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Notation · 3 min read

Algebraic chess notation: how to read and write every move

Algebraic notation is a grid of coordinates plus a few symbols. Learn them once and you can read any book, database or scoresheet.

Files run a to h from White's left; ranks run 1 to 8 from White's side. e4 is always the e-file, fourth rank.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5

The Ruy Lopez after three moves. A pawn move is its destination square; a piece move adds the piece letter.

The piece letters

  • K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop, N knight (K is already taken).
  • Pawns have no letter. e4 means a pawn moves to e4.
  • Other languages have their own letters, such as German D (Dame) and S (Springer). PGN always uses the English set.

Captures, check and mate

  • Capture: x before the square: Bxc6, Rxe8.
  • Pawn capture: the pawn's file, x, the square: exd5.
  • Check: + after the move: Qh5+.
  • Checkmate: #, as in Qxf7#. Some players write ++ on paper.

Castling, promotion and en passant

  • Castling: O-O kingside, O-O-O queenside. PGN uses the letter O; on paper, zeros are accepted.
  • Promotion: the square, =, then the new piece: e8=Q. With a capture and check: exd8=Q+.
  • En passant: an ordinary pawn capture to the square your pawn lands on: exd6. Adding e.p. is optional.

When two pieces can reach the same square

Add the least information that shows which piece moved: the departure file, then the rank if the file is shared, then the whole square if neither is enough.

  • Knights on b1 and f3, both able to reach d2: Nbd2 or Nfd2.
  • Rooks on e1 and e8, both able to reach e4: R1e4 or R8e4.
  • Queens on h4, e4 and h1, all able to reach e1: the queen from h4 is Qh4e1.
  • Captures work the same way: Nbxd2, R1xe4.

Results and annotation symbols

  • Results: 1-0 White won, 0-1 Black won, 1/2-1/2 draw.
  • Move marks: ! good, !! excellent, ? mistake, ?? blunder, !? interesting, ?! dubious.
  • Evaluations: = equal, +/= White slightly better, +/- White clearly better, +- White winning. Black's versions reverse the signs.

Long algebraic, figurine and PGN

Long algebraic writes both squares (Ng1-f3, Bb5xc6) and never needs disambiguation. Figurine notation uses piece symbols, so it reads the same in any language.

PGN is the text format databases use. Each game opens with the Seven Tag Roster (Event, Site, Date, Round, White, Black, Result), then the moves in standard algebraic notation, ending with the result.

Key takeaways

  • Pawns: the square. Pieces: the letter, then the square.
  • x capture, + check, # mate, O-O castling, = promotion.
  • Disambiguate by file first, then rank, then the whole square.
  • Write the result and sign the sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nf3 or Ng1-f3 correct?
Both are correct. Nf3 is standard algebraic, used by books and databases. Ng1-f3 is long algebraic, which also names the starting square.
How do I write castling?
O-O for kingside and O-O-O for queenside. On a paper scoresheet, 0-0 with zeros is also accepted, but PGN files use the capital letter O.
What are the seven PGN tags?
Event, Site, Date, Round, White, Black and Result, in that order. This Seven Tag Roster comes before the moves in every exported PGN game.

The ideas behind this

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