Minimal Documents (PCN v1.0.0)

This page collects tiny, valid PCN documents you can copy/paste. They illustrate the minimum required field (setup FEEN), then add small, optional parts: meta, sides, moves as [PAN, seconds], and status.

Time control lives per player. If sides.{first|second}.periods is omitted or [], that side has no time limit.

1) Absolute Minimum (Required Only)

Only the required setup (FEEN). No players, no moves, no status.

{
  "setup": "8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8 / U/u"
}

2) Chess Starting Position (FEEN Only)

Starting position for chess, nothing else.

{
  "setup": "+rnbq+kbn+r/+p+p+p+p+p+p+p+p/8/8/8/8/+P+P+P+P+P+P+P+P/+RNBQ+KBN+R / C/c"
}

3) Minimal With One Move (No Time Control)

Adds a single PAN move with time tuple (seconds is a float ≥ 0.0).

{
  "setup": "+rnbq+kbn+r/+p+p+p+p+p+p+p+p/8/8/8/8/+P+P+P+P+P+P+P+P/+RNBQ+KBN+R / C/c",
  "moves": [
    ["e2-e4", 0.0]
  ]
}

4) Minimal Metadata

Adds lightweight metadata; still no time control.

{
  "meta": {
    "name": "Casual Game",
    "started_at": "2025-01-27T10:00:00Z"
  },
  "setup": "+rnbq+kbn+r/+p+p+p+p+p+p+p+p/8/8/8/8/+P+P+P+P+P+P+P+P/+RNBQ+KBN+R / C/c",
  "moves": [
    ["e2-e4", 0.0],
    ["e7-e5", 0.0]
  ]
}

5) Minimal Players (No Time Control)

Defines sides with names (and optional styles), no periods.

{
  "sides": {
    "first":  { "name": "Alice", "style": "CHESS" },
    "second": { "name": "Bob",   "style": "chess" }
  },
  "setup": "+rnbq+kbn+r/+p+p+p+p+p+p+p+p/8/8/8/8/+P+P+P+P+P+P+P+P/+RNBQ+KBN+R / C/c",
  "moves": [
    ["g1-f3", 0.0]
  ]
}

6) Explicit “No Time Limit” (Empty Periods)

Same as above, but explicitly sets empty periods (equivalent to omitting them).

{
  "sides": {
    "first":  { "name": "Human",  "periods": [] },
    "second": { "name": "Engine", "periods": [] }
  },
  "setup": "8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8 / U/u",
  "moves": [
    ["...", 0.0]
  ]
}

7) Minimal With Simple Time Control (Fischer)

Adds per-player time control with one bank period + increment.

{
  "sides": {
    "first": {
      "name": "Alice",
      "periods": [
        { "time": 300, "inc": 3 }
      ]
    },
    "second": {
      "name": "Bob",
      "periods": [
        { "time": 300, "inc": 3 }
      ]
    }
  },
  "setup": "+rnbq+kbn+r/+p+p+p+p+p+p+p+p/8/8/8/8/+P+P+P+P+P+P+P+P/+RNBQ+KBN+R / C/c",
  "moves": [
    ["e2-e4", 8.0],
    ["e7-e5", 12.0]
  ]
}

8) Minimal Byōyomi (Per-Move Cap)

Bankless per-move example: every move must satisfy seconds ≤ time.

{
  "sides": {
    "first":  { "periods": [ { "time": 30, "moves": 1 } ] },
    "second": { "periods": [ { "time": 30, "moves": 1 } ] }
  },
  "setup": "8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8 / U/u",
  "moves": [
    ["...", 3.2],
    ["...", 1.0]
  ]
}

Per-move rule: if any move has seconds > time, the outcome should be status = "time_limit".

9) Minimal Canadian (Quota)

Single quota period that resets intrinsically when no next period exists.

{
  "sides": {
    "first":  { "periods": [ { "time": 300, "moves": 25 } ] },
    "second": { "periods": [ { "time": 300, "moves": 25 } ] }
  },
  "setup": "8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8 / U/u",
  "moves": [
    ["...", 10.0]
  ]
}

10) Minimal With Status

Shows a declared status without needing time control.

{
  "setup": "+rnbq+kbn+r/+p+p+p+p+p+p+p+p/8/8/8/8/+P+P+P+P+P+P+P+P/+RNBQ+KBN+R / C/c",
  "moves": [
    ["e2-e4", 0.0]
  ],
  "status": "resignation"
}

Quick Notes

Required field: setup (FEEN string). Everything else is optional.
Moves: each entry is exactly [ "<PAN>", <seconds: float ≥ 0.0> ].
Time control: defined per player under sides.{first|second}.periods.
- moves = null → bank; inc applied at end of each move.
- moves = 1 → per-move cap; must satisfy seconds ≤ time.
- moves ≥ 2 → quota; when quota hits 0, reset if no next period, else transition.
Active player: derived from FEEN + parity of moves.length.

For end-to-end records, see Complete Game Records. For focused timing systems, see Time Control Systems.