# chess.js
chess.js is a Javascript chess library that is used for chess move
generation/validation, piece placement/movement, and check/checkmate/stalemate
detection - basically everything but the AI.
chess.js has been extensively tested in node.js and most modern browsers.
## Installation
Run the following command to install the most recent version of chess.js from NPM:
```
npm install chess.js
```
TypeScript type definitions for chess.js are provided by the community-supported
DefinitelyTyped repository and can be installed via:
```
npm install -D @types/chess.js
```
## Example Code
The code below plays a random game of chess:
```js
import { Chess } from 'chess.js'
const chess = new Chess()
while (!chess.game_over()) {
const moves = chess.moves()
const move = moves[Math.floor(Math.random() * moves.length)]
chess.move(move)
}
console.log(chess.pgn())
```
## User Interface
By design, chess.js is headless and does not include user interface. Many
developers have had success integrating chess.js with the
[chessboard.js](http://chessboardjs.com) library. See
[chessboard.js - Random vs Random](http://chessboardjs.com/examples#5002) for
an example.
## API
### Constructor: Chess([ fen ], [ options ])
The Chess() constructor takes an optional parameter which specifies the board configuration
in [Forsyth-Edwards Notation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth%E2%80%93Edwards_Notation).
```js
// board defaults to the starting position when called with no parameters
const chess = new Chess()
// pass in a FEN string to load a particular position
const chess = new Chess(
'r1k4r/p2nb1p1/2b4p/1p1n1p2/2PP4/3Q1NB1/1P3PPP/R5K1 b - c3 0 19'
)
```
### .ascii()
Returns a string containing an ASCII diagram of the current position.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
// make some moves
chess.move('e4')
chess.move('e5')
chess.move('f4')
chess.ascii()
// -> ' +------------------------+
// 8 | r n b q k b n r |
// 7 | p p p p . p p p |
// 6 | . . . . . . . . |
// 5 | . . . . p . . . |
// 4 | . . . . P P . . |
// 3 | . . . . . . . . |
// 2 | P P P P . . P P |
// 1 | R N B Q K B N R |
// +------------------------+
// a b c d e f g h'
```
### .board()
Returns an 2D array representation of the current position. Empty squares are
represented by `null`.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.board()
// -> [[{square: 'a8', type: 'r', color: 'b'},
{square: 'b8', type: 'n', color: 'b'},
{square: 'c8', type: 'b', color: 'b'},
{square: 'd8', type: 'q', color: 'b'},
{square: 'e8', type: 'k', color: 'b'},
{square: 'f8', type: 'b', color: 'b'},
{square: 'g8', type: 'n', color: 'b'},
{square: 'h8', type: 'r', color: 'b'}],
[...],
[...],
[...],
[...],
[...],
[{square: 'a1', type: 'r', color: 'w'},
{square: 'b1', type: 'n', color: 'w'},
{square: 'c1', type: 'b', color: 'w'},
{square: 'd1', type: 'q', color: 'w'},
{square: 'e1', type: 'k', color: 'w'},
{square: 'f1', type: 'b', color: 'w'},
{square: 'g1', type: 'n', color: 'w'},
{square: 'h1', type: 'r', color: 'w'}]]
```
### .clear()
Clears the board.
```js
chess.clear()
chess.fen()
// -> '8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1' <- empty board
```
### .delete_comment()
Delete and return the comment for the current position, if it exists.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.load_pgn("1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {giuoco piano} *")
chess.get_comment()
// -> "giuoco piano"
chess.delete_comment()
// -> "giuoco piano"
chess.get_comment()
// -> undefined
```
### .delete_comments()
Delete and return comments for all positions.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.load_pgn("1. e4 e5 {king's pawn opening} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {giuoco piano} *")
chess.delete_comments()
// -> [
// {
// fen: "rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq e6 0 2",
// comment: "king's pawn opening"
// },
// {
// fen: "r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 2 3",
// comment: "giuoco piano"
// }
// ]
chess.get_comments()
// -> []
```
### .fen()
Returns the FEN string for the current position.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
// make some moves
chess.move('e4')
chess.move('e5')
chess.move('f4')
chess.fen()
// -> 'rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4PP2/8/PPPP2PP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq f3 0 2'
```
### .game_over()
Returns true if the game has ended via checkmate, stalemate, draw, threefold repetition, or insufficient material. Otherwise, returns false.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.game_over()
// -> false
// stalemate
chess.load('4k3/4P3/4K3/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 78')
chess.game_over()
// -> true
// checkmate
chess.load('rnb1kbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/5PPq/8/PPPPP2P/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 1 3')
chess.game_over()
// -> true
```
### .get(square)
Returns the piece on the square:
```js
chess.clear()
chess.put({ type: chess.PAWN, color: chess.BLACK }, 'a5') // put a black pawn on a5
chess.get('a5')
// -> { type: 'p', color: 'b' },
chess.get('a6')
// -> null
```
### .get_comment()
Retrieve the comment for the current position, if it exists.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.load_pgn("1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {giuoco piano} *")
chess.get_comment()
// -> "giuoco piano"
```
### .get_comments()
Retrieve comments for all positions.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.load_pgn("1. e4 e5 {king's pawn opening} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 {giuoco piano} *")
chess.get_comments()
// -> [
// {
// fen: "rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq e6 0 2",
// comment: "king's pawn opening"
// },
// {
// fen: "r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/4p3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 2 3",
// comment: "giuoco piano"
// }
// ]
```
### .header()
Allows header information to be added to PGN output. Any number of key/value
pairs can be passed to .header().
