Scan an entire game in seconds
That scoresheet sitting in your bag holds a game worth keeping — but typing it move by move into a board editor is slow and error-prone. ScanChess turns the whole thing into a clean, replayable, shareable file from a single photo.
Snap a picture of your handwritten scoresheet, upload it, and our AI reads every move into standard algebraic notation. In moments you have a downloadable PGN you can replay on an interactive board, study later, or open in any chess app you already use. No retyping, no transcription mistakes, no lost games.
A chess game scanner built for real scoresheets means messy handwriting, abbreviations, and quick tournament scribbles are all fair game. ScanChess does the reading so you can get back to the chess.
How it works
- Take a photo. Lay your scoresheet flat, make sure the moves are legible, and capture it with your phone or camera.
- Upload it. Drop the photo into ScanChess on the web or in our WeChat mini-program. The AI OCR transcribes your handwriting into SAN moves.
- Review and export. Check the transcribed moves on an interactive board, then download your PGN — ready to replay, analyze, or share.
Why players use ScanChess
- Saves time. What took ten minutes of careful typing now takes one photo. Your game is digitized before you've packed up your set.
- Catches illegal and ambiguous moves. Every move is validated against the rules. ScanChess flags illegal or unclear entries so you can fix a misread before it breaks the game.
- Saved to your history. Every scan lands in your account automatically. Build a personal archive of your games without managing files by hand.
- Export anywhere. Your PGN drops straight into Lichess, Chess.com, ChessBase, or SCID for deeper analysis.
Want to recognize a position instead of a full game? Photograph a board and ScanChess returns the FEN, so you can pick up mid-game or capture a study puzzle just as easily.
Start with free credits
New accounts come with free starter credits, so you can scan your first games and see the results before committing to anything. Most players are surprised how much faster their post-game routine becomes once the scoresheet stops being a chore.
Ready to digitize that stack of scoresheets? Capture, upload, and replay your next game in a single sitting.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, read How to convert a handwritten scoresheet to PGN. Once your games are in, learn how to Analyze your chess games and turn old scoresheets into real improvement.