Chess Notation

The chess notation, for description of a chess position, as we saw in Problem_1 can be Forsyth

8/8/8/8/8/8/ppQKPPP1/k7

and as we saw in Problem_2 can be Algebraic:

White : Ka5 Ra8 Rf1 Bd5 Se6, Black : Ke7

It is easy to understand that in Algebraic notation we use the symbol of the piece (of the chessman) and the name of the square, where it is positioned. Ka5 means that the white king is on square a5.

The Algebraic notation is also used when we describe moves.

Ka5-b5 means that the K has moved from square a5 to square b5.

Ka5xb5 means that the K has moved from square a5 and has captured a chessman on b5.

A short form of description of the position of a problem is the Forsyth notation (from the name of the Scott journalist David Forsyth of the 19th century). We start to scan the squares of the chessboard row by row, starting fro a8 to h8, continuing from a7 to h7, etc, from a1 to h1, writing down the chessmen (with capital letters the white, with small letters the black) and also how many empty squares are in between. The change of row is denoted by a slash.

Using Forsyth notation the position of the Problem_2 is given as follows:

R7/4k3/4S3/K2B4/8/8/8/5R2

The Forsyth notation is short and is usually readable from problem solving software.