Next Chess Move Calculator
Set up a position or paste a FEN, and Stockfish finds the best next move and two alternatives.
White to move. Set up the position, then find the best move.
FEN rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
Find the best chess move in any position
- Play the moves on the board, paste a PGN to reach the position, or paste its FEN.
- Press Find the best move. The engine’s choice appears above the board as an arrow and in words.
- Compare the top three lines to understand the idea, not just the move.
For positions that don’t come from a game, such as puzzles or studies, place the pieces in the board editor and choose who is to move. After a game, the chess game review shows the best move at every moment where you went wrong.
Best chess move: what the engine is telling you
The engine compares moves by evaluation. A difference of less than 0.30 between the first and second line usually means both moves are fine; a gap of several pawns, or a mate score, means only one move works. When the best move is a capture or a check, look at the line to see what it wins.
Frequently asked questions
How does the next move calculator work?
Set up the position by moving pieces, or paste a FEN or a PGN. Stockfish 19 searches the position in your browser and shows the best move for the side to move, plus two alternatives with their evaluations.
Can I use it during a game?
No. Using an engine or any outside help during a game you are playing is cheating on every chess site and in every tournament, and gets accounts closed. Use the calculator to study positions after the game, to check puzzles, or to prepare openings.
Which side does it calculate for?
The side to move in the position. After pasting a FEN, the side to move comes from the FEN; on the board editor you can choose it.
Is the best move always the one I should play?
It is the strongest move by the engine’s search, but a slightly weaker move you understand is often better in practice. Look at the lines to see why the engine likes a move.