How to record moves
Thursday, 13. August 2009
This article is closely related to the article on chess notation. As you may have already learnt,chess notation is a special kind of language in which each square and man has a name, so it is easy to record positions and moves. The notation adopted in this article is the international algebraic notation.
Mastering the notation system will enable you to easily read chess books and articles easily. Once you have mastered the system you will find it very easy to play the chess game.
The algebraic notation is based on the grid system. Each file is designated by a letter, and each rank is designated by a number. Therefore each square is identified by a symbol which consists of a letter then followed by a number.
The files are usually identified by the letters from a to h, starting from White’s left, while the ranks are numbered from 1 to 8 usually starting from the rank nearest White. In order to record a move you first have to write down the symbol of the piece that is being moved ,then the square of departure, and then the hyphen(-),and then the square to which the piece is being moved to. Let’s say the move is capture, you will need to use an “x” and not a hyphen. If the move is made by a pawn, its symbol is left out and only the square of departure, an “x”or a hyphen, and the square of arrival are indicated. For instance, e2-e4 means that the pawn on e2 is moved to e4.Let’s look at some more examples.Rd1xd6 means that a Rook on d1 captured a man on d6.
The moves in a game are recorded in two vertical columns, the first for White’s moves and the second for Black’s moves. Before each of the White’s moves, there is a number. This number usually indicates how many moves have been made.
Chess players ca not only record games but also positions. In recording a position, the first positions of white’s King, Queen, Rooks, Bishops, Knights, and pawns are given, in that order, and then the positions of the Black men, in the same order.
The recording of the chess games is mandatory in tournaments and matches. Beginners are usually advised to start recording their games so that they can later analyze them to try to discover their own and their opponent’s mistakes.
The chess notations are very important in any chess game. For you to become a chess expert you have to master the opponent’s moves and know how to tackle his moves. You should make sure that you follow the international algebraic notation which is the standard for chess games. Usually the most successful chess players have mastered the notations and consequently exploit them.
It can be quite difficult to master the chess games when you are still an amateur but with practice this can be overcome. Start with the simple notations and then gradually progress to the more advanced ones as time goes by. You will find that at after mastering the notations you can even lay the chess games when you are blindfolded.
