Pro Shortcut Keys
While the Home Row Keys are sufficient for playing a full game of chess using Home Row Notation, Pro Shortcut Keys give you micro-precision control over the board. If you misplace a piece or need to make a lightning-fast positional adjustment, these pro shortcut keys eliminate the need to re-type a full notation.
Pro Shortcut Keys ⚡
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| U | Move 1 square up-left |
| I | Move 1 square up |
| O | Move 1 square up-right |
| N | Move 1 square down-left |
| M | Move 1 square down |
| , | Move 1 square down-right |
| H | Move 1 square left |
| G | Move 1 square right |
| E | Reselect square |
These keys were carefully selected because, relative to the right hand, they are positioned in the same direction they move the selected square. They are also among the easiest keys to reach on a standard QWERTY keyboard, enabling quick and intuitive board navigation.
Piece Keys
Piece keys are keyboard shortcuts mapped to specific chess pieces, primarily used for pawn promotions on Chess.com, as well as promotions and piece-selection premoves on Lichess.org
| Key | Piece |
|---|---|
| V | Queen |
| Q | King |
| W | Bishop |
| R | Knight |
| T | Rook |
the keys were carefully selected because they are among the easiest to reach on a standard QWERTY keyboard, allowing moves to be entered quickly and comfortably.
Standard Shortcut Keys
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space bar / Backspace | Delete any typed coordinate & Cancel Premoves |
| P | Used for promotions in Lichess |
Hi everyone! 👋 I'm Wang'ombe from Nairobi, Kenya. A while back, my phone was stolen, and I had to switch to playing chess on my laptop. Until then, I'd always avoided playing on a computer because I never felt as fast or as comfortable using a mouse or touchpad as I did on a touchscreen. That frustration led me to build KBchess and create Home Row Notation—a keyboard-first way to play online chess that lets you make moves without relying on a mouse. If this project has made your chess experience better, I'd be incredibly grateful for your support. A one-time coffee purchase unlocks all Pro Shortcut Keys with lifetime access, and every purchase helps me continue improving KBchess. Thank you for helping keep KBchess growing. ❤️