A screenshot of The Password Game in a web browser, with an empty text box and a chess puzzle below.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

How to beat The Password Game Rule 16: What is Algebraic Chess notation?

I'm more of a checkers person, myself.

The Password Game is a fun word game from Neal.Fun with your task to design a secure password using a specific ruleset. If you’ve ever sat at your computer or phone trying to think of a password that satisfies all of the required rules, this game will be for you.

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The process begins as standard: letters, numbers, a symbol, a capital letter—pretty standard, right? Well, later on, you’ll need extra elements like emojis, country names, and, if you make it to Rule 16, a little chess knowledge.

Rule 16 will display a chessboard and a game in progress, asking for the next best move in chess notation as your next addition to your password. But what if you’ve never played chess before?

Here’s how to solve The Password Game’s Rule 16.

How to solve Rule 16 in The Password Game: Finding the best move using algebraic chess notation

Rule 16 of The Password Game requires inputting algebraic chess notation into your password matching that of the best possible chess move according to your chess board. Unfortunately, each time you reach Rule 16, a new chessboard is generated, so there will be a different answer each time.

Fortunately, The Password Game gives you a little hint in the link to the Wikipedia page for algebraic chess notation. In short, it’s a series of characters that indicate a move in chess, whether it be simply moving a piece to an empty square or capturing an opponent’s piece.

An example of notation would be Rxh5+ which when broken down means:

  • R – a rook
  • x – captures
  • h5 – the opposition’s piece at h5
  • + – putting the opponent in check

Take our example below:

A screenshot of The Password Game in a browser window, with a chessboard puzzle in the Rule 16 box below the text entry area.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

First, note which player is to make the next move. In this example it is white, so we begin to look for the next best move for white. In this example, moving white’s rook at E1 to E8 sets up for checkmate in two turns, so Re8+ would be the notation as we’ll be putting the black king in check.

But hang on, what if you don’t have a clue how chess works? In this case, we recommend plugging your board into Next Chess Move. After setting up an identical board state, it will calculate the next-best possible chess move for each color in the notation required. Simply copy and paste that into your answer and move on.

Keep in mind, however, it’s possible after plugging in your notation a previous rule will be broken. Be sure to make any updates or changes elsewhere before proceeding to the next rule.


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Author
Nicholas Taifalos
Weekend editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career in commentary, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly Counter-Strike and Dota. Email: nicholas@dotesports.com