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It depends on if you want to be precise or abstract. If you want to be precise, proper notation (abc, 123) is the way to go, but this may lose your readers if they are unfamiliar with the notation...
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#3: Attribution notice added
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/43628 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
It depends on if you want to be precise or abstract. If you want to be precise, proper notation (abc, 123) is the way to go, but this may lose your readers if they are unfamiliar with the notation. If you want to be abstract, describe it like the events aren't happening on a board, but as an actual battle that is happening around your players. This can still give the same feeling without being as constrained by the notation restrictions. That said, it just really depends on what you want to go for.