```js
chess.header('White', 'Robert James Fischer')
chess.header('Black', 'Mikhail Tal')
// or
chess.header('White', 'Morphy', 'Black', 'Anderssen', 'Date', '1858-??-??')
```
Calling .header() without any arguments returns the header information as an object.
```js
chess.header()
// -> { White: 'Morphy', Black: 'Anderssen', Date: '1858-??-??' }
```
### .history([ options ])
Returns a list containing the moves of the current game. Options is an optional
parameter which may contain a 'verbose' flag. See .moves() for a description of the
verbose move fields.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.move('e4')
chess.move('e5')
chess.move('f4')
chess.move('exf4')
chess.history()
// -> ['e4', 'e5', 'f4', 'exf4']
chess.history({ verbose: true })
// -> [{ color: 'w', from: 'e2', to: 'e4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e4' },
// { color: 'b', from: 'e7', to: 'e5', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e5' },
// { color: 'w', from: 'f2', to: 'f4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'f4' },
// { color: 'b', from: 'e5', to: 'f4', flags: 'c', piece: 'p', captured: 'p', san: 'exf4' }]
```
### .in_check()
Returns true or false if the side to move is in check.
```js
const chess = new Chess(
'rnb1kbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/5PPq/8/PPPPP2P/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 1 3'
)
chess.in_check()
// -> true
```
### .in_checkmate()
Returns true or false if the side to move has been checkmated.
```js
const chess = new Chess(
'rnb1kbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/5PPq/8/PPPPP2P/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 1 3'
)
chess.in_checkmate()
// -> true
```
### .in_draw()
Returns true or false if the game is drawn (50-move rule or insufficient material).
```js
const chess = new Chess('4k3/4P3/4K3/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 78')
chess.in_draw()
// -> true
```
### .in_stalemate()
Returns true or false if the side to move has been stalemated.
```js
const chess = new Chess('4k3/4P3/4K3/8/8/8/8/8 b - - 0 78')
chess.in_stalemate()
// -> true
```
### .in_threefold_repetition()
Returns true or false if the current board position has occurred three or more
times.
```js
const chess = new Chess('rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1')
// -> true
// rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq occurs 1st time
chess.in_threefold_repetition()
// -> false
chess.move('Nf3') chess.move('Nf6') chess.move('Ng1') chess.move('Ng8')
// rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq occurs 2nd time
chess.in_threefold_repetition()
// -> false
chess.move('Nf3') chess.move('Nf6') chess.move('Ng1') chess.move('Ng8')
// rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq occurs 3rd time
chess.in_threefold_repetition()
// -> true
```
### .insufficient_material()
Returns true if the game is drawn due to insufficient material (K vs. K,
K vs. KB, or K vs. KN) otherwise false.
```js
const chess = new Chess('k7/8/n7/8/8/8/8/7K b - - 0 1')
chess.insufficient_material()
// -> true
```
### .load(fen)
The board is cleared, and the FEN string is loaded. Returns true if the position was
successfully loaded, otherwise false.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.load('4r3/8/2p2PPk/1p6/pP2p1R1/P1B5/2P2K2/3r4 w - - 1 45')
// -> true
chess.load('4r3/8/X12XPk/1p6/pP2p1R1/P1B5/2P2K2/3r4 w - - 1 45')
// -> false, bad piece X
```
### .load_pgn(pgn, [ options ])
Load the moves of a game stored in
[Portable Game Notation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Game_Notation).
`pgn` should be a string. Options is an optional `object` which may contain
a string `newline_char` and a boolean `sloppy`.
The `newline_char` is a string representation of a valid RegExp fragment and is
used to process the PGN. It defaults to `\r?\n`. Special characters
should not be pre-escaped, but any literal special characters should be escaped
as is normal for a RegExp. Keep in mind that backslashes in JavaScript strings
must themselves be escaped (see `sloppy_pgn` example below). Avoid using
a `newline_char` that may occur elsewhere in a PGN, such as `.` or `x`, as this
will result in unexpected behavior.
