How do I view a FEN from Black's side?

If you only want to look at the position from Black's side, use Flip board under the diagram. The FEN does not change, because a FEN does not store which way the board faces. Rotating the FEN moves the pieces themselves, which is only right when the position was entered upside down.

What is the difference between rotating and swapping colors?

Rotating turns the board 180 degrees and keeps every piece's color, so White's pawns end up moving the wrong way. Swapping colors mirrors the ranks and changes the colors, so the pieces still move the right way and the other side is to move: the same position seen from the other player's chair.

Why were the castling rights removed?

A castling right needs the king and the rook on their starting squares. After a rotation or a mirror they are not, so the right cannot stand. Swapping colors keeps the rights, with White's and Black's exchanged.

Does the move number change?

No. The halfmove clock and the move number stay as they were. Only the side to move changes, and only when the colors are swapped.

Flip or Mirror a Chess Position

Free tool · No account needed

Rotate, mirror or swap colors, then copy the new FEN. Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Have a screenshot or photo of this position? Scan it and the board sets itself up.

Scan an image Try the free example

Turning a position around is useful more often than it sounds. A diagram printed from Black's side gets typed in upside down; a study is easier to compare once the colors are swapped; an engine test wants the same position mirrored to check that the evaluation is symmetric. This page applies three transforms to any FEN and rewrites everything that depends on them: the piece placement, the side to move, the castling rights and the en passant square. Rights that a transform makes impossible are dropped and named, so other tools accept the new FEN.

What this tool does

Rotate 180 degrees

Turns the board around and keeps the colors, as if seen from Black's side. Use it when a diagram printed with Black at the bottom was entered as if White were at the bottom.

Mirror the files

Swaps the a-file and the h-file and keeps the colors. Castling rights go, because the kings leave their starting squares.

Swap colors

Mirrors the ranks and gives every piece the other color, with the side to move, castling rights and en passant square following. The result is the same position for the other player.

Copy, download or open

Copy the new FEN, save the board as a PNG, or open it in FEN to Image, the board editor or the FEN validator.

How to flip a FEN

1
Paste a FEN, or load the example.
2
Switch on rotate, mirror or swap colors. They can be combined, and switching one off undoes it.
3
Check the new board, and read the note about any castling right or en passant square that was dropped.
4
Copy the new FEN or download the image.

Frequently asked questions

How do I view a FEN from Black's side?: If you only want to look at the position from Black's side, use Flip board under the diagram. The FEN does not change, because a FEN does not store which way the board faces. Rotating the FEN moves the pieces themselves, which is only right when the position was entered upside down.
What is the difference between rotating and swapping colors?: Rotating turns the board 180 degrees and keeps every piece's color, so White's pawns end up moving the wrong way. Swapping colors mirrors the ranks and changes the colors, so the pieces still move the right way and the other side is to move: the same position seen from the other player's chair.
Why were the castling rights removed?: A castling right needs the king and the rook on their starting squares. After a rotation or a mirror they are not, so the right cannot stand. Swapping colors keeps the rights, with White's and Black's exchanged.
Does the move number change?: No. The halfmove clock and the move number stay as they were. Only the side to move changes, and only when the colors are swapped.

Is the position in a screenshot or a book?

Scan a screenshot, a diagram or a photo of a board, and ScanChess writes the FEN for you, the right way up. Free credits on sign-up.

Scan a board image

Guides for this tool

More free tools

All tools