your PGN loaded, so the whole toolset is on the same screen: engine evaluation, best-move arrows, the opening explorer showing what is usually played from each position, and a full game report if you want the mistakes marked automatically.
That way you can work out why each move was played while you watch the game go by.
Keep going
Analysis board
The full board with engine, arrows and the opening explorer.
Opening guides
Learn the ideas behind the openings you keep meeting.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a PGN file online?
Open the file in any text editor, copy its contents, and paste them into the import screen. There is nothing to install and no account needed.
Can I view a PGN with variations and comments?
You can load one, but the board keeps only the main line. Sidelines, comments and annotation glyphs are dropped, so you see the game as it was played without the notes.
Can I analyze the game after loading the PGN?
Yes. The PGN loads straight onto the full analysis board, so Stockfish evaluation, best-move arrows, the opening explorer and the game report are all available at once.
Is there a limit on game length?
Not for a normal game. The board holds one game at a time, though, so split a multi-game PGN file and paste the games one by one.