Free tool
Chess Board Editor & FEN Builder
Arrange a chess position by hand, choose the side to move, then copy its FEN or open a legal layout in the analysis tool. It is useful for a puzzle, a position from a book, or a forum question, and needs no account.
Set up a position
Pick a piece from the palette and click squares to place it; choose the eraser to clear squares. Toggle whose move it is, reset to the start position, then copy the FEN. For a legal position containing both kings, Explain position opens the local analysis tool.
What is a FEN?
A FEN (Forsyth–Edwards Notation) is a one-line text snapshot of a position: piece placement, side to move, castling availability, en passant target, halfmove clock and fullmove number. This editor controls the first two fields; it writes no castling or en passant rights and uses default counters of 0 and 1. If those details matter, edit the copied FEN carefully before using it. See chess notation explained for the full breakdown.
Common uses
- Recreate a position from a book or video and analyse it.
- Build a custom puzzle or endgame study, then copy the FEN into a study, message, or forum post.
- Check a board-layout question, or copy a fully specified FEN into the draw checker after adding any necessary castling, en passant and move-count fields.