Explanation
PGN means Portable Game Notation, a text format for recording games. The Seven Tag Roster, abbreviated STR, is the minimum descriptive-data set PGN defines for archival storage and public data exchange. Each item is a with a name and quoted value.
The seven tags and their meanings are:
- Event: the tournament, match, or context of the game.
- Site: the location where it was played.
- Date: the game's starting date in year.month.day form.
- Round: the round or game number within a match.
- White: the name of the player with the white pieces.
- Black: the name of the player with the black pieces.
- Result: the outcome, using 1-0, 0-1, 1/2-1/2, or the unknown-result marker represented by an asterisk.
In , these seven pairs appear first and in exactly this order. Supplemental tags are allowed but follow them. In import format, a reader must not depend on receiving them in order.
The STR does not describe the whole game. It identifies its basic context, while records what happened on the board. The Result value must also match the marker that ends the movetext.
The uses only these seven tags and excludes all supplemental ones.
Common confusions
Seven tags as a maximum
The STR requires those seven as a foundation. A normal PGN game may add many supplemental tags after them.
Result tag versus final outcome marker
The Result tag is not enough by itself. Movetext must end with the same marker.
Sources
- 1.Standard: Portable Game Notation Specification and Implementation Guide, Steven J. Edwards / ChessGML
