Read Online The Everything Chess Basics Book by Peter Kurzdorfer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Peter Kurzdorfer
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with the first move, which is move one, and the next move, which is move two, etc. Since White moves first, his move is given first. Next you give Black’s move. You just have to remember that Black’s first move is part of move one.
Pawn Moves
Just like the movement of the pawn, the notation for pawn moves is different. When a pawn moves, it is written simply as the destination square. You would expect a typical first move to be written 1. Pe4, but actually it is the simpler 1. e4. When pawns capture, the notation is the file letter followed by the x for a capture followed by the destination square (4. dxe5). When a pawn promotes, it is written as the move followed by an equal sign followed by the symbol for the piece the pawn has promoted to (d8=Q or hxg8=N+).
An entire game can thus be described in a single paragraph. Get out a chessboard and set up the pieces for the start of a game and play through the following game.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. dxe5 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 dxe5 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Qb3 Qe7 8. Nc3 c6 9. Bg5 b5 10. Nxb5 cxb5 11. Bxb5+ Nbd7 12. 0-0-0 Rd8 13. Rxd7 Rxd7 14. Rd1 Qe6 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Qb8+ Nxb8 17. Rd8 checkmate.
This is the final position. If you have come up with something else, go back and make sure you play all the moves correctly.
Algebraic Notation
What you have just read through is a game written in algebraic notation. Change the piece symbols to small pictures of the pieces and you have an international language, understood by chess players everywhere. This form of algebraic notation is called figurine algebraic .
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Duke and Count
Paris, 1858
1. e4 e5 2.f3 d6 3. d4g4 4. dxe5xf3 5. sxf3 dxe5 6.c4f6 7. sb3 se7 8.c3 c6 9.g5 b5 10.xb5 cxb5 11.xb5+bd7 12. 0-0-0d8 13.xd7xd7 14.d1 se6 15.xd7+xd7 16. sb8+xb8 17.d8 checkmate.
The game you have just played through is presented in figurine algebraic notation.
Long and Short Forms
There are other forms of algebraic notation besides the forms you have just learned about. There is long form, where the square the piece or pawn comes from is recorded as well as the square it goes to, like this: 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 3. d2-d4 Bc8-g4 4. d4xe5 Bg4xf3, etc. Then there is short form, which dispenses with anything unnecessary. Even the capture sign is done away with, since playing over the game makes the capture obligatory anyway: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. de Bf3, etc.
English Descriptive Notation
In the old English descriptive notation the files are given the names of the pieces which occupy the first square on them in the original position. To distinguish the two sides of the board from one another (right vs. left), those pieces near the king are known as KR (king’s rook), KN (king’s knight), and KB (king’s bishop). Similarly, those nearest the queen are known as QR (queen’s rook), QN (queen’s knight), and QB (queen’s bishop).
Descriptive notation used to be popular in many countries, but it is more complex than algebraic notation and isn’t universal. Many of the old classic chess books written in descriptive notation have since been translated into algebraic notation.
The eight files with their descriptions are identical for White and Black. The ranks are numbered from one to eight, with each player beginning from his or her own side, so that “1” for White is “8” for Black. In this way, each square carries a unique letter and a number, making it easy to determine which piece is being moved from square to square. It’s this unique “addressing” that allows moves to be accurately recorded.
Captures are handled differently and the pawn gets the symbol P in English descriptive. Also, the symbol for check is ch rather than +.
Here is the same game you just looked at written in English descriptive notation:
1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 P-Q3 3. P-Q4 B-N5 4. PxP BxN 5. QxB PxP 6. B-QB4 N-KB3 7. Q-QN3 Q-K2 8. N-B3 P-B3 9. B-KN5 P-N4 10. NxP PxN 11. BxPch QN-Q2 12. 0-0-0 R-Q1 13. RxN RxN 14. R-Q1
Pawn Moves
Just like the movement of the pawn, the notation for pawn moves is different. When a pawn moves, it is written simply as the destination square. You would expect a typical first move to be written 1. Pe4, but actually it is the simpler 1. e4. When pawns capture, the notation is the file letter followed by the x for a capture followed by the destination square (4. dxe5). When a pawn promotes, it is written as the move followed by an equal sign followed by the symbol for the piece the pawn has promoted to (d8=Q or hxg8=N+).
An entire game can thus be described in a single paragraph. Get out a chessboard and set up the pieces for the start of a game and play through the following game.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. dxe5 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 dxe5 6. Bc4 Nf6 7. Qb3 Qe7 8. Nc3 c6 9. Bg5 b5 10. Nxb5 cxb5 11. Bxb5+ Nbd7 12. 0-0-0 Rd8 13. Rxd7 Rxd7 14. Rd1 Qe6 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Qb8+ Nxb8 17. Rd8 checkmate.
This is the final position. If you have come up with something else, go back and make sure you play all the moves correctly.
Algebraic Notation
What you have just read through is a game written in algebraic notation. Change the piece symbols to small pictures of the pieces and you have an international language, understood by chess players everywhere. This form of algebraic notation is called figurine algebraic .
White: Paul Morphy
Black: Duke and Count
Paris, 1858
1. e4 e5 2.f3 d6 3. d4g4 4. dxe5xf3 5. sxf3 dxe5 6.c4f6 7. sb3 se7 8.c3 c6 9.g5 b5 10.xb5 cxb5 11.xb5+bd7 12. 0-0-0d8 13.xd7xd7 14.d1 se6 15.xd7+xd7 16. sb8+xb8 17.d8 checkmate.
The game you have just played through is presented in figurine algebraic notation.
Long and Short Forms
There are other forms of algebraic notation besides the forms you have just learned about. There is long form, where the square the piece or pawn comes from is recorded as well as the square it goes to, like this: 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 3. d2-d4 Bc8-g4 4. d4xe5 Bg4xf3, etc. Then there is short form, which dispenses with anything unnecessary. Even the capture sign is done away with, since playing over the game makes the capture obligatory anyway: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 4. de Bf3, etc.
English Descriptive Notation
In the old English descriptive notation the files are given the names of the pieces which occupy the first square on them in the original position. To distinguish the two sides of the board from one another (right vs. left), those pieces near the king are known as KR (king’s rook), KN (king’s knight), and KB (king’s bishop). Similarly, those nearest the queen are known as QR (queen’s rook), QN (queen’s knight), and QB (queen’s bishop).
Descriptive notation used to be popular in many countries, but it is more complex than algebraic notation and isn’t universal. Many of the old classic chess books written in descriptive notation have since been translated into algebraic notation.
The eight files with their descriptions are identical for White and Black. The ranks are numbered from one to eight, with each player beginning from his or her own side, so that “1” for White is “8” for Black. In this way, each square carries a unique letter and a number, making it easy to determine which piece is being moved from square to square. It’s this unique “addressing” that allows moves to be accurately recorded.
Captures are handled differently and the pawn gets the symbol P in English descriptive. Also, the symbol for check is ch rather than +.
Here is the same game you just looked at written in English descriptive notation:
1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 P-Q3 3. P-Q4 B-N5 4. PxP BxN 5. QxB PxP 6. B-QB4 N-KB3 7. Q-QN3 Q-K2 8. N-B3 P-B3 9. B-KN5 P-N4 10. NxP PxN 11. BxPch QN-Q2 12. 0-0-0 R-Q1 13. RxN RxN 14. R-Q1
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