Chess Notation
Learn algebraic chess notation.
The Board Coordinates
The chess board uses a coordinate system. Files (columns) are labeled a-h from left to right. Ranks (rows) are numbered 1-8 from bottom to top. Every square has a unique name like e4, d7, or h1.
Piece Symbols
K = King, Q = Queen, R = Rook, B = Bishop, N = Knight. Pawns have no letter — a pawn move is written as just the destination square (e.g., e4).
Writing Moves
A move is written as the piece symbol followed by the destination square. For example: Nf3 (knight to f3), Bb5 (bishop to b5), e4 (pawn to e4).
Special Notation
x = capture (Nxe5), + = check (Qh5+), # = checkmate (Qh7#), O-O = kingside castling, O-O-O = queenside castling, = = promotion (e8=Q).
Disambiguation
When two identical pieces can move to the same square, you add the file or rank of the moving piece to clarify. For example, if two rooks can go to d1, you write Rad1 (the a-file rook moves to d1) or R1d3 (the rook on rank 1 moves to d3). This only applies when there is genuine ambiguity.
Annotation Symbols
Chess analysis uses additional symbols: ! = good move, !! = brilliant move, ? = mistake, ?? = blunder, !? = interesting move, ?! = dubious move. These are added after the move notation, like Nf3! or Bxh7??. When you use Chess Calculator's AI Coach, it assigns these quality labels automatically based on Stockfish evaluation.
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