About ChessNotate

ChessNotate is a free, browser-based chess notation trainer for beginners. It teaches you to read and write algebraic chess notation — the language of chess books, databases, and analysis engines — through interactive, spaced-repetition drills.

It was built for one specific problem: you pick up a chess book and can't read the moves. Instead of paying for a course or guessing your way through, you practice the notation directly until it becomes instinct.

ChessNotate was designed and built by Dao Solutions, an independent software studio. It started as a personal tool and grew into a public resource for the chess community.

ChessNotate has five drill modes:

• Square ID: A square name is shown (e.g. f3) and you tap the correct square on a chess board as fast as possible. Trains coordinate memory.
• Notation Write: A move is shown on the board and you write the SAN (Standard Algebraic Notation) for it. Trains notation writing fluency.
• PGN Walkthrough: Step through famous chess games move by move, reading and following the notation. Trains notation reading in context.
• Read & Play: A move is shown in notation and you play it on the board. Bridges the gap between reading and playing.
• Square Colour: A square name flashes and you identify whether it is light or dark. Trains colour visualisation — a key blindfold skill.

Each drill uses the SM-2 spaced repetition algorithm — the same algorithm behind Anki — to schedule which items to show you next based on how well you know them. Easy squares come up less often; tricky ones come up more. This makes your practice time as efficient as possible.

All five drills are completely free — no account required to practise. Creating a free account (Google Sign-In) unlocks your stats dashboard, syncs your settings and spaced-repetition progress across devices, and gives access to the premium game collections. There are no ads and no paid plans.

Not yet — ChessNotate runs in any modern browser on desktop or mobile. A native iOS app is the planned next step for a more app-like experience.

ChessNotate is built with Next.js and TypeScript. The chess logic is powered by chess.js. Styling uses Tailwind CSS. The spaced repetition engine implements the SM-2 algorithm. Data is stored in the browser using IndexedDB via a lightweight wrapper.

Start with our guide: How to Read Chess Notation: A Complete Guide for Beginners. It covers everything from the basics of algebraic notation to reading full games.

ChessNotate is free and always will be. If it's helped you crack open a chess book, a coffee helps keep it running and funded.