Chess notation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chess notation is the term for several systems that have developed to record either the moves made during a
game of chess or the position of the pieces on a chess board. The earliest systems of notation used lengthy
narratives to describe each move; these gradually evolved into terser systems of notation. Currently algebraic
chess notation is the accepted standard, and is widely used. Algebraic notation has a few
variations. Descriptive chess notation was used in English and Spanish-language literature until the late 20th
century, but is now obsolete. There are some special systems for international correspondence chess. PGN is
used when working with computer chess programs. Systems also exist for transmission using Morse
code over telegraph or radio.

Contents
[hide]

1 Recording the moves

o 1.1 Move notations for humans

o 1.2 Move notations for computers

o 1.3 Notation for telegraph and radio

1.3.1 Uedemann Code

1.3.2 Gringmuth Notation

1.3.3 Rutherford Code

2 Recording the positions of pieces

3 Endgame classification

4 History

5 See also

6 References

[edit]Recording the moves

Some move-recording notations are designed mainly for use by human players and others for use by
computers.

[edit]Move notations for humans

Correspondence chess card showing algebraic notation and ICCF notation

In recognized competitions all players are required to record all the moves of both players in order to: resolve
disputes about what the position should now be, whether a player has made an illegal move, etc.; keep an
accurate count of the moves if, as in most serious competition, there is a time limit rule which requires each
player to complete a specified number of moves in a specified time. [1] All chess coaches strongly recommend
the recording of one's games so that one can look for improvements in one's play.[2] The algebraic and
descriptive notations are also used in books about chess.

Algebraic chess notation is more compact than descriptive chess notation, and is the most widely
used method for recording the moves of a game of chess. It has been in use in some regions since the
early 19th century, and is less prone to error than the English descriptive system. Algebraic notation is the
official notation of FIDE which must be used in all recognized international competition involving human
players.[3] The U.S. Chess Federation prefers the use of algebraic notation but still permits descriptive
notation.[4][5]

Standard Algebraic Notation (SAN) is the notation standardized by FIDE.[citation needed] It omits the
starting file and rank of the piece, unless it is necessary to disambiguate the move.

Figurine Algebraic Notation (FAN) is a widely-used variation of Standard Algebraic Notation which
replaces the letter that stands for a piece by its symbol, e.g., c6 instead
of Nc6 or xg4 instead of Rxg4. Pawns are omitted as in standard algebraic notation. This
enables the moves to be read independent of language. In order to display or print these symbols,
one has to have one or more fontswith good Unicode support installed on the computer, and the
 document (Web page, word processor document, etc.) must use one of these fonts. [6] For more
information see Chess symbols in Unicode.

Long Algebraic Notation (LAN) includes the starting file and rank of the piece, followed by a dash.

Minimal Algebraic Notation (MAN) is similar to SAN but omits the capture indicator ("x"). It was

used by Chess Informant.

Reversible Algebraic Notation (RAN) is based on LAN, but adds an additional letter for the piece

that was captured, if any. The move can be reversed by moving the piece to its original square,
and restoring the captured piece. For example, Rd2xBd6.

Concise Reversible Algebraic Notation (CRAN) is like RAN, but omits the file or rank if it is not

needed to disambiguate the move. For example, Rd2:B6. This notation is recommended in Play
Stronger Chess by Examining Chess 960: Usable Strategies for Fischer Random Chess
Discovered.

Figurine Concise Reversible Algebraic Notation (FCRAN) is a form of CRAN with non-Staunton

figurines, used by Gene Milener during Chess960 tournaments.

Descriptive chess notation, English notation or English descriptive notation. Until the 1970s, at

least in English-speaking countries, chess games were recorded and published using this notation.
This is still used by a dwindling number of mainly older players, and by those who read old books
(some of which are still important[7]).

ICCF numeric notation. In international correspondence chess the use of algebraic notation may

cause confusion, since different languages have different names for the pieces. The standard for
transmitting moves in this form of chess is ICCF numeric notation.[8]

Smith Notation is a straight-forward chess notation designed to be reversible and represent any move

without ambiguity. The notation encodes the from square, to square, and what piece was captured, if
any.

