Chess notation - The basics

Here I just want to post some of the basics in chess notation:

*  A square is a combination of a letter and a number.

    The four most central squares are d4, d5, e4, e5.


*  The pieces names, as displayed below, we write with CAPITAL LETTERS.
    The square letters, we always write in small letters.


K = King 
Q = Queen
R = Rook
B = Bishop
N = Knight
x = capture
+ = check
++ = double check
# = checkmate
O-O = castles short on the King's side
O-O-O = castles long on the Queen's side 

NOTE: There is no letter we use for the Pawn. For example, if you want to record that a Black pawn moves from e7 to e5,  you would write it only as e5.

Examples:

1)  The move is that the Knight takes the pawn on e5.  

      We would write it as, Nxe5.

2)  The move is that the Bishop takes the Rook on c3.

      Bxc3.

3)  The move is that the White pawn on e5 takes Black's pawn on f6.

      exf6.

4)  Lets say both Rooks are open on the rank, one is on a8 and the other is on h8. We want to move the one on a8 to e8.

This we would write as Rae8.  (Rook on 'a' moves to e8)

Play the following game on a chess board at home:

1)  e4          c5

2) Bc4        d6

3) Qf3        Nc6

4) Qxf7 #

Result: 1-0  (White wins)

This game is commonly known as the "Four-move".  There are lots of variations to this game.

Click on this sentence to open a pdf page with an even shorter chess games - win for black.

At the bottom of the page, see how you write this result as a win for Black.

Click here for a clean WP Chess notation page for you to write on.

I hope this helps.  If you go through this page before you go to the next practice (see important messages at the top) on Thursday the 3rd of May, you will definitely have an advantage!

:-)