Example 1 (the continuation of example 4 from week 1)
game

Event Rated standard match, Internet Club
Site Free Internet Chess Server
Date 1999.04.18
White purdyesque
Black slon
WhiteELO 1552
BlackELO 1490
Result 1-0
Annotator Keith Farrell (purdyesque
{initial time: 20 minutes, increment: 45 seconds}
1. e4 {0:05} 1... e5 {0:02} 2. Nf3 {0:19} 2... Nc6 {0:03} 3. Bc4 {0:06} 3... Nf6 {0:28} 4. O-O {0:07} 4... Bc5 {1:09} 5. Re1 {0:05} 5... Ng4 {0:57} 6. d4 { ? 0:32 black can simply reply ..Nxd4} 6... exd4 {? 0:31} (6... Nxd4 7. Rf1 (7. Nxd4 $17) 7... d6 8. h3 Nf6 9. Nxd4 9... Bxd4 $17) 7. Nxd4 {0:59} (7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 (7... Kf8 8. Bg5 Nf6 9. Bc4 d6 10. Bd5 Bg4 11. Qd3 $16) 8. Ng5+ Kg8 9. Qxg4 Ne5 10. Qg3 $14) (7. Ng5 Nce5 (7... d5 {blocking the bishop's line, similar in theme to the blocking of the Fried Liver attack shown last week} 8. exd5+ Nce5 9. Bb5+ Kf8 10. h3 Ne3 11. fxe3 Qxg5 12. exd4 $14)) 7... Nxd4 {1:10} 8. Qxg4 {0:17} 8... Nxc2 {0:07} 9. Qxg7 {0:05} 9... Rf8 {0:14} 10. Re2 {1:03} 10... Nxa1 {0:03} 11. e5 {0:07} 11... Qe7 {?? The losing move, black was standing strongly and there wer a couple of reasonable alternatives, if only black had left e7 available for the bishop to retreat to 2:48} (11... Qh4 {!}) 12. Bg5 {0:12} 12... f6 {0:43} 13. exf6 {0:26} 13... Rf7 {0:57} 14. Bxf7+ {2:06 } 14... Kd8 {0:15} 15. fxe7+ {0:02} 15... Bxe7 {0:08} 16. Qg8# { 0:05 Black checkmated} 1-0





Forsyth Notation

                      Did you ever have to interrupt a game you were playing but wanted to continue it later, or have a very interesting position turn up in a game that you would have wanted a stronger player to look at and give her opinion on how best to play it ? If you have noted the entire game then that's fine - though it can be a bother playing through perhaps 45 moves until you get to the interesting position. If you have a blank chess diagram (as some scoresheetshave) then its easy - but if you have only a scrap of paper & pencil then what...

    In Forsyth Notation you can describe the position very quickly, tradtionally you use small letters for the black pieces and CAPITALS for the white

computers use this - in the form of FEN - Forsyth-Edwards Notation or EPD - Extended Position Description to store positions rather than games. 		                 



Forsyth
 rnbqkbnr
pppppppp
8
8
8
8
PPPPPPPP
RNBQKBNR
white to move

FEN
 rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 0


EPD
 rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - bm e4; id "start position";


   
Although the " / " really separates Forsyth lines too. When written by hand I prefer either circling the black pieces or underlining them eg


                  It is also important to
  • Write the date
  • Write who is White & Black
  • Take note of whether either side can castle - and whether King or Queenside
    perhaps note if there is a en passant capture available, computer programs just ask you to nominate the file (a-h) since the rest can be worked out.
                 

Cramped Pieces