diff --git a/src/HalfMove.cpp b/src/HalfMove.cpp
index 8038acb..81d9a67 100644
--- a/src/HalfMove.cpp
+++ b/src/HalfMove.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace pgnp {
 
-HalfMove::HalfMove() : count(-1), isBlack(false), MainLine(NULL) {}
+HalfMove::HalfMove() : count(-1), isBlack(false), MainLine(NULL), NAG(0) {}
 
 HalfMove::~HalfMove() {
   delete MainLine;
diff --git a/src/HalfMove.hpp b/src/HalfMove.hpp
index 47caf05..45eb96c 100644
--- a/src/HalfMove.hpp
+++ b/src/HalfMove.hpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public:
   std::string move;
   /// @brief Comment associated to the move
   std::string comment;
-  std::string NAG;
+  std::uint8_t NAG;
   /// @brief Next HalfMove link to this line
   HalfMove *MainLine;
   /// @brief Next HalfMove links to variation of this line
diff --git a/src/PGN.cpp b/src/PGN.cpp
index c0c80e3..831de6e 100644
--- a/src/PGN.cpp
+++ b/src/PGN.cpp
@@ -260,16 +260,19 @@ loctype PGN::ParseHalfMove(loctype loc, HalfMove *hm) {
       EOF_CHECK(loc);
       c = pgn_content[loc];
       if (c == '$') {
-        hm->NAG += c;
+        //hm->NAG += c;
+        std::string NAG;
         loc++;
         EOF_CHECK(loc);
         c = pgn_content[loc];
         while (IS_DIGIT(c)) {
-          hm->NAG += c;
+          NAG += c;
           loc++;
           EOF_CHECK(loc);
           c = pgn_content[loc];
         }
+        if(NAG.size()>0)
+          hm->NAG=std::stoi(NAG);
       }
     } else if (c == '(') {
       // Check for variations
diff --git a/tests/combined.cpp b/tests/combined.cpp
index a4b2089..137257c 100644
--- a/tests/combined.cpp
+++ b/tests/combined.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ TEST_CASE("Hartwig PGN", "[combined/hartwig]") {
           "just loses thanks to the interpolation of 11. c3 fxe4:");
     
     HalfMove *m20w = (m->GetHalfMoveAt(38)); // move 20 white => m20w
-    CHECK(m20w->NAG == "$1");
+    CHECK(m20w->NAG == 1);
 
     HalfMove *m21b = (m->GetHalfMoveAt(42)); // move 21 black => m21b
     CHECK(m21b->comment ==
diff --git a/tests/valid.cpp b/tests/valid.cpp
index 3183114..2cf6102 100644
--- a/tests/valid.cpp
+++ b/tests/valid.cpp
@@ -148,34 +148,34 @@ TEST_CASE("Valid PGN", "[valid/pgn3]") {
   }
 
   SECTION("NAGs") {
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(2)->NAG == "$1");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(8)->NAG == "$5");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(8)->variations[0]->NAG == "$14");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(19)->NAG == "$2");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(22)->NAG == "$1");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(23)->variations[0]->NAG == "$4");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(23)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(3)->NAG == "$1");
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(2)->NAG == 1);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(8)->NAG == 5);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(8)->variations[0]->NAG == 14);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(19)->NAG == 2);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(22)->NAG == 1);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(23)->variations[0]->NAG == 4);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(23)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(3)->NAG == 1);
     REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(23)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(9)->NAG ==
-            "$18");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(24)->NAG == "$1");
+            18);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(24)->NAG == 1);
     REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(24)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(5)->NAG ==
-            "$13");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(30)->NAG == "$1");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(31)->variations[0]->NAG == "$2");
+            13);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(30)->NAG == 1);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(31)->variations[0]->NAG == 2);
     REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(31)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(3)->NAG ==
-            "$18");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(32)->NAG == "$1");
+            18);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(32)->NAG == 1);
     REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(37)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(3)->NAG ==
-            "$18");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(38)->NAG == "$1");
+            18);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(38)->NAG == 1);
     REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(41)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(1)->NAG ==
-            "$18");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(44)->NAG == "$1");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(44)->variations[0]->NAG == "$4");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(44)->variations[0]->MainLine->NAG == "$13");
+            18);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(44)->NAG == 1);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(44)->variations[0]->NAG == 4);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(44)->variations[0]->MainLine->NAG == 13);
     REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(45)->variations[0]->GetHalfMoveAt(3)->NAG ==
-            "$18");
-    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(52)->variations[0]->MainLine->variations[0]->MainLine->NAG == "$18");
+            18);
+    REQUIRE(m->GetHalfMoveAt(52)->variations[0]->MainLine->variations[0]->MainLine->NAG == 18);
   }
 }