Algebraic Chess Notation is today's universally accepted chess language. Though there are other styles, algebraic notation has been accepted as the standard by the international chess organization called FIDE. FIDE governs all world-class chess competitions.

There are many good reason's for writing down your chess moves. Chess notation enables you to record your games for playback later. That day you played a superb game of chess... wouldn't you like to be able to play through it later and show your friends? Recording the game with chess notation enables you to study, replay, or show the game later!

Many players like to record their chess games and later enter those games into chess database software which allows them to further study and analyse their game. The chess software will analyse and point out mistakes or places where they could have played much better moves. It's a great way to improve your chess play. It's almost a secret weapon since a remarkably small percentage of chessplayers utilize this concept of chess improvement - and the tools are right there!

Here's a tutorial you can reference to help learn the Algebraic Chess Notation. There's even an online video illustration of the chess notation.