Descriptive notation: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:29, 20 February 2025

Latest revision as of 18:30, 20 February 2025

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* ''[[Promotion (chess)|Promotion]]'': Parentheses are used to indicate promotion, with the promotion piece enclosed in parentheses, e.g. '''P–R8(Q)'''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/07/25/archives/chess-pr8-q-then-pr8-q-leads-to-some-fireworks.html | title=Chess:; P-R8 (Q) then ... P-R8 (Q) Leads to Some Fireworks | work=The New York Times | date=25 July 1963 | last1=Horowitz | first1=Al }}</ref> Sometimes a slash or an equal sign is used, e.g. '''P–N8/R''', '''P×R=N'''.

* ''Special terms and symbols'': Special indicators that are appended to the move include "e.p." (''[[en passant]]''), "ch" or "+" ([[Check (chess)|check]]), "?" (a [[question mark]] for a bad move), "!" (an [[exclamation mark]] for a good move), "mate" or "++" ([[checkmate]]), "[[Rules of chess#Resigning|resigns]]" and "[[draw (chess)|draw]]".

**If there is only one way of giving check or checkmate, the move may be written e.g. '''Q ch.''' ("queen checks") or '''R++''' ("rook mates").

Typically, the full designation for a piece or a file is shortened to just the last part (indicating type of piece) whenever this does not produce ambiguity. For example, the move KP–K4 would always be written '''P–K4''' since only one pawn can move to K4 without capturing; the move Q–QB4 would be written '''Q–B4''' whenever Q–KB4 is not a legal move. A pawn capturing a pawn may be shown as '''P×P''' if it is the only one possible, or as '''BP×P''' if only one of the player's bishop's pawns can capture a pawn, or as '''QBP×P''', '''P×RP(R6)''' or '''P×QBP''' or other such variations.