Saying a chess move out loud is reading algebraic notation aloud: the piece, then the square it goes to. "Knight f3" means a knight moves to f3. Once you know the pattern, you can say any move in a few syllables, whether you're calling moves in a blindfold game, playing a voice chess app, or reading a game to a friend.
The board: files and ranks
Every square has a name made of a letter and a number.
- Files are the columns, lettered a to h from White's left to right.
- Ranks are the rows, numbered 1 to 8 from White's side to Black's.
So e4 is the square on the e-file, fourth rank: the square White's king pawn reaches with its famous first move. When you speak a square, say the letter and then the number: "e four", "f three", "a one".
Letters that sound alike, such as b, d and e, are the usual source of mistakes, so say each one crisply. VocalChess corrects the common slips. For example, it hears "e for" as e4 and "bee one" as b1.
Pawn moves: just the square
A pawn move is only the square the pawn lands on.
- "e4": the pawn moves to e4.
- "d5": a pawn moves to d5.
You can add the word "pawn" ("pawn to e4") or say where it starts ("e2 to e4"), but the square alone is the standard and the quickest.
Piece moves: the piece, then the square
Name the piece, then its destination.
| Piece | Say | Written |
|---|---|---|
| King | "king e2" | Ke2 |
| Queen | "queen d4" | Qd4 |
| Rook | "rook d1" | Rd1 |
| Bishop | "bishop c4" | Bc4 |
| Knight | "knight f3" | Nf3 |
"Knight to f3" works just as well. The "to" is optional. Knights are written N because K is taken by the king, but you always say "knight".
Captures: "takes"
To capture, put takes between the piece and the square.
- "Bishop takes e5": the bishop captures whatever is on e5.
- "Queen takes d5".
For a pawn capture, name the file the pawn starts on instead of the piece:
- "e takes d5": the e-pawn captures on d5 (written exd5).
"Captures" means the same as "takes". In VocalChess, when only one move in the position can capture on a square, "takes d5" alone is enough.
En passant needs no special phrase. Say the capture the pawn makes: "e takes d6".
When two pieces can reach the same square
Sometimes two knights, or two rooks, can both move to the square you name. Add the file the moving piece starts on:
- "Knight b d2": the knight on the b-file goes to d2 (written Nbd2).
- "Knight b takes d2", if it's a capture.
You can also name both squares: "rook a1 to d1".
Castling
- "Castle kingside": castle short, toward the king's rook (written O-O).
- "Castle queenside": castle long, toward the queen's rook (written O-O-O).
In VocalChess, "castle" on its own means kingside, so say "castle queenside" when you want the long side.
Promotion
When a pawn reaches the last rank, say the square and the piece it becomes:
- "e8 promotes to queen", or just "e8 queen".
- "e8 knight" to underpromote. You get exactly the piece you name.
Check and checkmate
You don't need to say "check". The move is the same either way, and VocalChess announces check and the end of the game itself.
Game commands in VocalChess
Besides moves, the app understands a few commands:
| To | Say |
|---|---|
| Take back your move and the reply | "undo" or "take back" (optionally "last move", "my move" or "that") |
| Answer "Did you say …?" | "yes", "yeah", "confirm"; or "no", "cancel", "wait" |
| Look back through the game | "back", "back three moves", "forward", "start", "latest" |
| End the game | "resign" |
Looking back never changes the game. Your next move returns to the live position.
When the app isn't sure
Speech recognition mishears, so VocalChess checks every reading against the legal moves in the position.
- When it's sure, the move plays at once.
- When it isn't, it asks "Did you say …?". Answer yes or no, by voice or with a tap. Saying no offers the next-likeliest move.
- When nothing legal matches, it shows "Say again" and plays nothing.
It never plays a move you didn't say. If a word keeps getting misheard, slow down slightly and say each letter as its name: "knight eff three".