Chess Problem - Abbreviations

Abbreviations

For reasons of space and internationality, various abbreviations are often used in chess problem journals to indicate a problem's stipulation (whether it is a mate in two, helpmate in four, or whatever). The most common are:

• "#" abbreviates checkmate;
• "=" abbreviates stalemate (occasionally "p", standing for "pat", the French for stalemate, is used instead);
• "h" abbreviates helpmate;
• "s" abbreviates selfmate;
• "r" abbreviates reflexmate;
• "ser-" abbreviates series.

These are combined with a number to indicate how many moves the goal must be achieved in. "#3", therefore, indicates a mate in three, while "ser-h=14" indicates a series help stalemate in 14 (i.e., Black makes 14 moves in a row such that White can subsequently make one move to deliver stalemate).

In studies, the symbols "+" and "=" are used to indicate "White to play and win" and "White to play and draw" respectively.