Chess Notation Explained: How to Read and Write Moves
Nf3, exd5, O-O, Qxh7#. What each letter and symbol means, how to read a whole game, and why writing moves down makes you better at playing them.
Updated October 26, 2026 · By Tiny Builder
Quick answer
Each square has a name: a file letter a to h, then a rank number 1 to 8. A move is the piece letter plus the square, so Nf3 is knight to f3. x is a capture, + is check, # is checkmate, and O-O is castling.
Algebraic notation looks like a code and takes about ten minutes to learn. Once you have it, every chess book, every puzzle and every game you have played is readable.
Naming the squares
The eight columns, called files, are lettered a to h from white's left to white's right. The eight rows, called ranks, are numbered 1 to 8 starting from white's side. Every square is a letter and a number: e4 is the fourth square up the e-file, and it is the same square for both players.
A few squares come up so often they are worth memorising. e4 and d4 are the centre. f7 and f2 are the weak squares next to each king before castling. g1 and g8 are where the castled king usually sits.
Naming the pieces
| Piece | Letter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| King | K | Kg1 |
| Queen | Q | Qd8 |
| Rook | R | Re1 |
| Bishop | B | Bc4 |
| Knight | N | Nf3 |
| Pawn | no letter | e4 |
The knight is N because K is already the king. A pawn move is just the square it lands on, which is why e4 and Ne4 are different moves.
The symbols
- x is a capture: Bxc6 is bishop takes on c6.
- A pawn capture names its file first: exd5 is the e-pawn taking on d5.
- + is check, # is checkmate: Qxh7# ends the game.
- O-O is castling kingside, O-O-O is castling queenside.
- = is promotion: e8=Q is a pawn reaching the end and becoming a queen.
- e.p. marks an en passant capture, though the move is usually clear without it.
When two identical pieces could reach the same square, the file or rank of the one that moved is added to say which: Nbd2 is the knight on the b-file going to d2, and R1e2 is the rook on the first rank.
Reading a whole game
Moves are numbered in pairs, white then black: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 is six moves, three each, and it is the start of the Italian Game from openings for beginners. When a game is written from black's move, you will see three dots: 3... Bc5.
Puzzle books use the same shorthand for the answer, which is why notation is worth the ten minutes: without it, half of chess writing is closed to you.
Writing your own games down
It is the cheapest improvement there is. A game you wrote down is a game you can replay, and replaying your losses is where the lessons are. You will find the same mistake three times in a month, which is information you cannot get any other way.
Tiny Chess Master keeps a history of your games on the phone, with who you played, which colour you had and how it ended, and the coach names his moves in plain words as he plays them, which is a gentler way into notation than a book.
Questions people ask
What does Nf3 mean in chess?
Knight to f3. N is the knight (K is already taken by the king), and f3 is the square it moves to, counting files a to h from white’s left and ranks 1 to 8 from white’s side.
What does x mean in chess notation?
A capture. Bxc6 is bishop takes whatever is on c6. For a pawn capture you write the file it came from first, so exd5 is the e-pawn taking on d5.
What does O-O mean?
Castling kingside, with two letter Os. O-O-O, with three, is castling queenside. Some books use zeros instead, which means the same thing.
What do + and # mean in chess?
A plus sign is check, and a hash is checkmate. You may also see ! for a good move, !! for a brilliant one, ? for a mistake and ?? for a blunder, which are opinions rather than facts.
Why do people write down their moves?
In tournaments it is required, so a dispute can be settled. Outside them it is the cheapest way to improve: a game you can replay is a game you can learn from, and most of your mistakes are repeat offences.
