ALGEBRAIC CHESS NOTATION
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'Algebraic chess notation' is used to record and describe the moves in a game of chess. It is now standard among all chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers. In English speaking countries, it replaced the parallel system of descriptive chess notation, which became common in the 19th century, and was sporadically used as recently as the 1980s or 1990s. European countries other than England were using algebraic notation before the familiar form of descriptive became common.[1]
Algebraic notation exists in various forms and languages, as will be described below.
Naming squares on the board
Each square of the chessboard is identified with a unique pair of a letter and a number.
The vertical ''files'' are labelled 'a' through 'h',
from White's left (i.e. the queenside) to his right.
Similarly, the horizontal ''ranks'' are numbered from '1' to '8', starting from White's home rank.
Each square of the board, then, is uniquely identified by its file
letter and rank number.
The white king, for example, starts the game on square 'e1'.
The black knight on 'b8' can move to 'a6' and 'c6'.
Naming the pieces
Each type of piece (other than pawns) is identified by an uppercase
letter, usually the first letter in the name of that piece in whatever
language is spoken by the player recording.
English-speaking players use 'K' for king,
'Q' for queen, 'R' for rook,
'B' for bishop and 'N' for knight (since 'K' is already used). 'S' was also used for the knight in the early days of algebraic notation, from the German ''Springer'' (this is still used in chess problems, where N stands for the popular fairy chess piece, the nightrider).
Players may use different letters in other languages.
For example, French players use 'F' for bishop (from ''fou'').
In chess literature written for an international audience, the language-specific letters are replaced by universal icons for the pieces, producing 'Figurine notation'.
Pawns are not indicated by a letter, but by the absence of such a letter—it is not necessary to distinguish between pawns for normal moves, as only one pawn can move to any one square (captures are indicated differently; see below).
Notation for moves
Each move of a piece is indicated by the piece's letter, plus the
coordinate of the destination square.
For example 'Be5' (move a bishop to 'e5'), 'Nf3' (move
a knight to 'f3'), 'c5' (move a pawn to 'c5'—no initial
in the case of pawn moves).
In some publications, the pieces are indicated by graphical
representations rather than by initials: for example, ''. This is called 'figurine algebraic notation' or 'FAN' and has the advantage of being language independent.
Notation for captures
When a piece makes a capture, an 'x' is inserted between the initial and the destination square. For example, 'Bxe5' (bishop captures the piece on 'e5'). When a pawn makes a capture, the ''file'' from which the pawn departed is used in place of a piece initial. For example, 'exd5' (pawn on the 'e'-file captures the piece on 'd5'). Sometimes when it is unambiguous, a pawn capture is indicated only by the files, e.g. 'exd', 'ed5' or 'ed'.
A colon (':') is sometimes used instead of an 'x', either in the same place the ''x'' would go ('B:e5') or after the move ('Be5:'). ''En passant'' captures (see pawn) are specified by the capturing pawn's file of departure, the 'x', and the square to which it moves (not the location of the captured pawn), optionally followed by the notation "e.p." It is never ''necessary'' to specify that a capture was ''en passant'' because a capture from the same file but not ''en passant'' would have a different destination square. Within the SAN (Standard Algebraic Notation) standard, the "x" capture indication is always required while the "e.p." en passant move suffix indication is always forbidden.
Some texts, such as the ''Encyclopedia of Chess Openings'', omit indications that a capture has been made.
Disambiguating moves
If two (or more) identical pieces can move to the same square, the piece's
initial is followed by (in descending order of preference):
# the 'file' of departure if they differ;
# the 'rank' of departure if the files are the same but the ranks differ;
# Both the 'rank' and 'file' if neither alone uniquely defines the piece (after a pawn promotion, if three or more of the same piece able to reach the square).
For example, with two knights on 'g1' and 'd2', either of
which might move to 'f3', the move is indicated as 'Ngf3'
or 'Ndf3', as appropriate.
With two knights on 'g5' and 'g1', the moves are 'N5f3'
or 'N1f3'.
As above, an 'x' may be used to indicate a capture: for example,
'N5xf3'.
