Page 3 700 Opening Traps

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700 Opening Traps

Bill Wall

Chess Notation - Algebraic Notation 

The board is made up of ranks (horizontal) and files (vertical). The 

reference point is always from the White point of view. So if you 

are White, the ranks are labeled, from left to right, a, b, c, d, e, f, 

g, h.  The files are labeled, from bottom to top, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

The pieces are labeled N for knight, B for bishop, R for rook, Q for 

queen, and K for king.  If there is no indication of a piece, then it 

is assumed the piece is a pawn.

Moving the king’s pawn up two squares on the first move would 

be  1.e4.    If  Black  plays  the  same  move  as  White,  then  we  have 

1.e4 e5.  If White moves his king-side knight in front of the bishop 

for his second move, then we have 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3.  If Black plays 

his queen-side knight in front of his bishop, then we have 1.e4 e5 

2.Nf3 Nc6.  This would be the notation for both White or Black.

A  capture  is  usually  indicated  with  a  “x”  symbol  such  as  Bxc6 

(bishop took something that was on the c6 square).

Castling on the king-side is indicated by “O-O” and castling on the 

queen-side is “O-O-O”.

A quick two-move mate would be the following:

Dummy - Wall

1.g4 e5 2.f3 Qh4 mate.

 

Or the opening for the Ruy Lopez, exchange variation is:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6

It is best to keep record of all your chess games and perhaps enter 

them into a database, or use your scoresheet to study what you did 

right or wrong, or prepare an opening or against you opponent the 

next time you play.