Printable Chess Score Sheet
Fill in your event, paste the round's pairings and print a score sheet for every board in one go. A4 or Letter, 60 to 100 moves, one or two per page. Save it as a PDF from the print window.
White first, then Black, split by a dash or "vs". Leave empty for blank sheets.
What is this?
A score sheet is the paper each player writes their moves on during a game. It settles arguments about what was played, lets an arbiter check a threefold repetition or a time control, and gives you a record of the game to look at later. Most tournaments hand one to each player at every board.
This tool makes clean, printable ones with your event details already on them. Paste a round's pairings and every board gets its own sheet with both names and the board number, so there is nothing to hand-write before the round starts. Kitting out a whole event? Our chess tournament equipment guide covers boards, clocks and paper, and the free online chess clock fills in if you are one clock short.
How to use it
- Type the event name, and the date, round and time control if you know them. Anything you leave blank is left as a line to write on.
- Paste the pairings for the round, one board per line with White first, such as Ana - Ben. Or leave the box empty and choose how many blank sheets you want.
- Pick 60, 80 or 100 moves, one or two sheets per page (two per page fits 60 moves), and A4 or Letter paper.
- Press Print or save as PDF. In the print window, pick your printer, or choose Save as PDF to keep a file.
- With two per page, cut each page along the dashed line and hand one half to each board.
How to fill in a chess score sheet
Moves are written in algebraic notation: which piece moved and the square it landed on. White's move goes in the left column and Black's reply in the right, one numbered row per move pair.
| You write | It means |
|---|---|
| e4 | A pawn moves to e4 (pawns have no letter) |
| Nf3 | A knight moves to f3 (K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop, N knight) |
| Bxe5 | A bishop captures on e5 |
| Qh5+ | The queen moves to h5 and gives check |
| O-O / O-O-O | Castling kingside / queenside |
| e8=Q | A pawn reaches e8 and becomes a queen |
At the end, circle or tick the result, and both players sign both sheets. That signature is what makes the result official in most events, so do not skip it.
Common questions
Where can I get a free printable chess score sheet?
Right here. Type your event name, pick how many moves you need and press Print. You get a clean score sheet on A4 or Letter with spaces for the round, board, both players, the result and both signatures. Choose Save as PDF in the print window if you want a file instead of paper.
How many moves should a chess score sheet have?
60 moves covers almost every club game, since the average game ends somewhere around move 40. Pick 80 or 100 for long classical games where endgames can drag on. If a game still runs past the last line, staple a second sheet behind the first and carry on numbering.
Do I have to write down my moves in a chess tournament?
In a classical game played under FIDE rules, yes: both players must record every move. There is one exception: if you have less than five minutes left and no increment of 30 seconds or more, you may stop recording until the time control is reached. In rapid and blitz events players usually do not have to keep score at all.
How do I write chess moves on a score sheet?
Use algebraic notation: the piece letter (K, Q, R, B, N, nothing for a pawn) and the square it lands on, such as Nf3 or e4. Add x for a capture (Bxe5), + for check, O-O for kingside castling and O-O-O for queenside, and =Q for a promotion. Write White's move in the left column and Black's in the right.
Can I print a score sheet for every board in one go?
Yes. Paste the round's pairings, one board per line such as Ana - Ben, and you get one sheet per board with both names and the board number already filled in. Or leave the box empty and set how many blank sheets you want. Two sheets per page saves paper; just cut the page in half.
Is this chess score sheet free?
Yes, completely, with no signup and no watermark. It runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere. If you want the pairings themselves done for you, running a full tournament in the ChessHost app is also free for one event a month of up to 12 players.
Other free tools
Need the pairings to paste in? The Swiss pairing generator draws round 1 from a list of names, and the round robin generator lays out every round of an all-play-all. Rules questions at the board are covered in our chess tournament rules guide.
Want the pairings done for you too?
ChessHost pairs every round, shows it on a TV, and keeps the standings and tiebreaks as results come in. Free for one event a month.
Start a free tournament