Chess Notation

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Algebraic Notation…

…is the standard and internationally recognized method for recording chess moves, endorsed by FIDE, the global chess governing body.  It uses a coordinate system where each square on the board is identified by a letter (a–h for files) and a number (1–8 for ranks). For example, the square in the bottom-left corner from White’s perspective is a1 (see below).

Piece Abbreviations

• K = King
• Q = Queen
• R = Rook
• B = Bishop
• N = Knight (used instead of K to avoid confusion with King)
• P = Pawn (usually omitted in notation, as pawns are implied by their move)

Move Examples

• e4 = Pawn moves to e4
• Nf3 = Knight moves to f3
• Bxc6 = Bishop captures on c6
• O-O = Kingside castling
• O-O-O = Queenside castling
• d8=Q = Pawn promotes to Queen on d8

Special Symbols

• + = Check
• # = Checkmate
• e.p. = En passant capture
• ! = Good move (in annotations)
• ? = Bad move (in annotations)

Other Notation Standards

• Descriptive notation, once common in English- and Spanish-language publications, is now largely obsolete.  
• ICCF numeric notation is used in international correspondence chess, replacing letters with numbers.  
• Portable Game Notation (PGN) is a widely used text format based on algebraic notation for storing and sharing games in software.
• For learning and practice, figurine algebraic notation (using ♘, ♗, etc.) is preferred in international chess literature to transcend language barriers.

Solution