Chess Symbols Guide — A Complete Reference for Unicode Pieces, Meanings & Chess Notation

Chess symbols are widely used in game books, online platforms, educational material, and programming. This guide covers **all Unicode chess pieces**, how they're used in algebraic notation, copy-paste tables, and advanced formatting tips.

Whether you are a player, content creator, or developer, this page gives you a complete and easy-to-use symbol library.

♔ 1. Full Unicode Chess Piece Table

| Piece | White | Black | Name | Unicode |

|-------|--------|--------|---------|-----------|

| King | ♔ | ♚ | White/Black King | U+2654 / U+265A |

| Queen | ♕ | ♛ | Queen | U+2655 / U+265B |

| Rook | ♖ | ♜ | Rook | U+2656 / U+265C |

| Bishop | ♗ | ♝ | Bishop | U+2657 / U+265D |

| Knight | ♘ | ♞ | Knight | U+2658 / U+265E |

| Pawn | ♙ | ♟ | Pawn | U+2659 / U+265F |

All symbols above can be **copied directly**.

♖ 2. Copy-Paste Reference (All Pieces)

White Pieces

`♔ ♕ ♖ ♗ ♘ ♙`

Black Pieces

`♚ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟`

Monochrome Chess Icon Set

Some fonts use **non-themed** monochrome icons:

• ⚀ ⚁ ⚂ ⚃ ⚄ ⚅ (dice-style neutral symbols)
• ⛁ ⛃ (generic game symbols)

♗ 3. Algebraic Chess Notation (SAN)

Chess notation uses **letters** rather than icons. Here's the mapping:

| Symbol | Meaning |

|--------|----------|

| K | King |

| Q | Queen |

| R | Rook |

| B | Bishop |

| N | Knight |

| *(none)* | Pawn |

Examples:

• **Nf3** – knight to f3
• **Qh5+** – queen to h5, check
• **Rxa7** – rook captures on a7
• **e8=Q** – pawn promotion

♟ 4. Special Chess Symbols

| Symbol | Meaning |

|---------|--------------|

| ♙ → ♕ | Pawn promotion |

| O-O | Kingside castling |

| O-O-O | Queenside castling |

| × or x | Capture |

| + | Check |

| ++ | Double check |

| # | Checkmate |

| = | Draw |

| ∞ | Unclear position |

| ! | Good move |

| !! | Brilliant move |

| ? | Mistake |

| ?? | Blunder |

| !? | Interesting |

| ?! | Dubious |

These are used extensively in analysis, commentary, and study notes.

♜ 5. Chessboard Coordinates & Unicode Squares

If you need to create grid diagrams, the following Unicode shapes help:

Board Tiles

• ⬛ Black tile
• ⬜ White tile

Example 2×2 Grid

```

⬛⬜

⬜⬛

```

8×8 Mini Board

```

⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜

⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛

⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜

⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛

⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜

⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛

⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜

⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛

```

♞ 6. Chess Symbols in Programming

HTML

```html

&#9812; <!-- ♔ -->

&#9818; <!-- ♚ -->

```

CSS

```css

.piece::after { content: "\265A"; }

```

JavaScript

```javascript

const king = "\u265A";

```

♛ 7. Differences Across Platforms

| Platform | Display Quality | Notes |

|----------|-----------------|-------|

| macOS | Excellent | Uses Apple Color Emoji set |

| Windows | Good | Neutral monochrome by default |

| Android | Varies | Depends on device and font |

| Web browsers | Consistent | If font-fallback is enabled |

Use a safe fallback stack like:

```css

font-family: "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Emoji", sans-serif;

```

♚ 8. Chess Symbols for Social Media

Examples you can paste directly:

• ♔♛ "Chess Queen Energy"
• ♞ Tactical Knight Moves
• ♜ Checkmate in 3
• ♖ Endgame Study Time

Emoji combos:

• ♟⚔️ Strategy mode
• 🧠♞ Brain + Knight (puzzle challenge)
• ♛🔥 Queen domination

♙ 9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why do some symbols look different?

Fonts decide appearance. Apple, Google, and Windows draw icons differently.

Why does the Knight look different across platforms?

Unicode defines meaning, not shape. Each vendor designs its own style.

Can chess symbols be colored?

Yes — using CSS:

```html

<span style="color: red;">♛</span>

```

♜ Conclusion

Chess symbols are more than decorative icons — they're essential parts of notation, analysis, and digital communication.

This guide provides everything you need: Unicode pieces, SAN notation, checkmate symbols, grids, and programming usage.

You can now confidently use chess symbols in:

• websites
• apps
• study materials
• social media posts
• printed books

Enjoy exploring the world of chess notations and symbols!

---

Related Symbol Guides

* [**Games Symbols Index**](/symbols/games) - Full list of game icons.

* [**Logic Symbols**](/symbols/logic) - For strategic thinking.

* [**Math Symbols**](/symbols/math) - For calculating variations.

* [**Playing Cards Symbols**](/blog/playing-cards-guide) - Card game symbols.