Chess notation quiz

Answer key

1. A vertical column of squares. Files are the board’s vertical columns and use letters a through h. Ranks run horizontally and use numbers, so a coordinate combines one file with one rank.
2. A horizontal row of squares. A rank is a horizontal row, numbered 1 through 8. The numbering stays tied to the board coordinates rather than changing according to whose turn it is.
3. The e-file and the fourth rank. Algebraic square names place the file letter first and the rank number second. E4 therefore identifies one square where the e-file meets rank 4.
4. N. English algebraic notation uses N for knight. K is reserved for king; other language conventions can use different piece initials, so this quiz explicitly uses English letters.
5. e4. Pawn moves omit a piece letter, leaving the destination square for a noncapture. Captures add the pawn’s departure file and x, such as dxe4.
6. The square names stay the same. Coordinates remain fixed when you change viewing direction. From White’s side files run a to h left to right; from Black’s side the same files appear in the opposite visual order.
7. Rank 2. White’s pawns begin on the second rank, ahead of White’s other pieces on rank 1. Black’s pawns start on rank 7, so the side must be specified.
8. Dark. The corner h1 is light, and the alternating eight-square first rank makes a1 dark. Board colors are part of the fixed arrangement and do not change during play.
9. h1. H1 is White’s bottom-right corner and is light. “Light on the right” helps orient the board; the letters and numbers then provide fixed names for every square.
10. b1 and g1. White’s knights start on b1 and g1. The bishops occupy c1 and f1, while the rooks occupy the corners a1 and h1, so piece letters and square names must be read together.
11. Rook. R identifies a rook in English notation. For example, Re2 names a rook move to e2; extra origin information is added when needed to distinguish between rooks.
12. Queen. Q is the English notation letter for queen. The following coordinate gives the destination, while capture and check symbols add information about the recorded move.
13. B. B identifies a bishop in English algebraic notation. A record such as Bb5 combines the piece letter with its destination; it does not name the square from which the bishop started.
14. King. K means king. N is used for the knight, avoiding a collision between their English initials; this quiz uses that convention throughout.
15. A knight moves to f3. N identifies the knight and f3 gives its destination. The starting square must be established from the position or additional disambiguation; the record alone is not a board diagram.
16. A pawn moves to e4. A plain destination such as e4 denotes a noncapturing pawn move. The board position supplies its origin; an e-file pawn capture would include its departure file and x.
17. The bishop captures on e6. The letter B names a bishop, x marks a capture, and e6 is the destination. A capture symbol describes the action; a separate + or # would identify check or checkmate.
18. A pawn from the d-file captures on e5. Pawn captures name the departure file before x and then the destination. Thus dxe5 starts with a d-file pawn and ends on e5 after a capture.
19. The move gives check. The + sign reports check after the move. Qh5 supplies the queen’s destination; checkmate is commonly marked #, and a capture would be indicated by x.
20. A rook captures on d8 and gives checkmate. R names the rook, x identifies a capture on d8, and # indicates checkmate. These symbols describe the recorded result without showing the full position that produced it.
21. Kingside castling. The two-part castling symbol denotes kingside castling, toward the h-file rook in the standard position. PGN uses capital letter O, while FIDE Appendix C prints zero characters.
22. Queenside castling. The three-part symbol denotes queenside castling, toward the a-file rook in the standard position. Its length distinguishes it from kingside O-O; it does not count three king moves.
23. A pawn reaches e8 and promotes to a queen. E8 is the pawn’s destination and =Q identifies promotion to a queen. FIDE’s printed Appendix C examples omit the equals sign, so the question specifies the common PGN-style form.
24. A c-file pawn captures on d8 and promotes to a knight. The initial c identifies the pawn’s departure file, x marks capture on d8, and =N means promotion to a knight. Underpromotion may choose a knight, bishop, or rook rather than a queen.
25. The moving knight’s departure file. Nbd2 selects the knight on the b-file. When pieces of the same kind can reach the same square, departure information resolves the ambiguity; the final d2 remains the destination.
26. The rook departing from rank 1. R1e2 names the rook whose origin is on rank 1 and whose destination is e2. Rank disambiguation is used when the relevant rooks share a file and can reach the same square.
27. White wins. A 1-0 result records a win for White. It is a game-result marker, so it does not identify whether the win came from checkmate, resignation, or another decisive ending.
28. Black wins. A 0-1 result records a win for Black. Keep result markers separate from castling notation: 0-0 is a FIDE castling symbol, not a game result.
29. A draw. The split result 1/2-1/2 means a draw. The score alone does not specify the reason, which might be agreement, stalemate, or another applicable drawing rule.
30. PGN records a game’s move sequence; FEN describes a position. PGN can store game information and an algebraic move list, while FEN encodes a board position and related state. Use PGN to replay a game and FEN to load a particular position.