Algebraic Notation in Chess - How to Read & Write Moves

Algebraic Notation in Chess

If you have ever been confronted with a sequence like Nf3, Bxe5, or O-O and wondered what it actually means. You are looking at algebraic notation. At a glance, it may appear as a code, which in some ways it is. But primarily it is a compact method to track chess moves. As soon as you understand the system, you are able to read a game and follow along the progress of the moves.

What Is Algebraic Notation in Chess?

Algebraic notation is the standard system used to record moves in chess. Rather than notating a piece's moves via words, the notation documents the coordinates of the chessboard with symbols.

It grew in popularity due to its short form and its ability to work across languages. Previously there was descriptive notation such as "King's Bishop's Pawn" used to describe the game’ moves. However the algebraic notation is a far more straightforward method, wíth e4 describing that a pawn moved to e4.

The board itself is divided into files and ranks:

Board coordinate

What it means

a–h

Files, running from left to right

1–8

Ranks, running from White's side to Black's side

File e, rank 4

Each square has its own coordinate, ranging from a1 through h8. To become comfortable with chess notation, you should first learn these coordinates.

How to Read Algebraic Notation

For the majority of pieces, the move begins with a letter.

K = King
Q = Queen
R = Rook
B = Bishop
N = Knight

Knights use N because K is already used for the king. Pawns don't have a letter. And so Nf3 relates to a knight moving to f3. While Bb5 relates to a bishop moving to b5 and if a pawn moves to e4 it is simply written as e4.

Captures are shown with an x. As an example, Bxe5 means the bishop captures whatever is on e5. Exd5 means the pawn on the e-file captures a piece on d5, the pawn's starting file is included.

Symbols worth knowing:

Notation

Meaning

Capture

Check

Checkmate

O-O

Kingside castling

O-O-O

Queenside castling

Promotion to a queen

Once these become familiar, even a long game score stops looking mysterious.

Algebraic Notation Symbols and Abbreviations

There are some moves that also include more information than just the piece and destination. As an example, Nxf3+ refers to a knight captures a piece on f3 and a check is also given. For e8=Q, the pawn has reached e8 and is promoted to a queen.

Sometimes two identical pieces can legally move to the same square. For this, the notation adds the information to showcase which piece has moved, as an example Nbd2 refers to the knight from the b-file moved to d2.

Here's a short example:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6

Step by step:

e4 — White's king pawn moves two squares.
e5 — Black answers with the king pawn.
Nf3 — White develops the knight to f3.
Nc6 — Black develops the knight to c6.
Bb5 — White's bishop moves to b5, putting pressure on the knight.
a6 — Black attacks the bishop with the a-pawn.
Ba4 — The bishop retreats to a4.
Nf6 — Black develops the other knight.

You shouldn't aim to memorize every notation rule immediately. But rather, begin with the board coordinates, piece letters, captures, and symbols. After that the rest tends to be easier and more intuitive and you read and play games.

Conclusion

Simply put, Algebraic notation is really a form of language to document chess moves. After that has sunken in, reading all the files, ranks, piece letters, and common symbols becomes easier.

But the important part is when you can read chess notation it allows you to be able to study your own games and analyze them. What may appear as a string of letters or a strange code quickly becomes a whole game of chess and a story in itself.