How to Read Descriptive Notation
- K=King, Q=Queen, R=Rook, B=Bishop, N=Knight, P=Pawn.
- 1.P—K4 P—QB4.
- 2.N—KB3 N—QB3.
- P—Q4 PxP.
- 4.NxP N—B3.
- 5.N—QB3 P—Q3.
- 6.B—KN5 P—K3.
- 7.Q—Q2 B—K2.
How do you describe chess moves?
Chess Notation describes each move with the name of the pieces and the square to which it is moved. Each piece has its own letter abbreviation, except the pawn. If no piece is named, it’s assumed to a pawn move, and Knight is “N” not “K”, which is King. Now black has made a pawn move, written e5.
When did chess stop using the descriptive notation?
The international chess federation FIDE stopped recognizing descriptive notation in 1981. In the earliest chess literature, natural language was used to describe moves. This is the ultimate source of all forms of descriptive notation. Over time, abbreviations became common, and a system of notation gradually evolved.
Why is algebraic notation used in chess Stack Exchange?
This alone makes algebraic notation more transparent, because things aren’t relative to which side is on the move. Consider, say, the g4 square (in algebraic notation). When white moves a piece there, descriptive notation says it is headed to KN4. But if black is moving a piece there, it is headed to KN5.
What does the dash stand for in descriptive notation?
The dash, which in English descriptive notation symbolizes the word “to”, is omitted. The numerical rank is identified before the file, e.g. “4R” is equivalent to “K4” (e4 in algebraic notation). In Spanish descriptive notation the Sicilian Defence ( 1. P-K4 P-QB4 in English) would be written 1. P4R P4AD.
What’s the difference between algebraic notation and descriptive notation?
What I mean is just this: in algebraic notation each square on the chessboard receives only one name, while in descriptive notation each square receives a different name depending on whether a move by white is being notated or a move by black.
