yes, look at the board.
it is the easiest way.
white queen is on d1, black king on d8 and every square gets a letter and number.
just look at the homepage, the green bar, and under the word LEARN on the left, you will find chess rules and basics - the algebraic is explained there.
Your question is no different than asking for a cheatsheet on where the pedals are on your car. These things may be difficult at first, but you will pick this up along the way ... no need to "force-learn" this. Your time is better spent on actual chess knowledge ... and believe me, there is a gigantic ocean out there :)
Your question is no different than asking for a cheatsheet on where the pedals are on your car. These things may be difficult at first, but you will pick this up along the way ... no need to "force-learn" this. Your time is better spent on actual chess knowledge ... and believe me, there is a gigantic ocean out there :)
thanks. (I would probably find it hard to drive a car with so many pedals ;-)
5 minutes and you've learned algebraic. Now just spend some time using it and it will become second nature.
Easy stuff.
Well, you need to learn a few skills.
1) The alphabet: You dont have to learn the whole thing at once, only up to h. There is an additional benefit here, you'll be able to read words like ace, bed and even complex ones like cabbage. I'm afraid if you want to read more, you're gonna have to learn more alphabet.
2) Counting. Up to 8 should do fine.
Once you have mastered these techniques, look at the chess board.
You will notice that the files (that's the up and down ones) have letters.
Chessplayers are a clever bunch, you will also notice that they arranged these files alphabetically. Descriptive notation was very confusing, because they were not alphabetical.
Now look at the ranks (the left to right ones). They have numbers.
And, you guessed it, they are in numerical order. (I think this may be coincidence, but I'm not sure)
Now, you were asking about Nf7. You can't move there yet, because you have not learnt about N..... Wait, I'll have to examine my theory some more, at the moment you can only move bishops.....
Well, you need to learn a few skills.
1) The alphabet: You dont have to learn the whole thing at once, only up to h. There is an additional benefit here, you'll be able to read words like ace, bed and even complex ones like cabbage. I'm afraid if you want to read more, you're gonna have to learn more alphabet.
2) Counting. Up to 8 should do fine.
Once you have mastered these techniques, look at the chess board.
You will notice that the files (that's the up and down ones) have letters.
Chessplayers are a clever bunch, you will also notice that they arranged these files alphabetically. Descriptive notation was very confusing, because they were not alphabetical.
Now look at the ranks (the left to right ones). They have numbers.
And, you guessed it, they are in numerical order. (I think this may be coincidence, but I'm not sure)
Now, you were asking about Nf7. You can't move there yet, because you have not learnt about N..... Wait, I'll have to examine my theory some more, at the moment you can only move bishops.....
ah.... thanks.... I guess...
Hi - wondering if there are any tricks/tips to learning algebraic notation? In all my games here I have the pref set to display coordinates and I try to follow discussions when someone sez 20. Nf7 etc. but my brain rebels.
Any sugggestions that might help me get up on algebraic notation?
its just like battleship.. after a while it becomes easier. try for a while writing your move down on a piece of paper (as if it were live) and eventually it will be natural
Well, you need to learn a few skills.
1) The alphabet: You dont have to learn the whole thing at once, only up to h. There is an additional benefit here, you'll be able to read words like ace, bed and even complex ones like cabbage. I'm afraid if you want to read more, you're gonna have to learn more alphabet.
2) Counting. Up to 8 should do fine.
Once you have mastered these techniques, look at the chess board.
You will notice that the files (that's the up and down ones) have letters.
Chessplayers are a clever bunch, you will also notice that they arranged these files alphabetically. Descriptive notation was very confusing, because they were not alphabetical.
Now look at the ranks (the left to right ones). They have numbers.
And, you guessed it, they are in numerical order. (I think this may be coincidence, but I'm not sure)
Now, you were asking about Nf7. You can't move there yet, because you have not learnt about N..... Wait, I'll have to examine my theory some more, at the moment you can only move bishops.....
Hilarious!
It is much easier to understand notation when the board you're playing on has numbers and letters on the side, so make sure you have them!
Pawn = ...
Rook = R
Knight = N
Bishop = B
Queen = Q
King = K
The numbers after the letters on notation are where they move to. 1. e4 meana a pawn moves to e4.
x is capture, + is check and ++ or = (I think) is checkmate
0-0 is short castling. 0-0-0 is long castling.
e.p. is en passant
dxe4 means that the pawn on the d file captures a piece on e4. You know also that there is another pawn that could've captured e4 because the row was specified (d).
And black's moves, when on there own look like this 34. ...Qxa1 (note the dot dot dot).
I think that's about it. Hope that helped. 
Best way for it to become second nature is to play out classic games from a book and try to play out the subvariations in your head. A nice way to progress in other areas as well.
When I was young, descriptive was still common. I learnt that first.
Problem I have with algebraic is files f-h. I can easily visualize a-e, but the last 3 files I have a mental block on. I have to stop and think.
Anyone else have this block?
Well, you need to learn a few skills.
1) The alphabet: You dont have to learn the whole thing at once, only up to h. There is an additional benefit here, you'll be able to read words like ace, bed and even complex ones like cabbage. I'm afraid if you want to read more, you're gonna have to learn more alphabet.
2) Counting. Up to 8 should do fine.
Once you have mastered these techniques, look at the chess board.
You will notice that the files (that's the up and down ones) have letters.
Chessplayers are a clever bunch, you will also notice that they arranged these files alphabetically. Descriptive notation was very confusing, because they were not alphabetical.
Now look at the ranks (the left to right ones). They have numbers.
And, you guessed it, they are in numerical order. (I think this may be coincidence, but I'm not sure)
Now, you were asking about Nf7. You can't move there yet, because you have not learnt about N..... Wait, I'll have to examine my theory some more, at the moment you can only move bishops.....
The man was asking a pretty fair question, and the sarcasm is not necessary. You might find some goobers here that will find it funny, though. But, for non book studying chess players, such as myself, I too am still learning algabraic notation and I need tips too.
I thought it was funny. I guess I'm a "goober"? It feels weird.
turn on the algrebra notations on your chessn board prefrences while playing online chess
thanks for the comments (even the attempts at humor... ;-)
I do have the notations turned on in the prefs for my boards and try to make notes @ moves - though I don't notate each move - maybe I will try that.
fwiw - it may just be some larger brain failure issue I have with that sort of abstraction from the verbal/symbolic >> visual/spatial.
But maybe it is just practice. Was wondering though is there were any tricks - like the mnemonic 'Every Good Boy Does Fine' etc.
(my favorite pronunciation mnemonic is "I'm a dinner jacket" for Ahmadinejad - Pres. of Iran)
(odd - had a duplicate post)
I'm not trying to make fun. However, if you know the alphabet a through h and you know how to count to 8 then a mnemonic seems redundant.
Hi - wondering if there are any tricks/tips to learning algebraic notation? In all my games here I have the pref set to display coordinates and I try to follow discussions when someone sez 20. Nf7 etc. but my brain rebels.
Any sugggestions that might help me get up on algebraic notation?
I grew up with descriptive notation. In the mid-1990s I played through a bunch of games in chess books on a board that did not have the coordinates printed. It was slow at first, but I adapted quickly. I was soon "thinking" in algebraic.
It worked for me; it should work for others, too.
Hi - wondering if there are any tricks/tips to learning algebraic notation? In all my games here I have the pref set to display coordinates and I try to follow discussions when someone sez 20. Nf7 etc. but my brain rebels.
Any sugggestions that might help me get up on algebraic notation?