Chess best move finder
Find the next best move in any chess position. Play the moves on the board, paste a FEN or PGN, or import a screenshot of the board: Stockfish shows the three best moves and their evaluation right away.
How to use the chess move calculator
1. Set up the position: drag the pieces from the starting position, use Import PGN to paste a FEN or a game, or Import screenshot to read a picture of the board.
2. Read the Stockfish panel: the top line is the best move, followed by the second and third choices. The eval bar next to the board shows who stands better.
3. Click a move to play it and get the best reply, or step through the move list to see where a game went wrong. Master DB shows what strong players chose in the same position.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find the best move in a chess position?
Set up the position on the board above, by playing the moves, pasting a FEN or PGN, or importing a screenshot. Stockfish starts on its own and lists the three best moves with their evaluation. Click a move to play it on the board and see the next best move.
- Can I find the best move from a picture of the board?
Yes. Click Import screenshot, then paste or upload a picture of a 2D board. The position is read on your device, you confirm whose turn it is and the castling rights, and Stockfish evaluates it.
- How strong is this chess calculator?
It uses Stockfish, the strongest open-source chess engine. Known positions come from the Lichess cloud evaluation; other positions are calculated in your browser to depth 18, which is far beyond human level.
- What do the numbers next to each move mean?
They are evaluations in pawns from White’s point of view: +1.0 means White is about a pawn ahead, −2.5 means Black is two and a half pawns ahead. “#3” means a forced mate in 3 moves.
- Can I use it during an online game?
No. Chess.com, Lichess and FIDE forbid any engine help while a game is in progress, and accounts that use one get banned. Use the best move finder on puzzles, on your own finished games, or to check an opening line.
- Is the best move finder free?
Yes, it is free and works without an account, on desktop and mobile.