The `sloppy` flag is a boolean that permits chess.js to parse moves in
non-standard notations. See `.move` documentation for more information about
non-SAN notations.
The method will return `true` if the PGN was parsed successfully, otherwise `false`.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
const pgn = [
'[Event "Casual Game"]',
'[Site "Berlin GER"]',
'[Date "1852.??.??"]',
'[EventDate "?"]',
'[Round "?"]',
'[Result "1-0"]',
'[White "Adolf Anderssen"]',
'[Black "Jean Dufresne"]',
'[ECO "C52"]',
'[WhiteElo "?"]',
'[BlackElo "?"]',
'[PlyCount "47"]',
'',
'1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O',
'd3 8.Qb3 Qf6 9.e5 Qg6 10.Re1 Nge7 11.Ba3 b5 12.Qxb5 Rb8 13.Qa4',
'Bb6 14.Nbd2 Bb7 15.Ne4 Qf5 16.Bxd3 Qh5 17.Nf6+ gxf6 18.exf6',
'Rg8 19.Rad1 Qxf3 20.Rxe7+ Nxe7 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Bf5+ Ke8',
'23.Bd7+ Kf8 24.Bxe7# 1-0'
]
chess.load_pgn(pgn.join('\n'))
// -> true
chess.fen()
// -> 1r3kr1/pbpBBp1p/1b3P2/8/8/2P2q2/P4PPP/3R2K1 b - - 0 24
chess.ascii()
// -> ' +------------------------+
// 8 | . r . . . k r . |
// 7 | p b p B B p . p |
// 6 | . b . . . P . . |
// 5 | . . . . . . . . |
// 4 | . . . . . . . . |
// 3 | . . P . . q . . |
// 2 | P . . . . P P P |
// 1 | . . . R . . K . |
// +------------------------+
// a b c d e f g h'
// Parse non-standard move formats and unusual line separators
const sloppy_pgn = [
'[Event "Wijk aan Zee (Netherlands)"]',
'[Date "1971.01.26"]',
'[Result "1-0"]',
'[White "Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian"]',
'[Black "Hans Ree"]',
'[ECO "A29"]',
'',
'1. Pc2c4 Pe7e5', // non-standard
'2. Nc3 Nf6',
'3. Nf3 Nc6',
'4. g2g3 Bb4', // non-standard
'5. Nd5 Nxd5',
'6. c4xd5 e5-e4', // non-standard
'7. dxc6 exf3',
'8. Qb3 1-0'
].join('|')
const options = {
newline_char: '\\|', // Literal '|' character escaped
sloppy: true
}
chess.load_pgn(sloppy_pgn)
// -> false
chess.load_pgn(sloppy_pgn, options)
// -> true
chess.fen()
// -> 'r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2P5/8/1b6/1Q3pP1/PP1PPP1P/R1B1KB1R b KQkq - 1 8'
```
### .move(move, [ options ])
Attempts to make a move on the board, returning a move object if the move was
legal, otherwise null. The .move function can be called two ways, by passing
a string in Standard Algebraic Notation (SAN):
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.move('e4')
// -> { color: 'w', from: 'e2', to: 'e4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e4' }
chess.move('nf6') // SAN is case sensitive!!
// -> null
chess.move('Nf6')
// -> { color: 'b', from: 'g8', to: 'f6', flags: 'n', piece: 'n', san: 'Nf6' }
```
Or by passing .move() a move object (only the 'to', 'from', and when necessary
'promotion', fields are needed):
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.move({ from: 'g2', to: 'g3' })
// -> { color: 'w', from: 'g2', to: 'g3', flags: 'n', piece: 'p', san: 'g3' }
```
An optional sloppy flag can be used to parse a variety of non-standard move
notations:
```js
const chess = new Chess()
// various forms of Long Algebraic Notation
chess.move('e2e4', { sloppy: true })
// -> { color: 'w', from: 'e2', to: 'e4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e4' }
chess.move('e7-e5', { sloppy: true })
// -> { color: 'b', from: 'e7', to: 'e5', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e5' }
chess.move('Pf2f4', { sloppy: true })
// -> { color: 'w', from: 'f2', to: 'f4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'f4' }
chess.move('Pe5xf4', { sloppy: true })
// -> { color: 'b', from: 'e5', to: 'f4', flags: 'c', piece: 'p', captured: 'p', san: 'exf4' }
// correctly parses incorrectly disambiguated moves
chess = new Chess(
'r2qkbnr/ppp2ppp/2n5/1B2pQ2/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/RNB1K2R b KQkq - 3 7'
)
chess.move('Nge7') // Ne7 is unambiguous because the knight on c6 is pinned
// -> null
chess.move('Nge7', { sloppy: true })
// -> { color: 'b', from: 'g8', to: 'e7', flags: 'n', piece: 'n', san: 'Ne7' }
```
### .moves([ options ])
Returns a list of legal moves from the current position. The function takes an optional parameter which controls the single-square move generation and verbosity.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.moves()
// -> ['a3', 'a4', 'b3', 'b4', 'c3', 'c4', 'd3', 'd4', 'e3', 'e4',
// 'f3', 'f4', 'g3', 'g4', 'h3', 'h4', 'Na3', 'Nc3', 'Nf3', 'Nh3']
chess.moves({ square: 'e2' })
// -> ['e3', 'e4']
chess.moves({ square: 'e9' }) // invalid square
// -> []
chess.moves({ verbose: true })
// -> [{ color: 'w', from: 'a2', to: 'a3',
// flags: 'n', piece: 'p', san 'a3'
// # a captured: key is included when the move is a capture
// # a promotion: key is included when the move is a promotion
// },
// ...
