*

Also known as: unfinished game marker

An asterisk used in Portable Game Notation when no final result is available.

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Explanation

The asterisk * is one of the four signs that Portable Game Notation (PGN), the plain-text game format, places at the end of a record. It means that the game is still in progress, was abandoned, or has an unknown or otherwise unavailable result.

Although it occupies the result position, * does not state a score and does not mean a draw. It specifically says that the record is not declaring a final win or draw.

If the result becomes known later, both the marker after the moves and the information field named Result should be updated. The normal final values are , , and .

Common confusions

Asterisk and draw

* means pending or unknown result; 1/2-1/2 means a confirmed draw.

View term

Sources

  1. 1.Standard: Portable Game Notation Specification and Implementation Guide, rec.games.chess contributors; coordinated by Steven J. Edwards

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