Template:Chess diagram/doc

This is a documentation subpage for Template:Chess diagram
It contains usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

Syntax

There are two standard chess diagram templates:

Template:Chess diagram (square size 26x26 px)
Template:Chess diagram small (square size 22x22 px)

The syntax is basically the same for both of them.

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

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

There are also some fairy chess pieces available:

a = archbishop (knight bishop compound)
c = chancelor (knight rook compound)
f = upside-down king
g = upside-down queen
m = upside-down rook
e = upside-down bishop
s = upside-down knight
h = upside-down pawn
z = champion (for Omega Chess)
w = wizard (for Omega Chess)

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

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

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

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

Examples

In the following examples the rows and columns are numbered. Because any text between "|=" and the next "|" is ignored, numbers and letters can be added without affecting output.

Standard diagram

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

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

The King's Gambit

{{chess diagram
| tright
| 
|= 

 8 |rd|nd|bd|qd|kd|bd|nd|rd|=
 7 |pd|pd|pd|pd|  |pd|pd|pd|=
 6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 5 |  |  |  |  |pd|  |  |  |=
 4 |  |  |  |  |pl|pl|  |  |=
 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 2 |pl|pl|pl|pl|  |  |pl|pl|=
 1 |rl|nl|bl|ql|kl|bl|nl|rl|=
    a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  

| The King's Gambit
}}

Diagram with both captions

W. Langstaff, Chess Amateur 1922

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Mate in two.
This problem uses partial retrograde analysis method.

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
|= 

 8 |  |  |  |  |kd|  |  |rd|=
 7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 6 |  |  |  |  |  |bl|  |pl|=
 5 |  |  |  |rl|  |kl|pd|pl|=
 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
    a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  

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

Diagram without captions

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

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
| 
|= 

 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
 6 |  |xx|xo|xx|  |  |  |  |=
 5 |  |  |pl|  |  |  |  |  |=
 4 |  |  |  |  |  |xo|  |  |=
 3 |  |  |  |  |xx|xo|xx|  |=
 2 |  |  |  |  |  |pl|  |  |=
 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |=
    a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  
}}

Small diagram

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

The small diagrams can have header, too.

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

The position after 11. Bg5.

{{chess diagram small
| tright
| 
|= 

 8 |rd|  |  |qd|  |rd|kd|  |=
 7 |pd|pd|  |  |pd|pd|bd|pd|=
 6 |  |nd|pd|  |  |nd|pd|  |=
 5 |  |  |ql|  |  |  |bl|  |=
 4 |  |  |  |pl|pl|  |bd|  |=
 3 |  |  |nl|  |  |nl|  |  |=
 2 |pl|pl|  |  |  |pl|pl|pl|=
 1 |  |  |  |rl|kl|bl|  |rl|=
    a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  

| The position after 11. Bg5.
}}