.pgn PGN chess game notation
Text & source code
| MIME type | application/vnd.chess-pgn |
|---|---|
| Description | PGN chess game notation |
| Acronym | PGN – Portable Game Notation |
| Category | Text & source code |
| Signature (magic bytes) | 5B 45 76 65 6E 74 20 ([Event ) |
| Based on | text/plain |
Frequently asked questions
What is a .pgn file?
A .pgn file is a “PGN chess game notation” (MIME type application/vnd.chess-pgn). PGN stands for Portable Game Notation.
How do I open a .pgn file?
With any text editor – Notepad++, Visual Studio Code, or gedit and vim on Linux. The file contains readable text, possibly source code or configuration.
How can you tell a genuine .pgn file?
By the bytes at the start of the file, the signature (magic bytes): 5B 45 76 65 6E 74 20 ([Event ). On Linux and macOS, file --mime-type example.pgn checks the real type regardless of the extension.
Which format is .pgn based on?
Technically a .pgn file is a subtype of “Plain text document” (text/plain), so programs for that base format can often read it too.
Which MIME type belongs to .pgn?
The MIME type is application/vnd.chess-pgn. In the Apache web server: AddType application/vnd.chess-pgn .pgn; in nginx: types { application/vnd.chess-pgn pgn; }.