diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 3510cc4..12a1496 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@
 - Lichess login
 - logger
 - contact form
-- bring sections headers on all pages other than home page further up (reduce top margin / padding)
\ No newline at end of file
+- bring sections headers on all pages other than home page further up (reduce top margin / padding)
+- set game current position on game load to ply 0 and whatever the FEN is (starting position probably, but could be custom position)
diff --git a/src/components/PgnViewer.tsx b/src/components/PgnViewer.tsx
index a7199de..89c7587 100644
--- a/src/components/PgnViewer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PgnViewer.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import LichessPgnViewer from "lichess-pgn-viewer";
-import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
+import { useLichessPgnViewer } from "#/hooks/useLichessPgnViewer.ts";
 import type { IPosition } from "#/interfaces.ts";
 
 interface IProps {
@@ -8,80 +7,9 @@ interface IProps {
 }
 
 const PgnViewer = ({ gamePgn, handlePlyChange }: IProps) => {
-	const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
-	const viewerRef = useRef(null);
+	useLichessPgnViewer({ gamePgn, handlePlyChange });
 
-	// TODO make thin, and pull functions out
-	useEffect(() => {
-		const element: HTMLElement | null = document.querySelector(".lpv-board");
-		if (!element) return;
-
-		viewerRef.current = LichessPgnViewer(element, {
-			pgn: gamePgn,
-			scrollToMove: false,
-		});
-
-		// set initial position - TODO change to on file load
-		// handlePlyChange({
-		// 	ply: 0,
-		// 	fen: viewerRef.current?.curData().fen,
-		// });
-
-		const boardButtons = document.querySelectorAll(".lpv__controls");
-		const movesList = document.querySelectorAll(".lpv__moves");
-		if (!boardButtons || !movesList) return;
-
-		const clickHandlerDelay = () => {
-			setTimeout(() => handleClick(), 250);
-		};
-
-		// Hack using DOM manipulation
-		const boardEventListener = () => {
-			const variationTags = document.querySelector("variation");
-			const moves = [...document.querySelectorAll("move")].filter((m) => {
-				if (!variationTags) return m.className !== "empty";
-				return (
-					m.parentNode?.querySelector("variation") && m.className !== "empty"
-				);
-			});
-			const ply = moves.findIndex((m) => m.classList.contains("current")) + 1;
-			return { moves, ply };
-		};
-
-		const handleClick = () => {
-			const { ply } = boardEventListener();
-			const fen = viewerRef.current?.curData().fen;
-			handlePlyChange({ ply, fen });
-		};
-
-		boardButtons.forEach((button) => {
-			button.addEventListener("click", handleClick);
-			button.addEventListener("touchstart", handleClick);
-		});
-
-		movesList.forEach((move) => {
-			move.addEventListener("click", clickHandlerDelay);
-			move.addEventListener("touchstart", clickHandlerDelay);
-		});
-
-		return () => {
-			if (containerRef.current) {
-				containerRef.current = null;
-			}
-
-			boardButtons.forEach((button) => {
-				button.removeEventListener("click", handleClick);
-				button.removeEventListener("touchstart", handleClick);
-			});
-
-			movesList.forEach((move) => {
-				move.removeEventListener("click", clickHandlerDelay);
-				move.removeEventListener("touchstart", clickHandlerDelay);
-			});
-		};
-	}, [gamePgn, handlePlyChange]);
-
-	return <div ref={containerRef} className="lpv-board" />;
+	return <div className="lpv-board" />;
 };
 
 export default PgnViewer;
diff --git a/src/hooks/useLichessPgnViewer.ts b/src/hooks/useLichessPgnViewer.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b306c99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useLichessPgnViewer.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import LichessPgnViewer from "lichess-pgn-viewer";
+import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
+import type { IPosition } from "#/interfaces.ts";
+
+type ViewerRef = ReturnType<typeof LichessPgnViewer>;
+
+interface IProps {
+	gamePgn: string;
+	handlePlyChange: ({ ply, fen }: IPosition) => void;
+}
+
+export const useLichessPgnViewer = ({ gamePgn, handlePlyChange }: IProps) => {
+	const viewerRef = useRef<ViewerRef | null>(null);
+
+	useEffect(() => {
+		const element: HTMLElement | null = document.querySelector(".lpv-board");
+		if (!element) return;
+
+		viewerRef.current = LichessPgnViewer(element, {
+			pgn: gamePgn,
+			scrollToMove: false,
+		});
+
+		const boardButtons = document.querySelectorAll(".lpv__controls");
+		const movesList = document.querySelectorAll(".lpv__moves");
+		if (!boardButtons || !movesList) return;
+
+		const clickHandlerDelay = () => {
+			setTimeout(() => handleClick(), 250);
+		};
+
+		// Hack using DOM manipulation
+		const boardEventListener = () => {
+			const variationTags = document.querySelector("variation");
+			const moves = [...document.querySelectorAll("move")].filter((m) => {
+				if (!variationTags) return m.className !== "empty";
+				return (
+					m.parentNode?.querySelector("variation") && m.className !== "empty"
+				);
+			});
+			const ply = moves.findIndex((m) => m.classList.contains("current")) + 1;
+			return { moves, ply };
+		};
+
+		const handleClick = () => {
+			const { ply } = boardEventListener();
+			const fen = viewerRef.current?.curData().fen ?? "";
+			handlePlyChange({ ply, fen });
+		};
+
+		boardButtons.forEach((button) => {
+			button.addEventListener("click", handleClick);
+			button.addEventListener("touchstart", handleClick);
+		});
+
+		movesList.forEach((move) => {
+			move.addEventListener("click", clickHandlerDelay);
+			move.addEventListener("touchstart", clickHandlerDelay);
+		});
+
+		return () => {
+			boardButtons.forEach((button) => {
+				button.removeEventListener("click", handleClick);
+				button.removeEventListener("touchstart", handleClick);
+			});
+
+			movesList.forEach((move) => {
+				move.removeEventListener("click", clickHandlerDelay);
+				move.removeEventListener("touchstart", clickHandlerDelay);
+			});
+		};
+	}, [gamePgn, handlePlyChange]);
+
+	return viewerRef;
+};