what is d4? e5? nf3? what does all this mean?

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andrewbel1
I am looking at some chess openiong moves and all the sites keep mentioning these "number letter" combinations. how do I find "nf3" on a chess board for example?
toiyabe

Modern Algebraic notation:

242px-SCD_algebraic_notation.svg.png

 

B=Bishop

N=Knight

R=Rook

K=King

Q=Queen

Pawn moves are indicated by the square they move to, such as "1.e4".  

macer75

It's a code that weirdos use to communicate with aliens.

HKPradil

Are you crazy maker? It’s actually algebraic notation in chess!

Hudlack

Why for the knight is the letter N ? Why?

Clockwork_Nemesis
Because K is for King and a knight is not a king?
eric0022
Hudlack wrote:

Why for the knight is the letter N ? Why?

 

You can't use K to represent two different pieces.

 

The king has been reserved for K, so the knight can no longer use the letter K.

 

"Knight" sounds like "night", so N is used.