Contents
Chess Basics
Chess Pieces
Special Chess Moves
How to Read Chess Notation
The Opening Strategy of Chess
The Middle Game of Chess
Common Checkmates in Chess
The Chess Endgame
Draws in Chess
Learn more with these titles from Barnes & Noble
|
 |
 |
 |
|
How to Read Chess Notation
Chess notation is a method used to describe and record the moves of a chess game. There are a few different kinds of chess notation, but algebraic notation is the form that’s most commonly used.
Labeling the Chessboard
Chess notation uses labels that are applied to the columns and rows of the chessboard.
- Column labels: The columns of a chessboard are called files and are each assigned a letter from a–h.
- Row labels: The rows of a chessboard are called ranks and are each assigned a number from 1–8.
Using these rank-and-file labels, each square on the board can be labeled with a combination of a letter and a number. From white’s perspective, the lower left corner is labeled a1 and the upper right corner is labeled h8.
Labeling the Chess Pieces
Algebraic notation uses a label to identify each piece:
Piece Name |
Label |
|
King |
K |
|
Queen |
Q |
|
Rook |
R |
|
Bishop |
B |
|
Knight |
N |
|
Pawn |
(none) |
Notation for Moving a Chess Piece
Moves are indicated by the piece’s label followed by the coordinate of the destination square. For example, moving the kingside knight (the knight on the king’s side of the board) to the square indicated by the red arrow in the accompanying illustration is represented by Nf3. The notation system does not attempt to identify which knight moves to f3. Instead, it assumes that you can look at the board and recognize that only the kingside knight can move to f3.
Notation for Pawn Moves
Pawn moves have no label. For example, moving the pawn that’s in front of white’s king forward by two squares would be rotated e4.
Notation for Captures
Captures are indicated by placing an “x” between the shorthand label and the destination square. For pawn captures, the letter of the file from which the pawn
departed is used instead of the shorthand label. In the following illustration, the capture of black’s bishop by white’s queen would be represented by Qxc5. The capture of black’s bishop by white’s pawn would be represented by bxc5.
Notation for a Series of Moves
A series of moves is indicated by listing a move for white followed by a move for black. Subsequent moves are placed on additional rows, with ascending numbers for each pair of moves by white and black. For example, the notation below lists the first two moves for both white and black:
- e4 e5
- Nf3 Nc6
White’s first move was a pawn to e4, while black moved a pawn to e5. Then white moved his kingside knight to f3,
followed by black moving his queenside knight to c6.
Notation for Special Moves
Special moves are marked by special notation.
- Castling: Kingside castling is represented by O–O. Queenside castling is represented by O–O–O.
- Pawn promotion: Indicated by an “=” sign followed by the label for the promoted piece. For example, promoting a pawn to a queen at c8 is written as c8=Q.
- Check: Indicated by placing a “+” after the move notation, though a “†” or “ch” can also be used.
- Checkmate: Indicated by placing a # after the move, though some sources may use “++,” “‡,” or “mate” instead.
- En passant: Indicated by placing “(ep)” after the square where the capture took place, as in exd6(ep).
In cases when two identical pieces could move to the same square, an additional letter or number is placed after the shorthand label to identify which of the two pieces moved.
- When the two pieces are on the same rank, the letter for the file of the moving piece is added.
- When the two pieces are on the same file, the number for the rank of the moving piece is added.
| Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
Tags
No one has tagged this page yet... Be the first.. Log in using the link below and return to add your tag
