How to Write Algebraic Chess Notation

In order to save a chess game to replay later, it is important to take notation.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A chess board and set
• Pen(cil) and paper

1. Number the paper with the move number (start with "1").

2. For white's move, record the symbol of the piece being moved.
   
   Pawn - (no symbol)
   Knight - "N"
   Bishop - "B"
   Rook - "R"
   Queen - "Q"
   King - "K"

3. 
    
   From http://www.cam.k12.il.us/ms/6th/tillman/squares.gif, click to enlarge

   Record the square to which the piece is moving.
   
   For example, if you wanted to advance your pawn from e2 to e4 for your first move, you would record 1. e4. If you wanted to move your knight to f3 for your first move, you would record 1. Nf3.
   
   The "names" of the squares are shown in the image. White's pieces start the game on the first two ranks (a1 - h1, a2 - h2), and black's pieces start the game on the last two ranks (a7 - h7, a8 - h8).

4. If two of the same type of piece (ex, white knights) can move to the same square, then sometimes more qualifier information is needed.
   
   For example, with white knights on b1 and f3, both can move to the square d2, so Nd2 would be ambiguous. Therefore, you record the starting file of the knight you move. For example, if you decided to move the knight on b1, you would record Nbd2 as your move.
   
   If the knights were on b1 and b3, then recording Nbd2 would still be ambiguous, so you record the starting rank instead. For example, N3d2.

5. Denote other special situations.
   
   If your move puts your opponent's king in check, you put a "+" at the end of your notated move. For example, if white plays Bf7 and it puts the black king on e8 in check, then the move would be recorded as Bf7+.
   
   If your move puts your opponent in checkmate, you follow it with "#" - so, Bf7#.
   
   For captures, you place the an "x" behind the square name. For example, if a knight captures an enemy bishop on e6, you record "Nxe6" - unless this is ambiguous. If two separate knights can capture the bishop on e6, then you have to qualify which one - so, "Ndxe6" would be the correct notation.
   
   If a pawn captures, you record the move as the starting file of the pawn followed by an "x" and then the final square. For example, if a pawn on e4 captures another pawn on d5, the move is recorded as "exd5."
   
   If a pawn captures by en passant, then the move is followed by "e.p." For example, if a black pawn has just passed up a white pawn on e5 by moving from f7 to f5, white may capture it by playing "exf6 e.p." where the pawn on e5 has moved to f6 and the pawn of f5 has been taken off of the board.

6. Repeat steps 2 - 5 for black's move.

7. Repeat steps 1 - 6 for the next moves until the game ends.

8. When the game ends, record if white or black resigned, or if a draw was agreed, either because of repetition or because the players decided to end the game as a tie. Also record stalemates. If the game ends in checkmate, this should already be noted in the move.
   
   Then write the result.
   
   White wins - "1-0"
   Black wins - "0-1"
   Draw - "1/2-1/2"

Resources

• Learn how to play chess