Quick answer
In modern algebraic notation the knight is written with a capital N. The letter K is already used for the king. A move is the piece letter plus the destination square, so Nf3 means a knight moves to f3.
Why the knight is N
Both king and knight start with K. To avoid confusion, the king keeps K and the knight takes N, the second letter of “knight.” The other pieces use their first letters: Q for queen, R for rook and B for bishop. Pawns have no letter. For the full set of symbols, see algebraic chess notation examples.
Writing a knight move
A knight move has three parts:
- N for the piece, in capitals.
- The file letter (a to h) in lowercase.
- The rank number (1 to 8).
So Nf3 is the knight going to the square on the f-file and the third rank. If you are unsure how squares are named, see proper chess board setup, which lists the starting squares of each piece.
A common question is what “NF6” means. It is almost always a capitalized version of Nf6: a knight moves to f6. Standard notation writes the file letter in lowercase.
Captures, checks and mates
- Nxe5 is a knight capturing a piece on e5. The x stands for a capture.
- Nf7+ is a knight move that gives check.
- Nf7# is a knight move that gives checkmate.
When two knights can reach the same square
If both knights could legally move to the same square, add the starting file to say which one moves. For example, Nbd2 means the knight from the b-file goes to d2. If both knights are on the same file, use the rank instead, such as N1f3 or N5d4. In rare cases both file and rank are needed. Only add this extra information when it is necessary.
Other notation styles
- Long algebraic writes the starting square too: Ng1-f3.
- Figurine algebraic replaces the letter with the piece symbol, such as a knight icon before f3.
- Descriptive notation, an older system, wrote the knight as Kt or later N, and named squares from each player’s side, such as N-KB3.
- Other languages use their own letters. For example, German uses S for Springer.
For most modern games, books and websites, N is what you will see.
Common knight opening moves
Each side’s knights start on the b and g files. White’s knights begin on b1 and g1, and Black’s on b8 and g8. Typical first knight moves are Nf3 and Nc3 for White, and Nf6 and Nc6 for Black. A short sequence such as 1. Nf3 Nf6 reads as White’s knight to f3, then Black’s knight to f6. For why 1.Nf3 is the most popular non-pawn first move, see the first pawn move in chess. Practising knight routes in your head is a good drill too, as shown in chess visualization training.
FAQ
What is the knight’s letter in chess notation?
N. K belongs to the king.
What does Nf6 mean?
A knight moves to the f6 square.
What is the old chess notation?
Descriptive notation, in which the knight was written Kt or N and squares were named relative to each side.