How to Play Chess (Rogers)/Chapter 8

by Charlotte Boardman Rogers

CHAPTER VIII

SYSTEMS OF NOTATION

Notation is the method or system by which the various moves or plays in a game of Chess are recorded. There are two systems in general use; and the student should become familiar with them both. The first and most important is the English, or Philidor’s Notation, and the second is the German Notation. The former system is used in all of the Latin and English speaking countries, while the latter is used in Germany and in the countries of the North.

English Notation.

In recording the moves of a game by the English system of notation it is necessary to indicate four things:—
(1) The color of the man moved.
(2) The name of the man moved.
(3) The square to which the move has been made.
(4) The number of the move or turn.

The student has already learned the names of the Pieces and Pawns and the names of the squares. He also knows that they are referred to by their initial letters, as for example KB for King's Bishop, and QKt5 for Queen's Knight's fifth square, so he has now only to learn the abbreviations and signs and the way that the moves are arranged to indicate the color of the man played, and the number of the turn when the move was made.

For example: If the student wishes to record that in the first turn of each side White moved his King's Pawn to his King's fourth square, and Black moved his Queen's Knight to his Queen's Bishop's third square he could write it in the form of two columns, with the name of each color at the head thus:—

	white.	black.
(1)	KP to K4	QKt. to QB3

The student will note that White is placed in the first column as it is generally understood to play first, and that the number of the move is also placed before White's move, it being unnecessary to repeat it before Black's move as Black's move, always following White's, would have the same number. For further abbreviation the dash (—) is used in place of the word " to." If the Piece or Pawn moved had captured an adverse Piece or Pawn, the name of the force moved and the name of the force captured would be given, but instead of using the word " take," or "capture" a multiplication sign ( × ) is used. Thus if a Queen takes a Bishop it would be recorded Q×B.

Frequently, in notation, it is not essential to indicate whether it is a Piece belonging to the King or to the Queen that has been moved, for it rarely happens that the player has the option of moving a Queen's Bishop or a King's Bishop, etc. The Pawns are also designated only by the initial P. The student will also observe that it is not always essential to indicate in the case of a Queen's move to a Knight's square whether it is the QKt. or the KKt., as it is seldom that the player would have the choice of moves. Sometimes, for the sake of brevity, even the dash (—) which indicates "to" is omitted and the move recorded PK4. In analytical works, even more concise arrangements of the moves are used, than that of arranging them in columns with White's moves on one side, and Black's on the other. The student will find them written in the form of fractions, with White's move as the numerator, above the line, and Black's move as the denominator, below the line. Thus: QKt — QB3 Q×B.

The number of the move must always be placed before it, parallel with the line which divides the White move from the Black move. In notes or annotations to a game, the moves are written as a series with a semi-colon to separate White's move from that of Black. White's move being placed first, thus: (1) P—K4; P—Q4, indicates that in the first move of the game White moved his Pawn to his King's fourth square, and Black moved his Pawn to his Queen's fourth square.

Certain technical terms are also abbreviated in the English system of notation. Those essential for the student to know are:

Ch. for Check. When the Piece or Pawn moved gives check.

Dis. ch. for Discovered Check. When the Piece or Pawn moved discovers check.

E. P. for En Passant. When the Pawn captures en passant.

Mate for Checkmate. When the Piece or Pawn checkmates.

O-O for Castling. When the player castles with his King's Rook.

O-O-O for Castling. When the player castles with his Queen's Rook.

? after a move indicates that it is a poor or inferior play.

! after a move indicates that it is a good or scientific play.

 

German Notation.

Before taking up the study of German notation, the student must make a careful

black.

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

white.

DIAGRAM X.
German Notation.

examination of diagram x, which shows him how the squares on a German Chessboard are marked off. It will be noted that they are indicated in a different way from the English system. The ranks are numbered from 1 to 8, from White's side only and the files are lettered with the first eight letters of the alphabet, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, beginning at White's left hand side.

For example: White's KB3, by the English system of notation is f3 by the German method; while KB3, from Black's side is f6. From this, it will be seen that each square has a letter and a number, and the letter is always given first.

In recording a move by the German system of notation, the initial letter of the Chessman is given, then the square on which it stands, and finally the square to which it is moved. The omission of the initial letter shows that the move is made by a Pawn. A capture is indicated by a colon (:), placed after the move; a check is indicated by a dagger (†), placed after the move, and a capture and check is indicated by a doubledagger (‡), placed after the move. Castling is always indicated by the signs, O-O, or O-O-O, as already explained in the English system of notation.

For example, the moves used to illustrate the English system would be recorded by the German system thus:—

	white.	black.
(1)	e2—e4.	Ktb8—c6

The moves are also frequently written in a line or as fractions as shown in the English notation.

The German System of Notation is sometimes abbreviated by:—
(1) The omission of the dash, the move being written e2e4.
(2) By the omission of the initial letter of the Piece moved when it is evident that it could not be a Pawn.
(3) By the omission of the square from which the Piece or Pawn was moved.

Foreign Names of Chessmen.

In every country, where Chess is played, the Pieces are referred to by their initial

	English	German.	Danish and Norwegian.	Dutch.	Swedish.
	King	König	Konge	Koning	Kung
	Queen	Dame	Dronning	Koningin	Drottning
	Rook	Thurm	Taarn	Kasteel	Torn
	Bishop	Laufer	Lober	Raadsheei	Lopare
	Knight	Springer	Springer	Paard	Hast
	Pawn	Bauer	Bonde	Pion	Bonde
	French.	Italian.	Portuguese.	Russian.	Spanish.
	Roi	Re	Rai	Tsar or Korol or Ferz	Rey
	Dame	Donna	Rainha	Korolina	Reina
	Tour	Torre	Torre	Ladia	Torre
	Fou	Alflere	Bispo or Delphim	Slone	Alfil
	Cavalier	Cavallo	Cavallo	Kogne	Caballo
	Pion	Pedone	Peao	Piechka	Peon

letters, and as the student may have occasion to study the games played by persons of skill in foreign countries, a table is given on page 84, so that the student may familiarize himself with the names of the Chessmen in the languages of the principal countries of Europe.