Chess notation: how to read and write chess moves
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Chess notation is the way players write down moves: e4, Nf3, Bxe5+, O-O. Once you can read it, you can follow any chess book, replay famous games and record your own games on a scoresheet. The standard system is called algebraic notation, and FIDE uses it for all rated games. This guide explains how to name the squares, which letters stand for which piece, how to write captures, check, mate, castling and promotion, what the symbols ! and ? mean, and how PGN and FEN fit in.
Naming the squares
Every square on the board has a fixed name made of a letter and a number. The files (the vertical columns) are labelled a to h from White's left to White's right. The ranks (the horizontal rows) are numbered 1 to 8, starting from White's side. The square in the corner on White's left is a1, the white king starts on e1 and the black queen on d8.
The names do not change when you look at the board from Black's side. For Black, a1 is the far right corner. Diagrams in books are almost always printed from White's point of view, with rank 1 at the bottom.
Piece letters
Each piece except the pawn has a capital letter. In English, you write K for king, Q for queen, R for rook, B for bishop and N for knight (K is already taken by the king). Pawns have no letter: a pawn move is written with the destination square only, for example e4.
Other languages use the first letter of their own word for each piece, so the same move looks different in a German or a French book. The pawn has no letter in any of them.
| Language | King | Queen | Rook | Bishop | Knight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | K | Q | R | B | N |
| German | K | D | T | L | S |
| French | R | D | T | F | C |
| Spanish | R | D | T | A | C |
| Italian | R | D | T | A | C |
| Dutch | K | D | T | L | P |
| Russian | Кр | Ф | Л | С | К |
| Polish | K | H | W | G | S |
| Czech | K | D | V | S | J |
| Swedish | K | D | T | L | S |
So the English move Nf3 is Sf3 in German, Cf3 in French and Spanish and Кf3 in Russian. Many modern books avoid the problem with figurine notation: a small piece symbol replaces the letter, and the move can be read in any language. Online platforms and PGN files always use the English letters.
How to write a move
A move in short algebraic notation is built from left to right:
- Step 1
Write the piece letter. Leave it out for a pawn move.
- Step 2
Add the starting file or rank, but only if needed. This is only necessary when two pieces of the same kind can reach the same square (see below).
- Step 3
Write x if the move captures. For a pawn capture, write the file the pawn came from first, for example
exd5. - Step 4
Write the destination square, for example
f3. - Step 5
Add a special sign if there is one:
=Qfor a promotion,+for check,#for checkmate.
Examples: e4 (a pawn moves to e4), Nf3 (a knight moves to f3), Bxe5 (a bishop captures on e5), exd5 (the pawn on the e-file captures on d5), Qh5+ (the queen moves to h5 and gives check). Moves are numbered in pairs: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 means White played e4, Black answered e5, then White played Nf3 and Black Nc6. If a comment interrupts the moves, Black's move is written with three dots, for example 2...Nc6.
When two pieces can go to the same square, you add the file they start from. If both have the same file, you add the rank instead. In the diagram below, both white knights can reach d2. The knight from b1 is written Nbd2, the knight from f3 would be Nfd2. With two rooks on a1 and a5 that can both go to a3, you write R1a3 or R5a3.
Check, mate, castling and other symbols
| Sign | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| x | Capture | Bxe5, exd5 |
| + | Check | Qh5+ |
| # | Checkmate (in some books ++ or the word mate) | Qxf7# |
| O-O | Castling kingside (short castling) | O-O |
| O-O-O | Castling queenside (long castling) | O-O-O |
| =Q | Pawn promotes to a queen (or =R, =B, =N) | e8=Q |
| e.p. | Capture en passant (optional) | exd6 e.p. |
| 1-0, 0-1, ½-½ | White won, Black won, draw | 1-0 |
A few details differ between sources. The FIDE Laws of Chess write castling with zeros (0-0, 0-0-0) and promotion without an equals sign (d8Q), while PGN files and most websites use the letter O (O-O) and the equals sign (e8=Q) (FIDE Laws of Chess, Appendix C). Both forms mean the same. An en passant capture is written like a normal pawn capture with the square the capturing pawn lands on; the suffix e.p. is optional.
Annotation symbols: what ! and ? mean
In books and annotated games, signs after a move give an opinion about it. They are not part of the move itself and are never written on a scoresheet during play.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ! | Good move |
| !! | Excellent move, often a surprising sacrifice |
| ? | Mistake |
| ?? | Blunder |
| !? | Interesting move, worth trying |
| ?! | Dubious move |
Evaluation signs describe the position: = equal, += or ⩲ White is slightly better, ± White is clearly better, +- White is winning, and the same signs in reverse for Black (=+, ∓, -+). ∞ means the position is unclear.
Scoresheet, long notation, PGN and FEN
Scoresheet. In tournament games, both players write down every move, their own and their opponent's, in algebraic notation. Writing a move in advance is not allowed. You may reply to your opponent's move before you write it down, but you must record it before your next move (FIDE Laws of Chess, Article 8.1). A draw offer is noted as (=) (Article 9.1.2.2). You may use the piece letters of your own language (Appendix C.3).
Long notation. Some beginners' books and older sources name both the start and the destination square: 1.e2-e4 e7-e5 2.Ng1-f3. A capture is written with x instead of the hyphen: Bf1xb5. Long notation is easier to follow on a real board but takes more space. Short notation is the standard.
PGN (Portable Game Notation) is the text format for complete games. A PGN file starts with tags such as [White "..."], [Black "..."] and [Result "1-0"], followed by the moves in short algebraic notation with English letters. Lichess, Chess.com and almost every chess program can import and export PGN.
FEN (Forsyth-Edwards Notation) describes a single position instead of a game. It lists the pieces rank by rank, then the side to move, castling rights, the en passant square and two move counters. The starting position is rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1. The FEN viewer shows any FEN on a board and explains its parts.
Notation in ChessWOW
ChessWOW shows moves with the piece letters of your language. In the settings under "Notation" you can follow the app language, choose "International" (K, Q, R, B, N) or pick another language's letters, for example German or French. This only changes how moves are displayed in the analysis, the report and the training. PGN export and import always stay international, so your files work in every other program.
You do not have to type moves to get a game into the app. Paste a PGN or a FEN from the clipboard, open a PGN file or import your games from Lichess and Chess.com by username. A position from a book or a screenshot can be scanned and turns into a board with a FEN, ready to analyze.
Questions and answers
What does + mean in chess?
A plus sign after a move means check: the move attacks the opponent's king. The sign # means checkmate.
What does O-O mean?
O-O is castling on the kingside, O-O-O castling on the queenside. The FIDE Laws of Chess write the same moves with zeros: 0-0 and 0-0-0.
Why is the knight N and not K?
In English, K is already used for the king, so the knight gets N. Other languages use their own letters, for example S in German.
What is the difference between ! and !? in chess?
A single ! marks a good move. !? marks an interesting move that is worth trying, but whose value is less certain.
Do I have to write moves in English notation in a tournament?
No. The FIDE Laws of Chess let each player use the piece names common in their country, so you can write the scoresheet with the letters of your own language. Online platforms and PGN files use the English letters.
Can ChessWOW show moves in my language?
Yes. Under "Notation" in the settings you can choose the piece letters of your language or the international letters. PGN files stay international.
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