Do you have to write down your moves in chess?
A · Advanced · At the board · 1 of 6In standard games, yes. Each player must record their own moves and the opponent's, move after move, in algebraic notation. A player with less than five minutes left may stop, unless 30 seconds or more are added for each move. In rapid and blitz games nobody has to write.
How it works
- Who: both players, each recording both sides' moves.
- How: algebraic notation, on the paper scoresheet or a certified electronic one.
- The squares: files a to h from White's left, ranks 1 to 8 from White's side.
- The pieces: K, Q, R, B and N. Pawns have no letter.
- A move: the piece letter and the square it goes to, such as Nf3. A capture may show an x, such as Bxe5.
- Castling: 0-0 on the kingside and 0-0-0 on the queenside.
- When: a player may reply to a move before writing it down, but must record the previous move before making another.
- Not in advance: a move may not be written before it is played, except when claiming a draw.
- Under five minutes: no need to record, unless the increment is 30 seconds or more.
- At the end: both players sign both scoresheets with the result.
The glossary has the notation, the rank and file, the draw offer, the time pressure, the increment and the arbiter.
Tricky cases
A player writes the move down first, looks at it, then plays it. Allowed?
No. "It is forbidden to record the moves in advance", except for a draw claim or a sealed move.
A player has two minutes left with a 30-second increment. May they stop writing?
No. With 30 seconds or more added each move, the duty to record never stops.
Both players are short of time and neither is writing. What happens when a flag falls?
The arbiter stops the clock, and both players bring their scoresheets up to date, using the arbiter's record or the opponent's sheet.
Can a player use the old descriptive notation, such as "P-K4"?
No, not as evidence. FIDE recognises only algebraic notation, and a scoresheet in another system cannot be used to support a claim.
Why the rule exists
The scoresheet is the game's evidence. Draw claims, illegal moves found late and arguments about how many moves have been made all depend on it. The ban on writing a move first stops the scoresheet from being used as a notepad for testing ideas.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard chess | Both players record every move | FIDE Laws 8.1.1 |
| Less than five minutes left, increment under 30 seconds | Recording may stop for that period | FIDE Laws 8.4 |
| Rapid and blitz | No recording required | FIDE Laws A.2; B.3 |
| Player unable to keep score | An assistant may do it | FIDE Laws 8.1.6 |
| Visually disabled player | May record in Braille, longhand or on a recording device | FIDE Laws D.2.7 |
From the rule book
FIDE, Laws of Chess (approved 7 August 2022, applied from 1 January 2023), Article 8 and Appendices A.2, C and D.2.7. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: FIDE Laws of Chess taking effect from 1 January 2023 (FIDE Handbook E.01).