Chess Moves: Complete List — Notation, Special Moves & Mates

Mastering chess moves is the foundation for every player. From the simple pawn push to Scholar’s mate, via castling and en passant: here is the complete list of moves, special moves and famous checkmates to know.

Table des matières

Algebraic notation: the language of chess

Before listing the moves, you need to understand how they’re recorded. Algebraic notation is the universal system used to record a chess game. Each square on the board is identified by a letter (a-h for the files) and a number (1-8 for the ranks).

Symbol	Piece	Example
K	King	Ke2 = the king moves to e2
Q	Queen	Qh5 = the queen moves to h5
R	Rook	Ra1 = the rook moves to a1
B	Bishop	Bc4 = the bishop moves to c4
N	Knight	Nf3 = the knight moves to f3
(none)	Pawn	e4 = the pawn moves to e4

Special symbols: x = capture, + = check, # = checkmate, O-O = kingside castling, O-O-O = queenside castling, =Q = promotion to queen.

How each piece moves

Each piece moves according to precise rules. Understanding the move of each piece is the first step to setting up your pieces correctly and building a strategy.

Piece	Movement	Value	Special feature
King	1 square in any direction	∞	Cannot move into check. Can castle.
Queen	Any direction, unlimited squares	9 pts	The most powerful piece in the game.
Rook	Ranks and files, unlimited	5 pts	Takes part in castling with the king.
Bishop	Diagonals only, unlimited	3 pts	Always stays on the same colour square.
Knight	In an “L” shape (2+1 or 1+2)	3 pts	The only piece that can jump over others.
Pawn	1 square forward (2 on its first move)	1 pt	Captures diagonally. Can be promoted.

Special moves

Beyond the basic moves, chess has special moves that radically change the dynamic of a game. Mastering them is essential for improving.

♖ Kingside castling (O-O)

The king moves 2 squares towards the kingside rook, and the rook jumps to the other side. Conditions: neither the king nor the rook has moved, no square crossed is under attack, and the king is not in check. It’s the most important defensive move in the game.

♖ Queenside castling (O-O-O)

Same principle but towards the queenside rook (the furthest one). The king goes to c1 (or c8), the rook to d1 (or d8). Rarer than kingside castling as it leaves the king on a more open file, but useful for quickly activating the rook.

♟ En passant

When a pawn advances 2 squares from its starting position and ends up alongside an opponent’s pawn, that pawn can capture it “en passant” as if it had only moved one square. This move must be played immediately on the following turn, otherwise the right is lost.

♕ Promotion

When a pawn reaches the last rank (the 8th for White, the 1st for Black), it must be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop or knight. In 99% of cases, the queen is chosen — the most powerful piece. This is written as e8=Q.

Famous checkmates to know

A checkmate ends the game. Here are the most famous chess moves that lead to mate:

⚔ Scholar’s mate

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Qh5 Nf6?? 4.Qxf7# — The queen captures on f7, protected by the bishop. Mate in 4 moves! It’s the most well-known trap among beginners. To defend against it, simply play 3…g6.

⚔ The back-rank mate

The rook or queen mates the king when it’s trapped on the last rank by its own pawns. To avoid it, create a “luft” by advancing a pawn (g3 or h3). It’s the most common mistake in blitz.

⚔ Légal’s mate

A spectacular queen sacrifice followed by mate with the minor pieces. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 Bg4 4.Nc3 g6? 5.Nxe5! Bxd1?? 6.Bxf7+ Ke7 7.Nd5#. A classic from the history of chess.

⚔ Smothered mate

The knight mates a king surrounded by its own pieces. The king cannot flee because it is “smothered”. A common tactical motif that often requires a preliminary queen sacrifice to draw the pieces around the king.

Tactical combinations

Beyond checkmates, tactical moves are forced sequences that win material or advantage. Mastering them is the key to improving at chess.

Tactic	Principle	Example
Fork	One piece attacks 2 opposing pieces at the same time	Knight on c7 attacking the king on e8 and the rook on a8
Pin	A piece is immobilised because it protects a more valuable piece behind it	Bishop on g5 pinning the knight on f6 to the queen on d8
Skewer	Attack along a line: the valuable piece is in front and must move, exposing the one behind it	Rook attacking a king which, when it moves, exposes the queen
Sacrifice	Voluntarily giving up material to gain an advantage (attack, mate, position)	Bishop sacrifice on h7 to open up the opponent’s castled king
Deflection	Forcing a defensive piece to leave its post	Drawing the opponent’s queen away from defending the king
Attraction	Forcing the king or a piece onto an unfavourable square	Sacrifice to draw the king into the centre of the board

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Expert tip: The best way to learn chess moves is to solve tactical puzzles daily. Sites such as Chess.com and Lichess offer free puzzles suited to your level. Our electronic chess boards also feature tactical exercises built directly into the board.

Special end-of-game situations

⚠ Stalemate (draw)

If it’s your turn but you have no legal move available and your king is NOT in check, this is stalemate — a draw. Beware: a player in a dominant position can accidentally stalemate their opponent and lose the win!

🏆 Perpetual check

If a player can give check indefinitely with no way for the opponent to escape it, the game is drawn. This is often the only resource available to a player in an inferior position — a “rescue” through perpetual check.

📏 The 50-move rule

If 50 consecutive moves are played without a capture or a pawn move, a player may claim a draw. This rule prevents games from dragging on indefinitely in positions where mate cannot be forced.

🔄 Threefold repetition

If the exact same position occurs 3 times in the game (same pieces, same side to move, same castling rights), a player may claim a draw. Often used in endgames where neither side can make progress.

Learning the classic openings

The first moves of a game form the opening. Each opening has a name and a strategic logic. Here are the most commonly played sequences:

Opening	Moves	Idea
Italian Game	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4	Classic development, pressure on f7
Ruy Lopez	1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5	Pressure on the c6 knight, strategic play
Sicilian Defence	1.e4 c5	Black’s counter-attack, imbalance
Queen’s Gambit	1.d4 d5 2.c4	Control of the centre with pawns