These templates shows a chess diagram, a graphic representation of a position in a chess game, using standardised symbols resembling the pieces of the standard Staunton chess set. The default template for a standard chess board is {{Chess diagram}}. This documentation covers all related templates.

There are several standard chess diagram templates:

There are also templates for chess variants:

The syntax is basically the same for all chess diagram templates.

{{Chess diagram
| <alignment> (param #1)
| <header>    (#2) 
| size =
| numbers =
| letters =
| <a8> | <b8> | ... | <h8>  (#3 to ...
| <a7> | <b7> | ... | <h7>
...
| <a1> | <b1> | ... | <h1>  ( ... #66)
| <footer> (#67)
| reverse = 
}}

Parameters:

  • <alignment> – defines horizontal alignment (floating) of the whole table, must be tright or tleft (or nothing)
  • <header> – the text which appears above the diagram, may be empty;
  • size - specifies the size of each square in pixels, the default is 26.
  • numbers - specifies whether the rows are numbered. Options are: left, right, both (default) or neither.
  • letters - specifies whether the columns are lettered. Options are: top, bottom, both (default) or neither.
  • <a8>, <b8>, ... <h1> – define corresponding squares of the chessboard, see below;
  • <footer> – the text which appears beneath the diagram, may be empty; optional – can be left out (currently not in the other templates)

A square is defined by the name of piece or empty parameter. The names of the pieces are those given in algebraic notation:

  • k = king
  • q = queen
  • r = rook
  • b = bishop
  • n = knight
  • p = pawn

These letters are combined with either "l" for Light=White, or "d" for Dark=Black. So "kl" is White's king, and "nd" is Black's knight.

An empty square is written either using underscores, spaces, or nothing at all. Two spaces are recommended.

  • <space> = empty square

There are also some fairy chess pieces available:

Omega Chess pieces:

  • z = champion
  • w = wizard
  • t = fool (for Omega Chess Advanced)

Other suitable images include:

Other symbols

دَییشدیر

You can also use "xx" for a black cross, "ox" for a white cross, "xo" for a black circle on an empty square or "oo" for a white one.

  • xx = black cross/x
  • ox = white cross/x
  • xo = black circle
  • oo = white circle

When showing movement directions on the board, arrows are available

  • ul = up & left
  • ua = up
  • ur = up & right
  • la = left
  • lr = left & right
  • ud = up & down
  • ra = right
  • dl = down & left
  • da = down
  • dr = down & right

Numbers can also be added to squares by using "x0" for 0, "x1" for 1, "x2" for 2, ..., "x9" for 9.

  • x0
  • x1
  • x2
  • x3
  • x4
  • x5
  • x6
  • x7
  • x8
  • x9

Standard diagram

دَییشدیر

This diagram is recommended for common use as a main diagram in the articles on chess openings, endings, games, positions etc. See the corresponding code below.

شابلون:Chess diagram

{{Chess diagram
| tright
| 

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|  |pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pl|pl|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|  |  |pl|pl
|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

| The King's Gambit
}}

شابلون:Chess diagram

{{Chess diagram
| tright
| 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  

| Empty board
}}

Diagram with both captions

دَییشدیر

شابلون:Chess diagram

It may be convenient to use this in the articles on chess problems. Please note that in the header and footer you can use bolds or italics. You can also use <br> to break the lines.

{{Chess diagram
| tright
| '''W. Langstaff''', ''Chess Amateur'' 1922

|  |  |  |  |kd|  |  |rd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |bl|  |pl
|  |  |  |rl|  |kl|pd|pl
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  

| '''Mate in two.''' <br> This problem uses ''partial retrograde analysis'' method.
}}

Diagram without captions

دَییشدیر

شابلون:Chess diagram

See the corresponding code below. If you don't want the captions, just remove them, but don't delete the second "|" pipe character for the caption above; it is possible to delete the last pipe for the longer caption below.

