Chess Notation: Learn the Basics of Chess Notation

Chess notation is a system used to record and analyze chess moves. It’s a language that allows players to communicate their moves clearly and concisely, regardless of their location or the language they speak. Understanding chess notation is essential for anyone who wants to study chess, improve their game, or simply follow chess games more easily.

Basic Chess Notation

Chess notation uses a combination of letters and numbers to represent the squares on the chessboard. The letters ‘a’ through ‘h’ represent the columns, from left to right, while the numbers 1 through 8 represent the rows, from bottom to top. Each square on the board can be identified by its unique combination of letter and number. For example, the square in the bottom left corner is ‘a1’, while the square in the top right corner is ‘h8’.

Here is a table illustrating the basic chess notation:

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8	a8	b8	c8	d8	e8	f8	g8	h8
7	a7	b7	c7	d7	e7	f7	g7	h7
6	a6	b6	c6	d6	e6	f6	g6	h6
5	a5	b5	c5	d5	e5	f5	g5	h5
4	a4	b4	c4	d4	e4	f4	g4	h4
3	a3	b3	c3	d3	e3	f3	g3	h3
2	a2	b2	c2	d2	e2	f2	g2	h2
1	a1	b1	c1	d1	e1	f1	g1	h1

Recording Moves

To record a move, you first identify the piece that is being moved. This is done by using the first letter of the piece’s name:

• K: King
• Q: Queen
• R: Rook
• B: Bishop
• N: Knight
• P: Pawn

Next, you identify the square where the piece is moving. If a piece moves to a square that is occupied by an opponent’s piece, the opponent’s piece is captured. This is indicated by an ‘x’ after the piece’s letter. For example, ‘Bxf7’ means that a bishop captures a piece on the f7 square. If the move involves a capture, the captured piece is removed from the board. If the move does not involve a capture, the piece is simply moved to the designated square.

Finally, you may need to specify which piece is being moved if there are multiple pieces of the same type on the board that could move to the same square. This is done by adding the file (column) or rank (row) of the piece’s starting square before the piece’s letter. For example, ‘Rf2’ means that the rook on the f-file moves to the f2 square.

Examples of Chess Notation

• e4: A pawn on the e-file moves forward two squares.
• Nf3: A knight moves from its starting square to the f3 square.
• Rxe7: A rook captures a piece on the e7 square.
• Qh5+: A queen moves to the h5 square and puts the opponent’s king in check. The ‘+’ sign indicates that the king is in check.

Learning More About Chess Notation

Chess notation is a valuable tool for learning and improving your chess skills. There are many resources available to help you learn more about it, including books, websites, and online tutorials. With practice, you’ll be able to understand and use chess notation like a pro!