Articles About Books And Publishing

How to Understand Algebraic Notation in Newer Chess Strategy Books

If you are a chess player, aspiring to improve through strategy books, understanding the two chess notation styles is crucial to your improvement. Most chess strategy books are either written in "Descriptive Notation," or "Algebraic Notation."

Descriptive Notation, in general, was used in older chess books and magazines, although it is possible to run into more current chess literature using this notation style as well. Nevertheless, the fact that any book or magazine written before 1970 probably uses descriptive notation makes it worth knowing.

However, Algebraic notation is the topic of our current discussion. Algebraic notation is the most widely used form of notation today, found on websites, in chess software, in chess books, magazines, and other literature. Understanding algebraic notation is crucial to your growth as a chess player.

I've posted a visual diagram of a chess board describing algebraic notation on my chess game strategies site. Scroll to the bottom, and click on the resources link to access the diagram.

In chess literature, the term "rank" refers to the rows of the chess board. "File" refers to the columns. If a chess book talks about the "1st rank" it means the "first row." The "a file" refers to the "a column."

In algebraic chess notation, each row (rank) of the chess board is assigned a number from 1 to 8, beginning with the white side. Each column (file) is described with a letter from a to h, going from left to right from the white side. Each square is described by a letter/number combination according to the intersection of the column and row that both contain that square. As you will see from the diagram on my website that I mentioned above, the uppermost square, farthest to the right a1. The lowermost square, farthest to the left is h8. (If you are sitting on the "white's" side of the board).

Each piece is denoted by a single letter: R for rook, N for knight, Q for Queen, and so on. A move is described by first listing the piece that is moving, then the square that it is moving to. In algebraic notation, the letter for pawn is always left out.

Examples: Qe8 means the queen moved to square e8. If you see f4 by itself, that means a pawn moved to f4.

You may ask, how can I tell if a white piece or a black piece is the one moving? This is a good question if you are just starting out, however, you will find that when you are reading algebraic notation of a game, following it move by move, it will be very clear which piece is moving because 1) most of the pieces can only move on certain squares of the board (for instance, the bishop must stay on its own colored squares) and 2) as you are following a game closely, you will find yourself remembering the positions of the pieces from move to move, and it will be clear which piece is the one moving, whether white or black.

However, there are times when, even given the above facts, it will be unclear which piece is moving. In this case, the file of the moving piece is inserted immediately after the letter describing that piece. For instance instead of Rb6, Rdb6 would be used to indicate that the rook in the d column (file) is the one that is moving to b6. In the event that the file is the same for both pieces, rank is used instead of file, again, immediately after the letter describing the piece that is moving.

Important notes: Castling is shown by O-O or O-O-O. Pawn promotion is described by adding the letter of the promoting piece to the move: f1Q means that the pawn moved to f1, and was promoted to a queen. Pawn promotion could also be described with an equal sign or a slash (f1/Q, or f1=Q). Capture and check are sometimes noted, but often they are simply implied by the square that the piece is moving to. When described, capture is denoted with a "+" (RxB7 means a rook moved to square B7 and captured a piece. Without the x, the capture is simply noted as Rb7). Check is described with a "+" as in Rf6+, which means that a rook moved to square f6 and gives check. Without the +, this move which gives check is simply Rf6. En passant with pawns is simply described by following the move with the letters "e. p."

The best way to become familiar with algebraic notation is to go to my chess strategies and chess tactics site, scroll to the bottom, and click on the resources link. On that page I've posted a diagram for the chessboard in algebraic notation, as well as part of a game written in algebraic notation. This partial game includes clear diagrams of the chess board to make it clear which piece is moving. Once you get the hang of what the symbols mean, I'd encourage you to find some sample games written in algebraic notation and sit down with a real, physical chess board and go through the whole game, moving the pieces as the notation describes. After doing at a few times you'll find yourself more comfortable with this style of notation than you imagined! In fact you'll get so good at it that you can read it as fast as you are reading this sentence, and you'll see the movements of the pieces clearly in your mind!

For more Free Resources www.coachingonnet.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Snapshot Keepsakes Personalized Children's Books Teach Life's Lessons
Snapshot Keepsakes launches their family business creating unique and personalized photo storybooks where the child's stuffed toy is the star and parents and grandparents teach the child life lessons through selected or written themes that may include education, health, hygiene, manners, faith and more.

Author & Radio Host Tim Kellis Charges Psychologists Who Write Relationship Books Are Helping to Spawn a Divorce Industry
If you're one of the many psychologists churning out relationships books today, you might want to steer clear of marriage maestro Tim Kellis. Author & radio host Tim Kellis charges Psychologists who write relationship books are helping to spawn a divorce industry.

Affiliate Marketing and the Buying and Selling of E-Books
There are a lot of programs out there that promise to help people make money online Digital books or e-books are very popular and you can find an abundance of them listed on the Internet for sale

Once Upon A Dollar - Smart New Children's Books End With A "Financial" Moral
"Once upon a time" has usually been reserved for stories about damsels in distress and knights slaying dragons. That's appropriate for fantasy tales which end with everyone living "happily ever after." But sometimes children need books that aren't pure fantasies. They need books which engage them as they teach important lessons about living and succeeding in the real world. Books that end with something like, "and they lived financially secure ever after."

Save Boat Loads Of Cash Buying Used Books
Some of us have been buying used books before the idea caught on with people. Prior to this, buying used books was considered to the option for indigent people.

Allen E-Books Announces the Release of "Don't Do What I Did! - Teaching Teens with Divorced Parents how to have a Successful Marriage."
"Don't Do What I Did!" is a one-of-a-kind, non-fiction book that teaches kids with divorced parents how to have a healthy, successful marriage.

Embassy Pro Books Expands to Offer Consumers a Wider Variety of Pro Book Styles
Embassy Pro Books, a division of Embassy Digital, has expanded its selection of pro books styles to cater to a broader pro book professional photography and graphic design audience. Customers are now able to customize the professional coffee table books cover materials, end sheet, dust jacket and paper finishes, and all at a fraction of the price charged by most pro book competitors.

Snob-Bloggers: You Just Might Be A Snob If You Publish A Blog
You Might Be A Snob-Blogger If..

Poker Books Online
Poker books online are everywhere designed to help you make money online Do they really help you make money

Demand for E-books on the Increase
Demand for electronic books, or e-books, has created one of the fastest growing Internet consumer market segments.Research conducted recently by the Gartner Group revealed that one in 300 books read in the USA, and one in 450 books in Europe, are read in the digital format.

Writing Children's Books: No More Excuses!
Rejection is never easy. But some authors can't separate themselves from their work, and take rejection letters very personally. I get many emails from disgruntled writers who can't get past their anger to figure out why their work was turned down in the first place. So before you spend hours sticking pins in your editor voodoo doll, see if you recognize yourself below:

Michigan Car Accident Lawyers Publish New Attorney Guide for Handling Car Accident Cases in Michigan
Michigan Car Accident Lawyers have made the "Attorney Guide for Handling Car Accident Cases in Michigan" available online. The guide was published as a free resource to help Michigan lawyers protect their clients injured by car, truck or motorcycle accidents.

5280 Becomes One of the Nation's Greenest Magazines
Beginning with its April 2007 issue, 5280: Denver's Mile High Magazine, will become one of the greenest magazines in the country when it begins printing on 30-percent post-consumer recycled paper. Approximately 95 percent of American magazines contain no recycled paper at all.

Choosing Children?s Books
?If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book.? ~ Author Unknown