Extract text from chess position files (FEN)
To convert FEN positions to another format, you need ChessBase or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Game State & Asset File" file type, you need software like ChessBase or a similar tool.
The .FEN file extension is most commonly used for Forsyth-Edwards Notation, a standard text format that records a single, static board position for a chess game. Additionally, it functions as a proprietary game user interface layout file developed by Next Level Games (often seen in FIFA titles running on the Fenrir Engine), and as a PLC Ethernet module configuration for Mitsubishi Electric FX-ENET hardware.
Standard chess .FEN files consist of a single line of plain text. They can be opened instantly in any basic text editor, or imported into leading chess software like ChessBase and online platforms like Lichess. You can learn more about its specific grid syntax on Wikipedia. Conversely, industrial and gaming .FEN files are complex binary assets that require their native environments to run.
The main disadvantage of a chess .FEN file is that it completely lacks game history; it is merely a snapshot of piece placement and turn state. Game and PLC .FEN files suffer from extreme vendor lock-in. They are proprietary, closed formats that cannot be opened or edited natively by standard operating systems without specialized, often expensive, developer tools.
If you are dealing with a chess file, the best conversion target is PGN (Portable Game Notation). Converting to PGN allows you to preserve the starting position while appending subsequent moves. Converting proprietary game or PLC files is rarely possible without data loss.
Because non-chess .FEN files are closed formats, they are incredibly difficult to open or convert. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. However, drag and drop your file onto convert.guru to identify the exact format version, inspect the file, and view its raw text. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your FEN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PNG, TXT, CSV, JPG, BIN, MRS, PI, ANIMATION and PGN files.
If you want to convert FEN file to PGN, EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP or SAV, you can use ChessBase or similar software from the "Chess Position & Configuration Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to FEN, try ChessBase or another comparable tool in the "Chess Position & Configuration Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our FEN converter.