How to Import a PGN into Lichess (Step by Step)

Once you have a game saved as a PGN file, Lichess is one of the fastest places to bring it back to life. You can replay every move, flip the board, get free computer evaluation, and share a link with a friend or coach. There are three ways to load a game, and they suit different jobs: the Import game page gives the game its own permanent URL, the Analysis board is for a quick look without saving anything, and a Study is for organizing and annotating several games.

What you need before you start

To import a game, you need it in PGN format: the moves in standard algebraic notation, optionally with tags for the event, players and result. What is PGN shows a complete example and explains each tag. You can paste PGN text directly or upload a .pgn file; either works everywhere below.

Method 1: Import game (lichess.org/paste)

This is the primary route and the one to use when you want a link you can send to someone.

1. Go to lichess.org/paste, or open Tools → Import game from the main menu.
2. Paste your full PGN into the text box, or choose your .pgn file.
3. Press Import game.

Lichess creates a game page with its own URL, the same kind of page a game played on the site gets. The link is permanent, anyone can open it without an account, and you can request computer analysis on it from the analysis tab. If you are signed in, the imported game is also listed under your profile so you can find it again later.

If Lichess rejects the import, the most common cause is invalid or illegal notation, for example a move that is not legal in the position, or a typo like Ng5 when no knight can reach g5. Clean up the moves and try again.

Method 2: Paste onto the Analysis board

Use this when you only want to look at a game right now and do not need a saved copy.

1. Open lichess.org/analysis (also under Tools in the main menu).
2. Scroll below the board. The PGN text box is underneath the board, not beside the move list.
3. Paste your PGN into the box or pick your .pgn file. Lichess loads the moves as soon as it can parse them.
4. Use the arrow keys or the on-screen controls to step through the game.

Nothing is saved unless you press the option to import the game, which hands it over to Method 1.

Turn on computer analysis

On an imported game page or on the Analysis board, you can request computer analysis. Lichess runs its engine over the whole game, marks mistakes, blunders and inaccuracies, and draws an evaluation graph. This is the payoff of importing: you see exactly where the game turned. For a deeper walkthrough of reviewing your own games this way, see analyzing chess games from scoresheets.

Method 3: Import a PGN into a Study

A Study is better when you want to keep games organized, annotate them, or import several at once. You will need to be signed in.

1. Open the Study section on Lichess and create a new study.
2. Inside the study, add a new chapter.
3. In the chapter dialog, choose the PGN tab. Paste your PGN text or upload the file.
4. Create the chapter. The game appears as a chapter you can replay, comment on, and share.

Studies accept multiple games in one PGN paste, creating a chapter per game, which is handy when you are digitizing a stack of scoresheets at once. You can add variations, text comments and arrows, then share a single link. From scoresheet to Lichess study covers that workflow end to end.

Getting a PGN from a paper scoresheet

If your game only lives on a handwritten scoresheet, you do not have to retype every move. ScanChess reads a photo of the sheet, replays each move on a board as it goes, and marks anything illegal in red and anything doubtful in amber, so transcription errors are fixed before the paste rather than after Lichess rejects it. Convert a handwritten scoresheet to PGN walks through that step, and how to read a chess scoresheet explains the symbols you will see in the exported PGN.

Troubleshooting common import errors

• "Invalid PGN" or a rejected move: Lichess validates legality. A single bad move stops the import. Re-check that move against the board, or re-export from a tool that flags illegal moves.
• Only the first game loads: the Import game page and the Analysis board handle one game at a time. Use a Study to import a multi-game PGN.
• Missing player names or date: these come from the PGN header tags. They are optional for replay, so the game still loads, you just lose the metadata. Add the [White], [Black] and [Date] tags if you want them.
• Strange characters: make sure you are pasting plain text, not a formatted document. Copying from a PDF can introduce hidden characters that confuse the parser.

Importing takes under a minute once you have the file; the real friction is getting a clean PGN in the first place, especially from a handwritten sheet. That is the part the ScanChess scanner is for, and its export drops straight into any of the three methods above.