Pawn promotion
If a pawn moves to its last rank, achieving promotion, the piece
chosen is indicated after the move, for example 'e1Q', 'b8B'.
Sometimes an "=" sign or brackets are used: 'f8=Q' or 'f8(Q)', but neither is a FIDE standard. (The "=" sign is in fact used to represent the offer of a draw.)
Pawn Promotions can also be found with a "/" symbol in older books. For example 'f8/Q' could be used to explain a promotion of a Queen.
Castling
Castling is indicated by the special notations '0-0' for kingside castling and '0-0-0' for queenside (note that while this is what the FIDE Handbook uses, PGN requires 'O-O' and 'O-O-O' instead). Optionally, it may be indicated by the king's move alone, since moving the king more than one square implies castling. For example, 'Kg1'.
Check and checkmate
A move which places the opponent's king in check usually has the notation "+" added. Some use †. (Sometimes ''ch'' is used to indicate check.) Double check is sometimes represented "++". Checkmate can likewise be indicated "#" (some use "++" instead, but the United States Chess Federation recommends "#"). Sometimes ‡ is used. The word 'mate' written at the end of the notation is also acceptable.
End of game
The notation '1-0' at the end of the moves indicates that white won, '0-1' indicates that black won, and '½-½' indicates a draw. Often there is no special indication of ''how'' a player won (other than checkmate, see above), so simply "1-0" or "0-1" may be written to show that one player resigned. Sometimes the word "Resigns" (or "White resigns" or "Black resigns" as appropriate) is used to show this.
Example
Moves are generally written in one of two ways.
(1) written in two columns, as a white/black pair, preceded by the move number and a period:
:'1. e4 e5'
:'2. Nf3 Nc6'
:'3. Bb5 a6'
(2) in text: '1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6'.
Moves may be interspersed with text. When the score resumes with a black move, an ellipsis (...) takes the place of the white move, for example:
:'1. e4 e5'
:'2. Nf3'
:Black now defends his pawn'
:'2. ... Nc6'
:'3. Bb5 a6'
An ellipsis is also used when a score ''starts'' with a Black move (when the score is not of a complete game but starts from a diagrammed position). However, helpmates usually use an opposite convention; Black moves first by default and ''White'' moves are indicated with an ellipsis if no Black move precedes.
Naming the pieces in various languages
Here are names for all the pieces as well as the words for "chess", "check", and "checkmate" in several languages:[2]
Similar notations
PGN
Chess games are often stored in computer files using Portable Game Notation (PGN),[3]
which uses algebraic chess notation as well as additional markings to describe a game.
Long algebraic notation
Some computer programs (and people) use a variant of algebraic chess notation, termed ''long algebraic notation'' or ''fully expanded algebraic notation''. In fully expanded algebraic notation, moves include both the starting and ending squares separated by a hyphen: for example, "e2-e4" or "Nb1-c3". Captures are indicated with "x" instead of a hyphen: "Rd3xd7". This notation takes more space and thus is not as commonly used. However it has the advantage of clarity, particularly for less skilled players or players learning the game.
Some books using primarily short algebraic notation use the long notation instead of the disambiguation forms.
Numeric notation
In international correspondence chess the use of algebraic notation may cause confusion, since different languages have different names (and therefore different initials) for the pieces; hence the standard for transmitting moves in this form of chess is ICCF numeric notation.
Common shorthand notation
Main articles: Punctuation (chess)
The following short-hand notations are frequently used to comment moves:
★ ! a good move
★ !! an excellent move
★ ? a mistake
★ ?? a blunder
★ !? an interesting move that may not be best
★ ?! a dubious move, but not easily refuted
★ only move
and many others.
Notes
1. Howard Staunton, ''The Chess-Player's Handbook'' (London: H.G. Bonh, 1847), pp.500-503.
2. Sources for this section include this page and Wikipedia articles in various languages. Note that the symbol for pawn is not used in algebraic notation.
3. Standard: Portable Game Notation Specification and Implementation Guide http://www.saremba.de/chessgml/standards/pgn/pgn-complete.htm
See also
★ Descriptive chess notation
External links
★ FIDE rules on algebraic notation (see appendix E)
★ notation website
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