Open any chess book, article or engine analysis and you'll see lines like 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5. To the uninitiated, it looks like code. To anyone who has spent ten minutes learning it, it's a game playing out in their head. Reading notation is the key that unlocks almost every chess resource ever written.
The system used today — in books, on websites, and on tournament scoresheets — is algebraic notation. Here it is, step by step.
Step 1: Square names
Every square has a name made of a letter (the file, a–h, left to right from White's side) and a number (the rank, 1–8, from White's side upward). The bottom-left corner for White is a1; the top-right is h8. White's king starts on e1, Black's on e8.
Square names never change based on who's looking. Even when you play Black and the board is flipped, a1 is still a1.
Step 2: Piece letters
| Piece | Letter |
|---|---|
| King | K |
| Queen | Q |
| Rook | R |
| Bishop | B |
| Knight | N (because K is taken by the king) |
| Pawn | no letter |
Step 3: Writing a move
Piece letter + destination square. Nf3 means a knight moves to f3. Bc4 means a bishop moves to c4.
Pawns write only the destination. e4 means a pawn moves to e4. If a move is just a square name, it's a pawn move.
Captures add an x. Bxe5 means a bishop captures on e5. For pawn captures, write the file the pawn came from: exd5 means the e-pawn captures on d5.
Move numbers. A numbered move includes one move by White and one by Black: 1.e4 e5. When writing only Black's move, use an ellipsis: 3...Nf6.
Step 4: Special symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| + | check (Qh5+) |
| # | checkmate (Qxf7#) |
| O-O | kingside castling |
| O-O-O | queenside castling |
| = | promotion (e8=Q: pawn reaches e8 and becomes a queen) |
| e.p. | en passant (sometimes added, not required) |
Castling is written with capital letter O, not zero, in most sources.
Step 5: When two pieces can reach the same square
If both knights can go to d2, "Nd2" is ambiguous. Add the file (or, if needed, the rank) of the piece that moves:
- Nbd2 — the knight on the b-file goes to d2.
- R1e2 — the rook on the first rank goes to e2 (used when both rooks are on the same file).
Only add it when it's actually needed.
Step 6: Annotation symbols
Books and commentators add symbols after moves to judge them:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ! | good move |
| !! | brilliant move |
| ? | mistake |
| ?? | blunder |
| !? | interesting, worth trying |
| ?! | dubious |
In ChessDigi's Review game, moves graded as Inaccuracy, Mistake and Blunder get ?!, ? and ?? tags in the move list — the same symbols you'll meet in books.
Test yourself
Read this line and try to picture the position before checking the diagram:
A worked example: reading a short game aloud
Here's how an experienced player "hears" a line of notation. Take the opening 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O:
- 1.d4 d5 — both sides push the queen's pawn two squares.
- 2.c4 — White offers the c-pawn: the Queen's Gambit.
- e6 — Black declines, supporting d5 with the e-pawn.
- 3.Nc3 Nf6 — both knights come out toward the center.
- 4.Bg5 — White's bishop pins the f6 knight against the queen.
- Be7 — Black breaks the pin by putting the bishop between.
- 5.e3 O-O — White opens a path for the other bishop; Black castles kingside.
Notice what the reader is doing: not translating symbols one by one, but following ideas. That's the goal. After a few weeks of reading your own games this way, notation stops being a code and becomes a story.
Common reading mistakes
- Confusing the files from Black's side. The a-file is always White's left. When you play Black, it's on your right.
- Forgetting that pawn moves have no letter. "d5" is always a pawn; a knight going to d5 is "Nd5".
- Mixing up O-O and O-O-O. Two O's is the short, kingside castle; three O's is the long, queenside castle.
- Missing the x. "Bf6" is a bishop moving to f6; "Bxf6" means it captures something there — a big difference when you're following a sacrifice.
Other notation you might meet
- Long algebraic includes the starting square: e2-e4, Ng1-f3. Common in older books and some children's material.
- Descriptive notation in older English books: P-K4 means "pawn to king's fourth". Each side counts ranks from its own side, which is confusing; look for modern reprints.
- Figurine notation replaces letters with piece icons (♘f3 instead of Nf3), so readers in any language can follow.
PGN: notation as a file
PGN (Portable Game Notation) is the standard file format for chess games. It's plain text: a few header lines (players, date, result) and then the moves in algebraic notation. Every chess program and website can read it.
On ChessDigi, the Copy PGN button after a game puts your whole game on the clipboard in this format. Play a game, copy the PGN, and you'll see your game written in exactly the language described above.
Why bother learning notation?
Three practical reasons:
- Books and articles become readable, including every classic chess book.
- Reviewing your own games is much easier when you can refer to moves by name.
- Tournaments require you to write your moves on a scoresheet.
Ten minutes of practice is enough to start; after a week of reading your own games in notation, it becomes automatic. When you're ready for more, the beginners section has a first-month plan.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the knight N and not K?
Because K is already used for the king. Knight starts with a silent K, so N was chosen.
How are pawn moves written?
Only the destination square, for example e4. A pawn capture adds the file it came from: exd5.
What do O-O and O-O-O mean?
Kingside and queenside castling respectively.
How do I write a move when I'm playing Black in a tournament?
Exactly the same way. Notation always uses the board's fixed coordinates, so Black's moves are written with the same square names — for example 1...e5 or 2...Nc6 — regardless of which side of the board you sit on.
How do I write promotion to something other than a queen?
Use the letter of the chosen piece: e8=N for a knight, e8=R for a rook. Promoting to a knight is sometimes the only winning move, so the notation matters.
What is the difference between + and #?
+ means check; # means checkmate, which ends the game.
