SCAN A CHESSPOSITION
Take a photo of a diagram in a book, or a screenshot of one. We read the position, you check it and fix anything we got wrong, then you get one engine read: the evaluation and the best line.
Enter your email to use this tool
Photo to Position is free. Enter your email and the tool opens right away. No account and no password.
For a clean read
- Fill the frame with the board, leaving a little margin around it.
- Shoot from straight above, in even light, with no piece hidden behind another.
- From a book or a screen, a flat, sharp diagram reads best.
What happens to your photo
Questions
Does it work with a photo of a real board?
Printed and on-screen diagrams read best, because the board is flat and the pieces are clear. A photo of a real board can be read too, but it is more likely to need fixes, so shoot from straight above with the whole board in the frame and check every square before you trust it.
Can it scan a chess diagram from a book or a screen?
Yes. Printed and on-screen diagrams usually read well, because the board is flat and the pieces are clear. A screenshot of a diagram works too.
Why do I have to say whose move it is?
A photo cannot show it, and the evaluation depends on it. The same goes for castling: only the game knows whether a king or a rook has already moved.
What if a piece is read wrong?
Choose the right piece and tap the square to fix it, or choose the empty square to clear one. You can also paste a FEN.
Is it free?
Yes, and no account is needed.
Is my photo stored?
Your photo is read on our server and discarded as soon as the position is found. It is never saved, and its location and camera details are removed before it is read.
What is a FEN?
A FEN is a one-line text description of a chess position that most chess software can open. You can copy it from the result.