H-1 and C-13 NMR studies were carried out on benzanthrone and 3-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 9-, 10- and 11-chlorobenzanthrone. Complete assignments of proton and carbon resonances were made with the aid of HH-COSY, NOESY, CH-COSY and HMBC techniques. Substitution effects of a chlorine atom are not large, but give a systematic change particularly in C-13 shift values. The anomalous downfield shift of the H-1 signal in 11-chlorobenzanthrone was explained by the electrostatic attraction between the electronegative Cl atom, based on the result of an MNDO-PM3 calculation.