V.

Chess Notation

There are two standard methods of recording chess moves: the algebraic system and the descriptive system. In both systems, the pieces are designated by capital initials: K for king, Q for queen, R for rook, B for bishop, and N for knight. The initial P for pawn is used in the descriptive system only. Castling is noted as either 0-0 (“short” castling on the king’s side) or 0-0-0 (“long” castling on the queen’s side).

Each square is part of both a file and a rank, and in the algebraic system, that unique “address” gives the square its name. In this system, the board is viewed from the White side only. The files, beginning on the left, are lettered from a to h and the ranks are numbered from 1 to 8 beginning with White’s first rank. A move by a piece is indicated by its initial and the square it moves to; for example, Nf3 is a knight move to the square f3. A pawn move names only the square. The letter x traditionally indicates a capture (Nxf3) but is often omitted.

In the descriptive system each square has two names, one from White’s perspective, the other from Black’s perspective. Each file is named for the piece that stands on it at the start of the game. For example, the file farthest to White’s left and Black’s right (the a file in the algebraic system) is the QR-file because the queen’s rooks—the rooks on the queen’s half of the board—start there. The ranks are numbered 1 to 8 from White’s side, and also 1 to 8 from Black’s side. White’s first rank is Black’s eighth rank and, for example, White’s QR4 is the same square as Black’s QR5. A move is indicated by the initial of the moving piece or pawn and the square it moves to from the perspective of the moving player. A capture always includes the letter x and the initial of the captured piece instead of the square; for example, NxB means a knight captured a bishop.