Do you grasp algebraic notation intuitively? How much experience did it require?

Becoming familar with algebraic notation and how it relates to any given position reminds me of when I was a child learning to read in preschool. The way I had to sound out every word before automatically recognizing the word is a good example of what this is like for me now. Instead of being forced to sound out every word as was the case in preschool, I am forced to count squares and reorient myself regularly. If a chess board isn't present, such as when reading tactics somewhere else, I have to visualize the board and this is difficult when trying to also visualize everything else.

What I want is for my brain to make an automatic connection - for notation to become like a second language.

How long would this take? How long did it take for you? Are there any ways to accelerate the learning process? Is it something that can even be learned (perhaps being more contingent upon spatial ability than anything else)?

I started play chess when I was 25, and that's when I learned algebraic notation (and the god-awful descriptive notation).  You will count squares and use your finger to pinpoint squares for a little while.  I think it took me about two months of spending 2-4 hours on chess per day to get to the point where I could find squares without doing that.  You build familiarity with the board as you memorize it.  With work, you can memorize the board and not even use a board when reading chess books.  That's really what's taking so long: you don't know where the squares on the board are, but you will, over time, as you look at games, etc.

A week?

Ever play Battleship?

I know there are a couple of trainers out there where you have to identify the named square in increasingly shorter time spans.  Alas it's been a few years since I've used them so I don't have a link.   I think one of them was from the same folks who bring you the Lumosity mind training.

Eventually of course, as others have said, you just finding yourself knowing the squares.  Still a trainer probably speeds up the process.

Okay I found a trainer; not the one I used but same thing:

http://en.lichess.org/training/coordinate

If you mean "what square is where", this could be easily accomplished by means of writing down your moves in OTB whatever, but because I don't play in any chess clubs the squares I know off by heart are typical development squares, i.e: Nf3, Nf6, Nc3, Nc6, e4, d4, usual pin squares etc etc, you get the idea.

I know the board by heart. I can even tell you what colors the square for each is. Example like-What 's c4-Light square. B3-light square and etc... it takes pratice to get accustom to it. It took me a while.

Thanks for the link.

Very nice website, thanks!

For coordinate I found Chess Eye very useful. There's a trial version and for the full version you have to pay I'm afraid, but it has many exercises to help you learn to play blindfold.

I went to register an account there, and there was a chess captcha!

So instead of trying to decipher gibberish, I had to solve a mate in 1 to prove that I was a human! That's so clever :D

It was actually a kinda tricky mate in 1 (involving a double check) that I think many beginners might struggle with, so you also have to earn it.

Keep practicing, b3 and c4 have thesame color, they are both light squares.

He probably just made a mistake. Maybe he meant to say b4.

there's  an app called- Noirchess on playstore for andriod. Excellent app for board coordination, and blindfold chess and more. check it out.

Descriptive Notation is like the toughest one.

Algebraic Notation =   1.e4

Long Algebraic Notation =  1.e2-e4

Numeric Notation  =  1.5254

Descriptive Notation  =  1.P-K4

Someone told me that they could take notation in morse code

...._.

You can be rest assured the peeps who were around when Descriptive Notation was the main form of Notation around. They are chess killers man. Chess monsters I'm telling you.

By the time you figure out how to do Descriptive Notation you would be so P*ssed off and aggravated you would just slaugther your opponents.

Can you imagine a chess game.

1.P-K4   P-K4   2.N-KB3   N-QB3  3.B-QN5  P-KB3

Your like what the h*ll is X_PLAYER_J_X talking about? What is he saying I don't understand? Whats going on in the game?

I'll tell you whats going on. You just made a mouse slip. Thats whats going on 3...P-KB3 is the wrong move.

You are probably going to lose. I don't know what to tell you. Probably should of played better.

3...N-KB3 and you would of been fine. Even 3...P-QR6 and you would of had a good game. Even the move 3...P-KB4 might of given you some fighting chances.

Nopeless now. I would resign for sure.

I stopped playing chess in the seventies, just as most American players were switching over from descriptive to algebraic.

I don't recall having any trouble learning descriptive notation. Contrary to beliefs of those who grew up with algebraic, descriptive seems pretty natural when that's all you know.

And I'm sure I wouldn't have had any trouble learning algebraic first.

But learning algebraic after descriptive has been a bitch for me when it comes to the Black moves. I often flip the rank a la descriptive notation. I see Ra6 and move Ra3.

Algebraic is more concise and less ambiguous. But descriptive did allow chess writers to recommend occupying the "seventh rank" without adding "or second rank for Black."