The diagram floats to the left to illustrate the use of the first parameter.

{{Chess diagram
| tleft
| 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |xx|xo|xx|  |  |  |  
|  |  |pl|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |xo|  |  
|  |  |  |  |xx|xo|xx|  
|  |  |  |  |  |pl|  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  

}}

Movement example

دَییشدیر

This can be used to show how pieces move. شابلون:Chess diagram

{{Chess diagram 
| tleft
| 

|  |  |ua|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |ua|  |  |  |  |  
|la|la|rd|ra|ra|ra|ra|ra
|  |  |da|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |da|  |ul|ua|ur|  
|  |  |da|  |la|kl|ra|  
|  |  |da|  |dl|da|dr|  
|  |  |da|  |  |  |  |  

|Example showing how white king can move
any direction, but only one square, while
black rook can move any number of squares
but only up and down, and right and left.
}}

شابلون:Chess diagram

{{Chess diagram
| tright
| 

|  |ul|  |ua|  |ur|  |  
|  |  |ul|ua|ur|  |  |  
|la|la|la|ql|ra|ra|ra|ra
|  |  |dl|da|dr|  |  |  
|  |dl|  |da|  |dr|  |  
|dl|  |  |da|  |  |dr|  
|  |  |  |da|  |  |  |dr
|  |  |  |da|  |  |  |  

}}

In the board on the right, it is shown that the white queen can go any distance in any of these directions.

Another method for the rook example: شابلون:Chess diagram

{{Chess diagram
| tleft
| 

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |ud|  |  |  |  |  
|  |lr|rd|lr|  |  |  |  
|  |  |ud|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |ul|ua|ur|  
|  |  |  |  |la|kl|ra|  
|  |  |  |  |dl|da|dr|  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  

}}

Small diagram

دَییشدیر

This one may be useful in articles with many diagrams. It uses another template named {{Chess diagram small}}.

The small diagrams can have header, too.

abcdefgh
8
a8 black rook
d8 black queen
f8 black rook
g8 black king
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
e7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black bishop
h7 black pawn
b6 black knight
c6 black pawn
f6 black knight
g6 black pawn
c5 white queen
g5 white bishop
d4 white pawn
e4 white pawn
g4 black bishop
c3 white knight
f3 white knight
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
d1 white rook
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Position after 11.Bg5
{{Chess diagram small
| tright
| 

|rd|  |  |qd|  |rd|kd|  
|pd|pd|  |  |pd|pd|bd|pd
|  |nd|pd|  |  |nd|pd|  
|  |  |ql|  |  |  |bl|  
|  |  |  |pl|pl|  |bd|  
|  |  |nl|  |  |nl|  |  
|pl|pl|  |  |  |pl|pl|pl
|  |  |  |rl|kl|bl|  |rl

| Position after 11.Bg5
}}

Different board size

دَییشدیر

Chess boards of non-standard dimensions need special templates. There are templates for the following boards:

Minichess (5×5) – Template:Chess diagram 5x5
{{Chess diagram 5x5
| tright
| 

|kd|qd|bd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|kl|ql|bl|nl|rl

| Gardner minichess
}}

شابلون:Chess diagram 5x5

Los Alamos chess (6×6) – Template:Chess diagram 6x6
{{Chess diagram 6x6
| tright
| 

|rd|nd|qd|kd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|ql|kl|nl|rl

| Los Alamos chess
}}

شابلون:Chess diagram 6x6

Capablanca Chess (8×10)
{{Chess diagram 8x10
| tright
| 

|rd|nd|ad|bd|qd|kd|bd|cd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|al|bl|ql|kl|bl|cl|nl|rl

| Capablanca Chess
}}

شابلون:Chess diagram 8x10

Grand Chess
{{Chess diagram 10x10
| tright
| 

|rd|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |rd
|  |nd|bd|qd|kd|cd|ad|bd|nd|  
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|  |nl|bl|ql|kl|cl|al|bl|nl|  
|rl|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |rl

| Grand Chess
}}
شابلون:Chess diagram 10x10

Double boards

دَییشدیر
Bughouse chess (four players)
{{bughouse chess diagram
| A1=Team 1, Board A 
| A2=Team 2, Board A 
| B1=Team 1, Board B 
| B2=Team 2, Board B
| tright
|

