Chess FEN Notation Lecture

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key elements and terminology of FEN notation and related chess concepts.

Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)

A single-line format for describing any chess position, including piece placement, side to move, castling rights, en passant target, halfmove clock, and fullmove number.

Piece Placement (FEN Field 1)

Lists all pieces on ranks 8–1, separated by “/”; letters show pieces (uppercase = White, lowercase = Black) and digits denote consecutive empty squares.

Active Color (FEN Field 2)

Indicates whose turn it is: “w” for White to move, “b” for Black to move.

Castling Availability (FEN Field 3)

Shows remaining castling rights: K (White kingside), Q (White queenside), k (Black kingside), q (Black queenside), or “–” if no castling is legal.

En Passant Target Square (FEN Field 4)

Square where an en passant capture could occur, written in algebraic notation (e.g., e3) or “–” when none is possible.

Halfmove Clock (FEN Field 5)

Counts half-moves since the last pawn move or capture; used to enforce the 50-move draw rule.

Fullmove Number (FEN Field 6)

Tracks the game’s full moves, starting at 1 and increasing after Black’s move each turn.