- published: 28 Oct 2013
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Chess notation is the term for several systems that have developed to record either the moves made during a game of chess or the position of the pieces on a chess board. The earliest systems of notation used lengthy narratives to describe each move; these gradually evolved into terser systems of notation. Currently algebraic chess notation is the accepted standard, and is widely used. Algebraic notation has a few variations. Descriptive chess notation was used in English- and Spanish-language literature until the late 20th century, but is now obsolete. There are some special systems for international correspondence chess. PGN is used when working with computer chess programs. Systems also exist for transmission using Morse code over telegraph or radio.
Some move-recording notations are designed mainly for use by human players and others for use by computers.
In recognized competitions all players are required to record all the moves of both players in order to: resolve disputes about what the position should now be, whether a player has made an illegal move, etc.; keep an accurate count of the moves if, as in most serious competition, there is a time limit rule which requires each player to complete a specified number of moves in a specified time. All chess coaches strongly recommend the recording of one's games so that one can look for improvements in one's play. The algebraic and descriptive notations are also used in books about chess.