Algebraic notation — what it means in chess
Algebraic notation is the standard way to record chess. Learn the coordinate grid, piece letters, symbols for captures, checks, castling, and PGN.
The standard system naming each square by file and rank, e.g. e4.
Algebraic notation is the standard system for recording chess moves. Every square on the board has a unique two-character name — a file letter (a–h) and a rank number (1–8) — and every move is written as a compact string built from that grid, a piece letter, and a few symbols. Every book, database, engine output, and scoresheet you'll ever read uses it.
Look at the board from White's side. Files (columns) run a through h , left to right. Ranks (rows) run 1 through 8 , bottom to top. White's queen starts on d1 , Black's king on e8 , the corner squares are a1, h1, a8, h8 . Every square has exactly one name; there is no ambiguity.
[[board fen="rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1" caption="The starting position with the standard coordinate grid"]]
Each piece is abbreviated by a single uppercase letter:
- K — King - Q — Queen - R — Rook - B — Bishop - N — Knight (K is already taken)
Pawns get no letter. A pawn move is written by naming only the destination square: e4 means "a pawn moves to e4."
A normal move is the piece letter plus the destination square: Nf3 ("knight to f3"), Bc4 ("bishop to c4"), Qd8 ("queen to d8"). If two identical pieces could move to the same square, disambiguate with the file, rank, or both: Nbd2 (the b-file knight goes to d2), R1e2 (the rook on the first rank goes to e2), Qh4e1 (both files and ranks needed).
- x — capture: Nxe5 ("knight takes on e5"). For pawn captures, include the departing file: exd5 . - + — check: Qh5+ . - — checkmate: Qh7 . - O-O — kingside castling (short castling). - O-O-O — queenside castling (long castling). - e.p. — en passant capture (optional; the move itself is written as a normal pawn capture, e.g. exd6 ). - = — pawn promotion: e8=Q (pawn to e8, promoting to a queen). Promotions can be to Q, R, B, or N. - ! and ? — annotator marks meaning "good" and "bad." Doubled up ( !! brilliant, ?? blunder) or combined ( !? interesting, ?! dubious).
The Endgame Society glossary defines more than 240 chess terms — rules, notation, tactics, strategy, pawn structures, endgames, and openings — in language a beginner can act on rather than dictionary shorthand.