This chess notation reference explains algebraic notation — the piece letters and the symbols used to record moves. Squares are named by file (a–h) and rank (1–8).
Piece letters
| Letter | Piece |
|---|---|
| K | King |
| Q | Queen |
| R | Rook |
| B | Bishop |
| N | Knight |
| (none) | Pawn |
Move symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| x | Captures |
| + | Check |
| # | Checkmate |
| O-O | Castle kingside |
| O-O-O | Castle queenside |
| = | Pawn promotion (e8=Q) |
| e4 | Pawn to e4 |
| Nf3 | Knight to f3 |
| ! | Good move |
| ? | Mistake |