Coordinate notation is similar to algebraic notation except that no abbreviation or symbol is used to

show which piece is moving. It can almost do this without ambiguity because it always includes the
square from which the piece moves as well as its destination, but promotions must be disambiguated
by including the promoted piece type, such as in parentheses. It has proved hard for humans to write
and read, but is used internally by some chess-related computer software. [9]
Here is an example of the same moves in some of the notations which may be used by humans: [9]

Chess Notation Examples

Figurine Long Reversible Concise

# Algebraic Smith Descriptive Coordinate ICCF
Algebraic Algebraic Algebraic Reversible

e2e4 E2-E4 E7- 5254

1. e4 e5 e4 e5 e2-e4 e7-e5 e2-e4 e7-e5 e24 e75 P-K4 P-K4
e7e5 E5 5755

Ng1-f3 Ng1-f3 Nb8- Ng1f3 g1f3 N-KB3 N- G1-F3 B8- 7163

2. Nf3 Nc6 f3 c6
Nb8-c6 c6 Nb8c6 b8c6 QB3 C6 2836

Bf1-b5 a7- f1b5 B-N5 P- F1-B5 A7- 6125

3. Bb5 a6 b5 a6 Bf1-b5 a7-a6 Bf1b5 a76
a6 a7a6 QR3 A6 1716

Bb5xc6 Bb5xNc6 Bb5:Nc6 b5c6n B5-C6 D7- 2536

4. Bxc6 dxc6 xc6 dxc6 BxN QPxB
d7xc6 d7xBc6 d7:Bc6 d7c6b C6 4736

d2-d3 Bf8- d2-d3 Bf8- d2d3 P-Q3 B- D2-D3 F8- 4243

5. d3 Bb4+ d3 b4+ d23 Bf8b4+
b4+ b4+ f8b4 N5ch B4 6824

Nb1-c3 Nb1-c3 Ng8- Nb1c3 b1c3 B1-C3 G8- 2133

6. Nc3 Nf6 c3 f6 N-B3 N-B3
Ng8-f6 f6 Ng8f6 g8f6 F6 7866

O-O O-O O-O e1g1c E1-G1 B4- 5171

7. O-O Bxc3 O-O xc3 O-O BxN
Bb4xc3 Bb4xNc3 Bb4:Nc3 b4c3n C3 2433

Annotators commenting on a game frequently use question marks and exclamation marks to label a move
as bad or praise the move as a good one (see punctuation (chess)).[10]

[edit]Move notations for computers

The following are commonly used for chess-related computer systems (in addition to Coordinate and
Smith notation, which are described above):
 Portable Game Notation (PGN). This is the most common of several notations that have emerged

based upon algebraic chess notation, for recording chess games in a format suitable for computer
processing.[11]

Steno-Chess. This is another format suitable for computer processing. It sacrifices the ability to play

through games (by a human) for conciseness, which minimises the number of characters required to
store a game.

ForsythEdwards Notation (FEN). A single line format which gives the current positions of pieces on

a board, to enable generation of a board in something other than the initial array of pieces. It also
contains other information such as castling rights, move number, and color on move. It is incorporated
into the PGN standard as a Tag Pair in conjunction with the SetUp tag.

Extended Position Description (EPD). Another format which gives the current positions of a board,

with an extended set of structured attribute values using the ASCII character set. It is intended for data
and command interchange among chessplaying programs. It is also intended for the representation of
portable opening library repositories.[12] It is better than FEN for certain chess variants, such as Fischer
Random Chess.
[edit]Notation for telegraph and radio
Some special methods of notation were used for transmitting moves by telegraph or radio, usually
using Morse Code. The Uedemann Code and Gringmuth Notation worked by using a two-letter label for
each square and transmitting four letters - two letters for the origin square followed by two letters for the
destination square. Castling is shown as a king move. Squares are designated from White's side of the
board, files from left to right and ranks from nearest to farthest. The Rutherford Code first converted the
move into a number and then converted the move number into a composite Latin word. It could also
transmit moves of two games at the same time.

