Algebraic Notation

Each square on the chessboard is represented by a letter and a number. The files are labeled from "a" to "h," and the rows are numbered from 1 to 8.

The pieces are represented as follows:

King: K
Queen: Q
Rook: R
Bishop: B
Knight: N (because the letter K is already used for the King)
Pawn: No letter is used, only the square name

The moves are notated by the piece's abbreviation (if it's not a pawn), followed by the destination square. For example:

Nf3 : knight moves to f3.
Qf5 : queen moves to f5.
d5 : pawn moves to d5.

Special symbols

1. For a capture, "x" is added before the destination square. For example:

Bxc4 : the bishop captures a piece on c4.

When a pawn captures a piece, you write the letter of the file that the pawn is on, followed by x, and then the square the pawn moves. For example:

fxe4 : a pawn on file "f" captures on e4.

2. Castling is represented as "0-0" for kingside castling (the short castle) and "0-0-0" for queenside castling (the long castle).

3. For a pawn promotion, write the pawn's destination square, and then "=(piece)". For example:

c8=N : a pawn moves to c8 and promote into a Night.
exd1=Q : a pawn on file "e" captures on d1 and promote to a queen.

4. For a check, add a "+". For exemple :

Ra8+ : the rook moves to a8 and gives a check.
Bxc5+ : the bishop captures on c5 and gives a check.
fxd7+ : a pawn on file "f" captures on d7 and gives a check.

5. Checkmate is notated by a "#" at the end of the move. For example:

Rh4# : the rook moves to h4 and gives a checkmake.
Qxc6# : the queen captures on c6 and gives a checkmate.
exf8=K# : a pawn on file "e" captures on f8, promote to a knight and gives a checkmate.

6. When two or more indentical pieces can move to the same square.

Situation 1 : Identical pieces that can move to a same square and have no file or row in common, For example:

These two identical knights can move to e4. To specify which on moves, you have to add the file of the piece you want to move is on before you write the square. If the knight on c3 moves to e4, then the notation is Nce4 and if the knight on g5 moves to e4, then the notation is Kge4.

Situation 2: Identical pieces can move to a same square and are on the same file. For example:

These two identical rooks could move to c5 and are on the same file. To specify which one moves, you will add the row of the piece that you want to move and write it after the abbreviation of the piece. If the rook on c1 moves to c5, then the notation is R1c5, and if the rook on c8 moves to c5, then the notation is R8c5.

SItuation 3: You want to move a piece on a square but there is an identical piece that can move on the same square and is on the same file as you, and there is another identical piece that can also move there and is in the same row as you. Let's see an interesting example where you will also review what you have learned:

Let's imagine that in this situation, you want to move the queen located on h4 to e1. This queen is on the same file as the one on e4 and on the same row as the one on h1. To specify the queen you're moving, you need to add the name of the square where it is located to the notation, which is h4 in this case.

Furthermore, with this move, the queen on h4 captures the knight on e1 and gives a checkmate to the king, so here's the notation: Qh4xe1#