Reading Algebraic Chess Notation for Older Learners: Files, Ranks, and Recording Games

Chess notation is the written language of the game. A returning player who wants to read a chess book, follow an online lesson, or review a finished game needs to read and write algebraic notation. The good news is the system is simple enough to learn in one sitting and is the standard around the world. The bad news is the older descriptive notation, called English notation, that was used in chess books before 1980 is no longer in use. A senior who learned descriptive notation as a teenager has to relearn the system. The relearning takes about 30 minutes and is well worth the time.

The board has 8 files, the vertical columns, labeled a through h from white's left to right. The board has 8 ranks, the horizontal rows, labeled 1 through 8 from white's side to black's side. The bottom-left corner square from white's view is a1. The bottom-right corner from white's view is h1. The top-left from white's view, the upper-left, is a8. The top-right from white's view is h8. Each square has a single name made of a letter and a number, like e4 or g7. The center four squares are d4, e4, d5, and e5. A senior should write the file letters along the bottom edge of a practice board and the rank numbers along the side edge to lock in the system.

Each piece uses a single uppercase letter. King is K, queen is Q, rook is R, bishop is B, knight is N. A pawn has no letter. A move records the piece letter followed by the destination square. Nf3 means a knight moves to f3. Bb5 means a bishop moves to b5. A pawn move shows only the destination square. e4 means a pawn moves to e4. A capture is shown with an x. Nxf3 means a knight captures on f3. A pawn capture uses the file letter of the pawn, like exd5 for a pawn on e capturing on d5. A check is shown with a plus sign. Nf3+ means a knight moves to f3 and gives check. Checkmate is shown with a number sign or two plus signs. Qh7# means a queen moves to h7 and delivers checkmate.

Castling has its own short notation. Kingside castling is O-O, two letter Os with a hyphen. Queenside castling is O-O-O. A pawn promotion shows the destination square and the new piece. e8Q means a pawn moves to e8 and promotes to a queen. A move with the same piece type able to go to the same square needs a disambiguating letter or number. Ngf3 means the knight on the g file moves to f3, distinguishing it from another knight that could also go to f3. Once a senior practices five or ten games of notation, the symbols become second nature. The Wholesale Chess scorebook at wholesalechess.com sells for around 5 dollars and has 50 pre-printed game sheets ready to fill in. The USCF scorebook at uschess.org is similar in price. Sources include chess.com slash terms slash chess-notation, lichess.org slash learn, and the US Chess Federation rulebook chapter on notation at uschess.org.