ScanChess
Chess images to FEN, handwritten scoresheets to PGN
About ScanChess
ScanChess reads chess off pictures. Upload a screenshot, a diagram or a photo of a board and it returns an editable position in FEN; upload the pages of a handwritten scoresheet and it returns the game as PGN. Typing a game in by hand after a tournament is slow and error-prone, and a position seen in a book or a video is hard to get into an engine. ScanChess closes that gap, then lets you analyze the result with Stockfish and an AI coach, replay it, or export it to Lichess and Chess.com. It is operated by SudoAI and governed by Singapore law.
What sets it apart is how openly it treats accuracy. Every move it reads is checked against the rules and shown next to your original photo so you can fix anything that differs, and corrections are free. The site publishes its own accuracy test sheet by sheet: on its October 16, 2026 run it read 181 of 204 moves right across four standard algebraic sheets, 43 of 45 on a tidy 1973 tournament sheet, and made up 0 moves on blank sheets, with the warning that it is a small test and not a guarantee. Around the scanner sit 23 free browser tools that need no account, from an analysis board to a PGN-to-GIF converter.
- •Scan the image. Drop in a board screenshot, diagram or photo, or the pages of one game. A board costs 1 credit and a scoresheet 2 credits, however many pages the game has. You can also paste with Cmd+V or capture a board from a web page with the browser extension.
- •Check it beside the original. The moves are validated against the rules and displayed next to your photo so you can compare them and correct any mistakes at no cost.
- •Analyze, replay and export. Stockfish analysis is free, and the AI coach explains one game a day for free, then 1 credit per explanation. Export PGN or FEN to Lichess, Chess.com or anywhere else.
- •Keep studying. Scanned games are saved to your library, missed tactics become practice positions, and Pro adds an insights profile and opponent preparation.
- •Board image to FEN - Reads screenshots, diagrams and photos of a board (JPG, PNG or WebP up to 15 MB) into an editable position you can copy as FEN or open in the analysis board.
- •Handwritten scoresheet to PGN - Reads one or more pages of a game, including German notation, checks each move for legality and lays it out next to the photo for review.
- •Stockfish and AI coach - Free Stockfish analysis plus an AI coach that explains a game in plain language, with one free explanation a day on the free plan.
- •Practice and insights - Missed tactics from your games become practice positions, and Pro adds full insights, opening repertoires, opponent scouting and event reports.
- •Coaches and clubs - Group pages by game for a whole round, add a pairing list, keep a roster with a page per student and share event reports through links you can withdraw. A club of up to 10 players is free.
- •23 free browser tools - Analysis board, best move finder from a FEN or screenshot, board editor and FEN generator, PGN to GIF, FEN to image, PGN viewer and a printable scoresheet generator, all without an account.
ScanChess is built for over-the-board players who come home from a tournament with a pile of handwritten scoresheets and want them analyzed without retyping every move. Club players and improvers can photograph a position from a book, a magazine or a stream and get straight to the best move. Coaches can scan a whole round, assign games to students and share reports, and clubs of up to 10 players can do that for free, with Pro+ lifting the limits for larger groups. Chess content creators get quick FEN images and animated GIFs for posts. The free plan, with 10 credits on sign-up and no card, is enough to test whether the reader handles your handwriting.
Pricing
$0 - $19.99/mo
- Free$0/mo
- Pro$4.99/mo
- Pro+$19.99/mo
From the vendor pricing page, 2026-10-16
