Chess Notation Explained (Part 1)

Although chess notation can seem daunting for the beginner, it is actually quite simple. In this article, we'll explain algebraic chess notation - the modern and most common form of notation.

The Pieces

Each piece is represented by a different letter:

K = King
Q = Queen
R = Rook
B = Bishop
N = Knight

Pawns are not given a letter. This will become clear below.

The Squares on the Board

Each square on the chess board is represented by a letter and a number. The horizontal rows (called ranks) are numbered from 1 to 8, starting at white's home row. The vertical columns (called files) are lettered from a to h, starting on white's left side.

Moves

A move is represented by the piece that is moving and the destination square.

An example: Nf3. In this case, the 'N' signifies that a Knight is moving. The 'f3' signifies the square that the Knight is moving to.

Another example: Ba3. In this case, the 'B' signifies that a Bishop is moving. The 'a3' signifies the square that the Bishop is moving to.

Pawn moves are just slightly different. A Pawn move is shown just by the destination square.

Example: e4. In this case, the fact that there is no piece symbol tells us that a Pawn is moving. The 'e4' tells us that the Pawn is moving to the e4 square.

Another example: d5. Again, the absence of an uppercase letter means that a Pawn is moving. 'd5' is the square that the Pawn is moving to.

Captures

The 'x' symbol is used to signify captures. It is placed in between the two components of the move.

Example: Rxd3. This means that a Rook has captured a piece on the d3 square.

Another example: Qxh7. This means that a Queen has captured a piece on the h7 square.

For Pawns, the file of the attacking pawn is used in place of the uppercase piece symbol.

Example: exd5. This means that a pawn on the e file has captured a piece at d5.

Another example: axb4. This means that a pawn on the a file has captured a piece at b4.

An Simple Game

The first three moves of a game are shown below:

1. e4 d5
2. exd5 Qxd5
3. Nc3 Qa5

Let's break this down a little bit and look at each move individually.

1. e4 d5

White's first move was a Pawn move to e4. The Pawn in front of the King moved two squares forward. Black responded with a Pawn move to d5. The Pawn in front of his Queen moved two squares forward.

2. exd5 Qxd5

White's second move is a capture. The Pawn on the e file captures the piece (in this case, a Pawn) on the d file. Black responds with a capture of his own. He captures white's pawn at d5 with his Queen.

3. Nc3 Qa5

White now brings out his knight to c3. Black responds by retreating his Queen to a5.