[edit]Uedemann Code

This code was devised by Louis Uedemann (18541912). The method was never actually used, mainly
because a transposition of letters can result in a valid but incorrect move. Many sources incorrectly use
this name for the Gringmuth Code.

The files are labeled "A", "E", "I", "O", "O", "I", "E", and "A". The ranks are labeled "B", "D", "F", "G", "H",
"K", "L", and "P". A square on thequeenside is designated by its file letter and then its rank letter. A square
on the kingside is designated by its rank letter then its file letter.[13]

[edit]Gringmuth Notation
This method was invented by D.A. Gringmuth but it is sometimes incorrectly called the Uedemann Code. It
was used as early as 1866. Files were designated with one of two letters, depending on whether it was on
White's side or Black's side. These letters were: B and M, C and N, D and P, F and R, G and S, H and T, K
and W, L and Z. Files were labeled: "A", "E", "I", "O", "O", "I", "E", and "A". [13]

[edit]Rutherford Code

This code was invented in 1880 by Sir William Watson Rutherford (18531927). At the time, the British
Post Office did not allow digits orciphers in telegrams, but they did allow Latin words. This method also
allowed moves for two games to be transmitted at the same time. In this method, the legal moves in the
position were counted using a system until the move being made was reached. This was done for both
games. The move number of the first game was multiplied by 60 and added to the move number of the
second game. Leading zeros were added as necessary to give a four-digit number. The first two digits
would be 00 through 39, which corresponded to a table of 40 Latin roots. The third digit corresponded to a
list of 10 Latin prefixes and the last digit corresponded to a list of 10 Latin suffixes. The resulting word was
transmitted.

After rules were changed so that ciphers were allowed in telegrams, this system was replaced by the
Gringmuth Notation.[13]

[edit]Recording the positions of pieces

Chess pieces

King

Queen

Rook

Bishop

Knight
 Pawn

Positions are usually shown as diagrams (images), using the symbols shown here for the pieces.

There is also a notation for recording positions in text format, called the ForsythEdwards Notation (FEN).
This is useful for adjourning a game to resume later or for conveying chess problem positions without a
diagram. A position can also be recorded by listing the pieces and the square upon which they reside,
e.g. White: Ke1, Rd3, etc.

[edit]Endgame classification
There are also systems for classifying types of endgames. See Chess endgame#Endgame
classification for more details.

[edit]History

Page from 1841 Chess Player's Chronicle

The notation for chess moves evolved slowly, as these examples show. The last is inalgebraic chess
notation, the others show the evolution of descriptive chess notationand use spelling and notation of the
period.

1614: The white king commands his owne knight into the third house before his owne bishop.
1750: K. knight to His Bishop's 3d.

1837: K.Kt. to B.third sq.

1848: K.Kt. to B's 3rd.

1859: K. Kt. to B. 3d.

1874: K Kt to B3

1889: KKt -B3

1904: Kt-KB3

1946: N-KB3

Modern: Nf3[14]

A text from Shakespeare's time uses complete sentences to

describe moves, for example, "Then the black king for his
second draught brings forth his queene, and placest her in
the third house, in front of his bishop's pawne" - which we
would now write as 2 ... Qf6. The great 18th-century
player Philidor used an almost equally verbose approach in
his influential book "Analyse du jeu des checs", for
example, "The king's bishop, at his queen bishop's fourth
square."[15]

Rather surprisingly, algebraic chess notation was used

by Philipp Stamma (c. 1705-1755) in an almost fully
developed form before the now obsolete descriptive chess
notation evolved. The main difference between Stamma's
system and the modern system is that Stamma used "p" for
pawn moves and the original file of the piece ("a" through
"h") instead of the initial letter of the piece.[16] But Philidor
defeated Stamma in a match, so his writings had more
influence and the descriptive system based on his approach
was dominant for a long time. Algebraic notation became
dominant in the 20th century, although it did not become
popular in the English-speaking countries until the 1970s. [17]