Chess Lesson

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Chess Lesson 1

• Chess Club
• University of California, San Diego
• 10/17/2008

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Introduction

• Winning at chess revolves around strategy and
  tactics
• But to learn any strategies and tactics, notation
  must be learned first!

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First steps before learning anything know
notation!

• Algebraic notation dominant form, simple to
  learn and use
• Squares running left to right ranks
• Numbered 1 to 8, from bottom to top
• Squares running up and down files
• Lettered a-h, from left to right
• Squares are named by file and rank coordinates,
  for instance a pawn that sits on rank 4 and file
  e is on square e4

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Names of pieces

• K King
• Q Queen
• B Bishop
• R Rook
• N Knight
• pawn has no letter

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How moves are indicated

• First write the letter of piece to move, then its
  destination square
• Ex. Ke2 means King moves to square e2
• Note that pawn has no letter, so just write only
  its destination square
• Ex. e4 means pawn to e4

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Captures x

• Letter of piece, followed by X, then
  destination square
• Ex. Kxe2 means King captures on e2

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Check

• Add suffix to piece giving the check
• For example, Qe5 means Queen moves to e5,
  CHECK.

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Ambiguties

• If two alike pieces can move to same square, then
  must differentiate by rank or file
• Ex. Rooks on a1 and h1 can move to common square
  d1, and we want to move rook on a1
• Lie on same rank 1, but on different files a and
  h
• Thus use file letter to differentiate Rad1

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Tournament Play

• In high level play, you will be required to write
  down your moves.
• Number each move when you write it down. A move
  actually consists of two parts a move from White
  and a move from Black.
• Thus if both players move their King pawn two
  squares forward on the first move, it would be
  written as 1. e4 e5.

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Example