SGF File Format FF[4]

This is the official specification of the SGF FF[4] standard.

SGF is the abbreviation of 'Smart Game Format'. The file format is designed to store game records of board games for two players. It's a text only, tree based format. Therefore games stored in this format can easily be emailed, posted or processed with text-based tools.
The main purposes of SGF are to store records of played games and to provide features for storing annotated and analyzed games (e.g. board markup, variations).

Last updated: 2021-12-01
See history for changes.

For users
Users guide An user orientated introduction to SGF files
Tools and more
SGFC SGF Syntax Checker & Converter
Example file An example SGF file plus pictures to show the basic and sophisticated features of SGF
For developers SGF Specification
Basics
Basic definition and types
Additional examples for variations.
Game specific definitions and types

Go (GM[1])
Backgammon (GM[6])
Lines of Action (GM[9])
Hex (GM[11])
Amazons (GM[18])
Octi (GM[19])
Gess (GM[20])
Twixt (GM[21])

Properties

General properties
Game specific properties:
Go (GM[1])
Backgammon (GM[6])
Lines of Action (GM[9])
Hex (GM[11])

Short index of all properties (alphabetical)
Short index of all properties (sorted by property type & game)

Specification Supplements
UTI-Specification For Apple systems: a proposal for a Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) for SGF files (draft)
Changes to FF[3] To get a quick overview of what's new in FF[4] have a look at the changes from FF[3].
Compatibility Compatibility issues
Converting Converting old files to FF[4]
Index of properties Index of all FF[1]-FF[4] properties (alphabetical)
Translations There were translations in the past, currently all links are broken. Following (outdated) copies are available from archive.org:

Chinese version by Fang Yuan.

Russian version by Pavel Strybuk.

Japanese version by Teruo Namatame.

Old specifications
FF[1] Specification of FF[1] by Anders Kierulf
FF[3] Specification of FF[3] by Martin Müller
Style guide Style guide by Martin Müller (old but still valid)
Obsolete or outdated information
List archive Archive of the original email list from 1996 to 1997
FF[5] Ideas for FF5 from around 2003 (obsolete)
XGF proposal for an XML format to replace SGF from around 2003 (obsolete)

For users
Users guide	An user orientated introduction to SGF files
Tools and more
SGFC	SGF Syntax Checker & Converter
Example file	An example SGF file plus pictures to show the basic and sophisticated features of SGF
For developers	SGF Specification
Basics	Basic definition and types Additional examples for variations. Game specific definitions and types Go (GM[1]) Backgammon (GM[6]) Lines of Action (GM[9]) Hex (GM[11]) Amazons (GM[18]) Octi (GM[19]) Gess (GM[20]) Twixt (GM[21])
Properties	General properties Game specific properties: Go (GM[1]) Backgammon (GM[6]) Lines of Action (GM[9]) Hex (GM[11]) Short index of all properties (alphabetical) Short index of all properties (sorted by property type & game)
	Specification Supplements
UTI-Specification	For Apple systems: a proposal for a Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) for SGF files (draft)
Changes to FF[3]	To get a quick overview of what's new in FF[4] have a look at the changes from FF[3].
Compatibility	Compatibility issues
Converting	Converting old files to FF[4]
Index of properties	Index of all FF[1]-FF[4] properties (alphabetical)
Translations	There were translations in the past, currently all links are broken. Following (outdated) copies are available from archive.org: Chinese version by Fang Yuan. Russian version by Pavel Strybuk. Japanese version by Teruo Namatame.
	Old specifications
FF[1]	Specification of FF[1] by Anders Kierulf
FF[3]	Specification of FF[3] by Martin Müller
Style guide	Style guide by Martin Müller (old but still valid)
	Obsolete or outdated information
List archive	Archive of the original email list from 1996 to 1997
FF[5]	Ideas for FF5 from around 2003 (obsolete)
XGF	proposal for an XML format to replace SGF from around 2003 (obsolete)

Note: Many Go (WeiQi) terms are used throughout the specification, e.g. point is used instead of field or square.

Note: Please pay attention to the difference of mandatory (has to be, must not, ...) and recommended (suggested, should have, shouldn't ...). Mandatory topics HAVE TO be done exactly this way, otherwise it's illegal. Recommended topics should but don't have to be followed. If the application doesn't obey those suggestions then the 'only' consequence is bad style.

Arno Hollosi
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