NOTATION
(How to write down your moves)
There are two kinds of NOTATION:
1. LONG NOTATION - you write down the starting
square and the finishing square of your move.
2. SHORT NOTATION - you only write down the
finishing square.
LONG NOTATION
Here’s an example…
Both players have made their first moves.
To write down a Pawn move in LONG NOTATION write
down the starting square for the pawn, then a DASH then the finishing square for the move.
White's move was e2-e4
Black's reply was e7-e5.
If you move a piece other than a Pawn,
you put the letter of the piece first.
K for King,
Q for Queen,
R for Rook,
B for Bishop
N for kNight.
On the board, both sides have moved a Knight.
White's move is written Ng1-f3
Black's move is Nb8-c6
White's just played another move.
How do you write it down?
d2-d4
2d-4d
d4-d2
e2-e4
Hey, watch out! Black's just taken something!
To write down a CAPTURE, we put a cross (x)
So Black's move was e5xd4.
White's taken back with his Knight.
What's the right way to write that move?
N3fx4d
Nf3xd4
Nf3+d4
Nf3xd5
Black moves his Bishop to play a CHECK on b4.
We show a CHECK by a + at the end of the move.
Bf8-b4+
White gets out of CHECK by sticking his Knight in the way.
Nb1-c3.
Black CAPTURES the Knight with his Bishop –
and it's CHECK again! How should you write it?
B4bxc3+
Bb4+c3x
Bb4x3c+
Bb4xc3+
White, of course, CAPTURES the Bishop with his Pawn.
How would you write that move?
b2xc3
B2xc3
B2xC3
b2xC3
A couple of other things…
If you CASTLE on the KING SIDE
write O-O.
If you CASTLE on the QUEEN SIDE
write O-O-O.
The number of Os is the same as the number of squares
the ROOK moves.
Play these moves on your board:
1. e2-e4 e7-e6
2. e4-e5 d7-d5
This should give you the position on the left.
Remember the en passant rule? In this position White
can capture the Black Pawn on d5 en passant!
White’s Pawn will move from e5 to d6, CAPTURING the
Black Pawn as it PASSES that square.
3. So we write e5xd6ep
ep is short for en passant
COMPUTER NOTATION
Computer notation is very easy to learn.
All you do is enter FOUR characters: the starting square
and the finishing square of the move.
For example, White's just moved his Pawn from f2 to f3, so
you type in f2f3.
Black just moved his pawn from e7 to e5.
Move = e7e5
A quick list of special symbols…
K for King,
Q for Queen,
R for Rook,
B for Bishop
N for kNight
(no symbol for Pawn)
X
0-0
0-0-0
+
# or ++
?
??
?!
!?
!
!!
= capture
= kingside castling
= queenside castling
= check
= checkmate
= a bad move
= a really stupid move
= hmm… a doubtful move
= an interesting move
= a good move
= a brilliant move
Numbers
Letters
= ranks
= files