Chess games are written in algebraic notation. Every square has a name — files a to h from White's left, ranks 1 to 8 from White's side — so e4 means a pawn moves to the e4 square, Nf3 means a knight to f3, and O-O means kingside castling. At Superior Chess Academy, FIDE-rated coaches teach notation in live online lessons for ages 5 and above — starting with a free trial class on WhatsApp at +91 84015 33777.
How squares get their names
The chessboard is eight squares by eight. Every square has a name made of two parts: a file (a vertical line of squares, lettered a to h from White's left) and a rank (a horizontal row, numbered 1 to 8 from White's side). Square e4 is file e, rank 4 — four squares up from White's side, five across from White's left. White's king always starts on e1; Black's king on e8.
Teaching a child to find squares by name is like teaching them to read a map — once they can point to e4, d5 and g7 without counting from a corner, the rest of notation falls into place quickly.
What each piece is called
In notation, each piece (except the pawn) has a one-letter initial: K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop, N knight. The knight is N, not Kn, because K is already the king. Pawns have no letter at all — a square alone, like e4, always means a pawn moves there.
A move is the piece letter plus the square it moves to: Nf3 means a knight moves to f3. If two identical pieces could reach the same square, the move adds which piece moved — for example Nbd7 means the knight from the b-file goes to d7.
How a move is written
Each move is written with the piece letter (or nothing for a pawn) and the square it lands on. A few small marks carry the rest of the meaning:
- x — a capture: Qxf7 means the queen captures a piece on f7.
- + — check: Qh5+ means the queen moves to h5 and gives check.
- # — checkmate: Qxf7# means the queen captures on f7 and it is mate.
- O-O — kingside castling; O-O-O — queenside castling.
- = — promotion: e8=Q means a pawn reaches the last rank and becomes a queen.
- ! and ? — a good or a bad move, given by the annotator (Nf3! is praised, Nf3? is criticised).
Move numbers count pairs: "1. e4 e5" is White's first move and Black's first move. If Black's move follows a White comment, it is written "1... e5".
Scholar's mate, in notation
The fastest checkmate most beginners meet is Scholar's mate. Play it through on a board, one move at a time:
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5 Nf6 4. Qxf7#
White's pawn steps to e4, Black answers e5; White's bishop goes to c4, Black's knight to c6; the queen comes to h5, Black's knight to f6 — and then Qxf7#: the queen captures the pawn on f7, and it is checkmate, because the king cannot capture the queen (the bishop on c4 protects it) and cannot escape. Every move in this sequence is legal, and the final position is checkmate — verified with python-chess before writing this guide.
A longer game: the Ruy Lopez
Once Scholar's mate feels easy, replay a longer real opening. The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest and most famous openings in chess — here is its classical main line up to move 11:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7
Notice what the notation shows: both sides castle kingside (O-O), knights develop with N, pawns push with square names alone (c3, d4, h3), and the bishop retreats from b5 to a4 and later to b3 then c2, fleeing Black's a6 and b5 pawn moves. All 22 moves are legal — again verified with python-chess before writing this guide. Read the line aloud while you move the pieces, and you will see why notation is called the language of chess.
How to practise reading notation
Replay the two games above on a real board: read one move, find the piece, move it, and only then read the next. Cover Black's moves and guess them before you reveal them — that turns replaying into training. Then start recording your own games in notation: after your next game, write down every move. You will be slower at first and fluent within weeks.
Our online chess classes for kids use notation from the first weeks, so children read and record their own games confidently. A coach who can see a student's written score can review the whole game, move by move, in the next lesson. Try a free trial class on WhatsApp at +91 84015 33777 — and bring your first recorded game with you.
Tell us the student's age and level — we will suggest a suitable batch.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read chess notation?
Chess notation records moves in algebraic shorthand with letters for pieces and squares. Each square has a name — files a to h from White's left, ranks 1 to 8 from White's side — so e4 means a pawn moves to the e4 square, Nf3 means a knight to f3, and O-O means kingside castling. Read a full game in order and you can replay every move on a board.
What do the letters in chess notation mean?
King is K, queen is Q, rook is R, bishop is B, knight is N; pawns have no letter. The letter after it names the square the piece moves to — Qxf7 means the queen captures on f7, while the 'x' is the capture mark. '+' means check, '#' means checkmate, and O-O-O is queenside castling.
What is a good first game to replay in notation?
Scholar's mate: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Qh5 Nf6 4. Qxf7# — four moves per side, and the queen's checkmate on f7 shows exactly how notation, captures and checkmate marks work. To see a longer, real opening line, replay the Ruy Lopez main line up to move 11 in this guide.
How can my child learn chess notation?
By replaying short games, not by memorising rules. Playing through Scholar's mate and then a longer game, square by square, teaches notation faster than any chart. Our online chess classes for kids use notation from the first weeks, so children read and record their own games confidently. Try a free trial class on WhatsApp at +91 84015 33777.
Contact Superior Chess Academy
Superior Chess Academy
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
WhatsApp / Phone: +91 84015 33777
Website: https://superiorchessacademy.com
Classes are taught live and online, so students from any city or country can join. Fees and batch schedules are shared on WhatsApp — message +91 84015 33777 for details.