N5xd5

N5xd5 is a term from descriptive chess notation describing a knight capture on the square d5. In this system, the board is described from the perspective of the player to move, using ranks numbered 1 to 8 and files named by letters. The numeral on a move such as 5 identifies the origin rank of the moving piece. Therefore, N5xd5 specifies that a knight located on the fifth rank captures a piece on d5.

From the vantage point of the moving side, a knight on the fifth rank could be on various squares that share that rank, and only some would have a legal capture on d5. In practice, for Black this often corresponds to a knight on b4 or f4 capturing a piece on d5, whereas for White the analogous situation would involve a knight on a5 through h5 attempting to capture on d5. The notation emphasizes the rank of origin rather than the file.

Ambiguity can arise if more than one knight on the fifth rank could reach d5. In such cases the descriptive notation would be further disambiguated by specifying the origin file or square, for example Nb4xd5 or Nf4xd5 to indicate which knight performs the capture. When converting to algebraic notation, the move would typically be written with the starting square and the capture marker, such as Nbxd5 or Nfxd5, depending on which knight executes the capture.

N5xd5 appears mainly in historical games and texts that used descriptive notation. It remains a point of reference for understanding older game records, even as algebraic notation is now the standard in modern play. See also chess notation, descriptive notation, algebraic notation.