Descriptive notation: Difference between revisions

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'''Descriptive chess notation''', '''descriptive notation''', '''English descriptive notation''' or '''English notation''' is a [[chess notation|notation]] for recording [[chess]] games, and at one time was the most popular notation for doing so. Alternate names for this notation include descriptive notation, English notation, and English descriptive notation. It is not used often today (mosthas peoplebeen todaysuperseded useby [[algebraic chess notation]]), but is still important for understanding older chess books.

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==Naming squares on the board==

'''Descriptive chess notation''' is a [[chess notation|notation]] for recording [[chess]] games, and at one time was the most popular notation for doing so. Alternate names for this notation include descriptive notation, English notation, and English descriptive notation. It is not used often today (most people today use [[algebraic chess notation]]), but is still important for understanding older chess books.

In descriptive chess notation each square has two names, depending on black's or white's viewpoint. Each file is given a name corresponding with the piece that occupies the first rank at the start of the game. Thus the [[queen (chess)|queen]]'s rank is named 'Q' and the [[king (chess)|king]]'s rank is named 'K'.

Since there are two each of the remaining pieces on the first rank, it is necessary to distinguish between them. The pieces to the left of the queen are named with respect to the queen i.e. 'queen's rook', 'queen's knight' and 'queen's bishop' and have the shortened names 'QR', 'QKt' and 'QB' respectively.

Similarly, the pieces to the right of the king are named with respect to the king i.e. 'king's rook', 'king's knight' and 'king's bishop' and have the shortened names 'KR', 'KKt' and 'KB' respectively.

The rank is given a number, ranging from 1 to 8, with rank 1 being closest to the player.

This method of naming the squares means that each square has one name from white's point of view and another from black's. For instance, the bottom left square ('a1' in algebraic chess notation) is called "queen's rook 1" (QR1) by white and "king's rook 1" (KR1) by black.

==Naming the pieces==

Each move in descriptive chess notation

Each piece's name in descriptive notation is based on its initial. English speaking players use '''K''' for [[king (chess)|king]], '''Q''' for [[queen (chess)|queen]], '''R''' for [[rook (chess)|rook]], '''B''' for [[bishop (chess)|bishop]], '''Kt''' or '''N''' for [[knight (chess)|knight]] and '''P''' for [[pawn (chess)|pawn]].

is either a special [[castling]] symbol (O-O for a kingside castle or

O-O-O for a queenside castle, as with algebraic notation),

==Notation for moves==

or by the following sequence: piece name,

Each move of a piece is indicated by a sequence of characters. Castling has its own sequence of characters and special indicators are added to the end of the sequence if relevant.

"-" (no capture) or "x" (capture),

its final square at the end of the move,

A move without capture is represented by the the piece's name, a hyphen and the square at the end of the move e.g. Kt-QB3 (knight to queen's bishop 3).

and special indicators if any. The piece names are K ([[King (chess)|King)]],

Q ([[Queen (chess)|Queen)]], R [[Rook (chess)|(Rook)]], B [[Bishop (chess)|(Bishop)]], Kt [or often N] ([[Knight (chess)|Knight]]), and P [[Pawn (chess)|(Pawn)]];

A move with capture is represented by the piece's name, a cross (x) and the destination square is identified by the name of the piece captured e.g. QxKt (queen captures knight).

note that English versions of [[algebraic notation]] use the same

abbreviations except for the Knight and Pawn.

Special indicators that are appended to the move include ''e.p.'' ([[en passant]]), ''Ch'' [[Check (chess)|(Check)]], ''Mate'' ([[Checkmate]]), ''Resign'', and ''Draw''. If the move is a capture, the final square is indicated by naming the piece being captured.

The sequence O-O is used for a king side castle and O-O-O for a queen side castle.

Typically, the move will record only enough information to make the move unambiguous.

A pawn capturing a pawn may be shown as PxP if it is the only one possible, or as BPxP if only one of the player's Bishop's Pawns can capture another pawn, or as QBPxP, or PxQBP, or other such variations.

As a last resort, the ___location of a capture or the starting point of a move may also be shown, delimited with parentheses or a slash, as BxN/QB6, or R(R3)-Q3. Sometimes only the rank or file is indicated, as R(6)xN.

Parentheses are also used to indicate promotion: P-R8(Q).

==Advantages==

The primary difference between algebraic and descriptive notation is

By identifying each square with reference to the player on move, descriptive notation better reflects the symmetry of the game's starting position ("both players opened with P-K4 and planned to play B-KN2 as soon as possible"),

how squares are specified.

and because the pieces captured are named, it is easy to skim over a game record and see which ones have been taken at any particular point.

The squares are identified by what piece originally starts there

(using the adjectives "Queen's" and "King's" to disambiguate the side),

followed by how many squares from that player's perspective.

Thus, when White is playing, algebraic notation's square "a1"

in descriptive notation would be spoken as

"Queen's Rook 1" and written as "QR1" in descriptive notation.

Squares written as a1 through h1 in algebraic notation

are written in descriptive notation

as QR1, QKt1 [or QN1], QB1, Q1, K1, KB1, KKt1 [or KN1], and KR1.

From White's perspective, the square notated as "e4" in algebraic notation

is described as "K4" in descriptive notation.

Note that the name for the same square has a different representation depending

on whether the player is Black or White; the square notated as

K4 for White is notated as K5 for a move by Black.

Thus, moving the King's pawn forward two squares as an initial move would be written as "e4" in algebraic notation, and as "P-K4" in descriptive notation.

By identifying each square with reference to the player on move, descriptive notation better reflects

the symmetry of the game's starting position ("both players opened with P-K4 and planned to play B-KN2 as soon as possible"),

and because the pieces captured are named, it is easy to skim over a game record and see

which ones have been taken at any particular point. But algebraic notation

represents the same moves with fewer characters, on average, and can avoid

confusion since it always represents the same square in the same way.

==Disadvantages==

Confusion can arise because the squares are named diffently.

In comparison, algebraic notation represents the same moves with fewer characters, on average, and can avoid confusion since it always represents the same square in the same way.

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[[Category:Chess notation]]