Every app that records chess games has to answer one question first: what does the screen show while the game is being played? Plyfolio's answer is the moves, and nothing else. No board, no evaluation, no hints. This note explains why, and what it costs us.
A scoresheet, not a second opinion
A paper scoresheet is a record. It shows what has been played and gives no help with what to play next. That is why nobody minds it on the table. The moment a device shows a board, it starts to look like something else: a place where a position can be set up and studied, even if nobody means to.
So the recording screen is a page of notation, the last move set large, and a keypad. If an opponent or an arbiter looks over, they should see a scoresheet and recognise it as one.
What the rules say
The FIDE Laws of Chess ask each player to record the moves on the scoresheet prescribed for the competition, and they forbid electronic devices in the playing venue unless the arbiter has approved them. Competitions can set their own rules within that, and many club leagues and congresses do. Plyfolio is not a FIDE-certified electronic scoresheet and is not approved by FIDE, the ECF or any league.
That means the answer to "can I use it?" always belongs to the arbiter or the event, never to us. What we can do is make the app easy to judge: one screen, nothing on it but notation, and a fair play page anyone can read in a minute.
What the keypad still does
Notation only does not mean the app knows nothing. The keypad follows the position, so it can stop typing mistakes:
- Keys that cannot make a legal move are quietly softened, but they still work.
- Captures, checks, mate and disambiguation are completed, so Nbd7 goes in as written when two knights could reach d7.
- A move that cannot be played is kept as you wrote it and marked, never changed for you.
None of that suggests a move. There is no highlight on the keys that fit, no list of moves to pick from, and no sound or vibration that differs by how good a move is. You stay in charge of what goes on the sheet.
What it costs us
It would be easier to show a small board while recording. People ask for it, and it would make some mistakes easier to spot. We decided early that the recording screen will not have one, and we have not changed our minds.
It also means some things wait until after the game. If you miss a move, Plyfolio does not guess it: you leave a gap, carry on, and fill it in afterwards from your memory or your opponent's sheet.
After the game, everything
Once the result is in, the game is yours to study: the board in 2D or 3D, side lines, notes, and Stockfish on the phone if you want it. The line between the two is the clock. While it is running, a scoresheet. When it stops, a library.
General information as at 5 November 2026, not legal advice or an arbiter's ruling. Event dates, entry details and rules change from year to year; check with your event, league or arbiter before you rely on any of this.
Written by Remiam. More from Remiam