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl

|rl|nl|bl|kl|ql|bl|nl|rl
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|rd|nd|bd|kd|qd|bd|nd|rd

| '''Bughouse''' setup and starting position
}}

شابلون:Bughouse chess diagram

Alice Chess (two players)
{{alice chess diagram
| tright
|

|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|  |nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|  |pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |nl|  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|  |rl

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  
|  |  |bd|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  

| Position after '''1. Nf3 e6 2. Ne5 Bc5'''
}}

شابلون:Alice chess diagram

Different shaped board

دَییشدیر
Three-dimensional chess (Raumschach) – Template:Raumschach diagram
{{Raumschach diagram
| tright
|

|rd|nd|kd|nd|rd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  

|Nd|bd|qd|Nd|bd
|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  

|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  

|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|bl|Nl|ql|bl|Nl

|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|  |  |  |  |  
|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
|rl|nl|kl|nl|rl

| '''Raumschach''' starting position
}}

شابلون:Raumschach diagram

Omega ChessTemplate:Omega Chess diagram
{{Omega Chess diagram
|
| [[Omega Chess]] (10×10 + 4 corners)

|wd                              |wd
   |zd|rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd|zd
   |pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
   |zl|rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl|zl
|wl                              |wl

| '''Omega Chess''' starting position
}}
شابلون:Omega Chess diagram
Tamerlane chessTemplate:Tamerlane chess diagram
{{Tamerlane chess diagram
|
| [[Tamerlane chess]] (10×11 + 2 citadels)

   |ed|  |sd|  |md|  |md|  |sd|  |ed
|  |rd|nd|bd|Gd|gd|kd|qd|Gd|bd|nd|rd
   |pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd|pd
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
   |pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl|pl
   |rl|nl|bl|Gl|ql|kl|gl|Gl|bl|nl|rl|  
   |el|  |sl|  |ml|  |ml|  |sl|  |el

| '''Tamerlane chess''' “masculine” array starting position, see [[Tamerlane chess]] for the other 2 arrays

}}
شابلون:Tamerlane chess diagram

Alternative way to place the pieces: FEN

دَییشدیر
{{Chess diagram|fen=rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR|align=tleft}}

شابلون:Chess diagram It is possible to populate the board using Forsyth–Edwards Notation, instead of positional parameters.

To do this, the "fen" parameter is used. For instance, this is the opening board of a chess game, defined using the "fen" parameter "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR":

{{Chess diagram|fen=rnbqkbnr/acfghzwt/8/8/8/8/ACFGHZWT/RNBQKBNR|align=tleft}}

شابلون:Chess diagram It is also possible to show "fairy" pieces using the FEN notation. However, because the FEN notation uses uppercase and lowercase to denote the color of the piece, it is not possible to display the inverted knight fairy piece (denoted by "N") using the fen parameter. Here is a board where the pawns are replaced by fairy pieces:

Only 8x8 boards can use the "fen" parameter. For other size boards, positional parameters should be used.

Displaying the board from the Black's point of view

دَییشدیر
{{Chess diagram|fen=rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR|align=tleft|reverse=true}}

شابلون:Chess diagram The "reverse=true" parameter causes the board to be shown from Black's point of view, that is, with the h8 square at lower-left corner, and a1 at the upper-right. This works for all sizes of the normal chessboard template, but not for the Alice, Bughouse, Omega, or Raumschach templates. Here, the same FEN notation as in the previous example produces a board with Black's starting position at the bottom.