Algebraic Chess Notation
Algebraic Chess Notation
Notation
You're going to quickly learn everything you need to know about reading and writing
chess moves, called "chess notation". There's even an actual real-life "scoresheet"
below that shows exactly how to write your moves in a chess tournament or chess
club. This is the official recording document for recording chess moves. These
scoresheets are used by the US Chess Federation, the official chess governing body
in the United States.
Chess notation is easy to learn! You'll understand it like the experts in the next 10
minutes. Just continue reading and/or watch the special chess notation video
included.
You can also read and play through games of great players to learn and improve
your own chess game! There is a wealth of materials both in book and digital form
allowing you to study the chess moves of great chess players.
Chess competitions actually require recording of moves from the beginning scholastic
levels to chess championship levels. The reason for this is that the game can be
followed and recreated to any position in case there is a dispute. There are also
chess rules based on the number of moves played and these can only be applied if
recording has taken place.
Many players like to record their chess games and later enter those games into chess
database software which allows them to further study and analyse their game. The
chess software will analyse and point out mistakes or places where they could have
played much better moves. It's a great way to improve your chess play. It's almost a
secret weapon since a remarkably small percentage of chessplayers utilize this
concept of chess improvement - and the tools are right there!
In this next position, white makes a winning move, d3++, pawn to d3 CHECKMATE!.
By now you've probably guessed that this game was created as an illustration since
White has made some very awful moves just asking for trouble...
That's all there is to know about chess notation! You've learned the notation
standards plus how to indicate the special moves ... check (+), en passant (ep),
castling (0-0 or 0-0-0), checkmate (++).
Now you can learn about annotation symbols which can be written at the end of a
move to indicate whether that move was a good move or a bad move.
In addition to writing the moves themselves, chess players will comment on the
strengths and weakness of chess moves with chess move annotation symbols.
Here's a diagram of the symbols you'll most often see.
! Good move
!! Excellent move
? Bad move
!? Interesting move
?! Dubious move
Notice how some of these comments have been placed on the scoresheet shown
above. Now you have a solid, practical introduction to chess notation, and a
scoresheet that actually shows you how it should look in the real world.
Raphael Neff
www.chesshouse.com