// ]
```
The _piece_, _captured_, and _promotion_ fields contain the lowercase
representation of the applicable piece.
The _flags_ field in verbose mode may contain one or more of the following values:
- 'n' - a non-capture
- 'b' - a pawn push of two squares
- 'e' - an en passant capture
- 'c' - a standard capture
- 'p' - a promotion
- 'k' - kingside castling
- 'q' - queenside castling
A flag of 'pc' would mean that a pawn captured a piece on the 8th rank and promoted.
### .pgn([ options ])
Returns the game in PGN format. Options is an optional parameter which may include
max width and/or a newline character settings.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.header('White', 'Plunky', 'Black', 'Plinkie')
chess.move('e4')
chess.move('e5')
chess.move('Nc3')
chess.move('Nc6')
chess.pgn({ max_width: 5, newline_char: '
' })
// -> '[White "Plunky"]
[Black "Plinkie"]
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3 Nc6'
```
### .put(piece, square)
Place a piece on the square where piece is an object with the form
{ type: ..., color: ... }. Returns true if the piece was successfully placed,
otherwise, the board remains unchanged and false is returned. `put()` will fail
when passed an invalid piece or square, or when two or more kings of the
same color are placed.
```js
chess.clear()
chess.put({ type: chess.PAWN, color: chess.BLACK }, 'a5') // put a black pawn on a5
// -> true
chess.put({ type: 'k', color: 'w' }, 'h1') // shorthand
// -> true
chess.fen()
// -> '8/8/8/p7/8/8/8/7K w - - 0 0'
chess.put({ type: 'z', color: 'w' }, 'a1') // invalid piece
// -> false
chess.clear()
chess.put({ type: 'k', color: 'w' }, 'a1')
// -> true
chess.put({ type: 'k', color: 'w' }, 'h1') // fail - two kings
// -> false
```
### .remove(square)
Remove and return the piece on _square_.
```js
chess.clear()
chess.put({ type: chess.PAWN, color: chess.BLACK }, 'a5') // put a black pawn on a5
chess.put({ type: chess.KING, color: chess.WHITE }, 'h1') // put a white king on h1
chess.remove('a5')
// -> { type: 'p', color: 'b' },
chess.remove('h1')
// -> { type: 'k', color: 'w' },
chess.remove('e1')
// -> null
```
### .reset()
Reset the board to the initial starting position.
### .set_comment(comment)
Comment on the current position.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.move("e4")
chess.set_comment("king's pawn opening")
chess.pgn()
// -> "1. e4 {king's pawn opening}"
```
### .square_color(square)
Returns the color of the square ('light' or 'dark').
```js
const chess = Chess()
chess.square_color('h1')
// -> 'light'
chess.square_color('a7')
// -> 'dark'
chess.square_color('bogus square')
// -> null
```
### .turn()
Returns the current side to move.
```js
chess.load('rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 1')
chess.turn()
// -> 'b'
```
### .undo()
Takeback the last half-move, returning a move object if successful, otherwise null.
```js
const chess = new Chess()
chess.fen()
// -> 'rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1'
chess.move('e4')
chess.fen()
// -> 'rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 1'
chess.undo()
// -> { color: 'w', from: 'e2', to: 'e4', flags: 'b', piece: 'p', san: 'e4' }
chess.fen()
// -> 'rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1'
chess.undo()
// -> null
```
### .validate_fen(fen):
Returns a validation object specifying validity or the errors found within the
FEN string.
```js
chess.validate_fen('2n1r3/p1k2pp1/B1p3b1/P7/5bP1/2N1B3/1P2KP2/2R5 b - - 4 25')
// -> { valid: true, error_number: 0, error: 'No errors.' }
chess.validate_fen('4r3/8/X12XPk/1p6/pP2p1R1/P1B5/2P2K2/3r4 w - - 1 45')
// -> { valid: false, error_number: 9,
// error: '1st field (piece positions) is invalid [invalid piece].' }
```
## BUGS
- The en passant square and castling flags aren't adjusted when using the put/remove functions (workaround: use .load() instead)