Understanding Chess Notations

Video Transcript

"Now I have to introduce the topic of notations in chess. Notations are, essentially, the way that chess games are recorded. If you are going to continue learning to be a better chess player, you are going to have to come to the subject of notations. All chess games are notated for future reference, and also when you come to do things like studying the openings and so on, that will always be in notation form. To, unfortunately, make it a bit more complicated, there are two forms of notation that are widely used. One is called the descriptive and one is called the algebraic. And at this point, they're both about equally used. Now there are some symbols which are common to both forms of notation. And I've listed them here for you. I've jotted a few down. Firstly, the symbol "X" in both notations will mean a capture. One piece has taken another. "CH", of course, means check in both notations. An exclamation point is something which is analyzed as being a good move. Something with a question mark is analyzed as being a poor move, a possible blunder. Where both an explanation point and a question mark, a query mark are present, that is a move which is described as being interesting. Now these symbols here are castling symbols. This one with the three circles is castling on the Queen's side. This one with the two circles is castling on the King's side, and this one "EP", is the abbreviation for En Passant that we discussed earlier."