Notation is the written language of chess — it lets you record your games, read any chess book, and follow annotated master play. This guide covers everything from board coordinates to PGN and FEN.
Every square has a unique name made of two parts: a file letter (a–h, left to right from White's view) and a rank number (1–8, bottom to top).
So the square in White's bottom-left corner is a1, the centre squares are d4, e4, d5, and e5, and White's king starts on e1. Coordinates are always read file-first, then rank.
Each piece is abbreviated to a single capital letter. The knight uses N because K is already taken by the king.
A move is written as the piece letter followed by the destination square. So Nf3 means “a knight moves to f3” (the position shown).
Pawn moves have no letter — you write only the square. e4 means “a pawn moves to e4.” You never need to state where the piece came from unless it is ambiguous (see below).
A capture is marked with an x between the piece and the square: Nxe5 means “a knight captures on e5.”
For a pawn capture, write the pawn's file of departure, then x, then the square: exd5 (shown) means “the e-pawn captures on d5.”
Castling is the one move written with the king and rook positions rather than a square: O-O is kingside, O-O-O is queenside.
Promotion appends the new piece with an equals sign — e8=Q promotes a pawn to a queen. A move can stack symbols: exd8=Q+ captures, promotes, and gives check at once.
When two identical pieces could move to the same square, you add the file or rank of the one that moves. If both knights can reach d7, Nbd7 shows the knight on the b-file moves there.
If the pieces share a file, use the rank instead: R1e2 means the rook on the first rank goes to e2. Only add the minimum needed to make the move unambiguous.
A game is a numbered list of move pairs — White's move, then Black's. For example, the start of the Italian Game reads:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5
Each number is one full move (a White move and a Black reply). When only Black's move is shown, it is written with an ellipsis, like 2... Nc6. That is all you need to replay any game on a board.
Portable Game Notation stores an entire game: tags for the event and players, then the full move list. It is the universal file format that every chess site and engine can read.
Forsyth–Edwards Notation is a single line that captures one exact position — piece placement, side to move, castling rights, and the move counters. Perfect for sharing a puzzle or diagram.
Algebraic notation is the standard system for recording chess moves. Each square has a coordinate (a file letter a–h and a rank number 1–8), and a move is written as the piece letter plus the destination square, such as Nf3 or e4.
K is already used for the king, so the knight takes the next clearest letter, N. The other pieces use their initial: Q queen, R rook, B bishop. Pawns have no letter — you just write the square.
x marks a capture (Nxe5), + means the move gives check (Qh5+), and # means checkmate (Qxf7#). Castling is written O-O (kingside) or O-O-O (queenside).
PGN (Portable Game Notation) records an entire game as a list of moves with tags for the players and event. FEN (Forsyth–Edwards Notation) is a single line of text that describes one exact position — who is to move, castling rights, and where every piece stands.