[Bill Cummings]

These notations are new to me.
I used to do 1 through 8 going up and A through H left to right.

[Bob Kuczewski]

These notations are new to me.

It's a variation of an older but more descriptive notation. On Wikipedia they mention it here:

Descriptive chess notation, English notation or English descriptive notation. Until the 1970s, at least in English-speaking countries, chess games were recorded and published using this notation. This is still used by a dwindling number of mainly older players, and by those who read old books (some of which are still important).

Being as young as you are, I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of it.   

They have a more complete description of it at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptive_notation.

Each square has two names, depending on the viewpoint of White or Black. Each file is given a name corresponding to the piece that occupies the first rank at the start of the game. Thus, in English descriptive notation the queen's file is named "Q" and the king's file is named "K". Since there are two each of the remaining pieces on the first rank, it is necessary to distinguish between them. The pieces on the queen's side of the board (to White's left; to Black's right) are named with respect to the queen, i.e. "queen's rook", "queen's knight" and "queen's bishop"; and have the shortened names "QR", "QN" and "QB", respectively. Similarly, the pieces on the king's side (White's right; Black's left) are named with respect to the king, i.e. "king's rook", "king's knight" and "king's bishop"; and have the shortened names "KR", "KN" and "KB". The rank is given a number, ranging from 1 to 8, with rank 1 being closest to the player.

That's where I got this image:

Names of the squares in English descriptive notation differ for each side

English_Descriptive_Chess_Notation_400.png (131.37 KiB) Viewed 3049 times

As you can see by that image, each square has a different designation depending on the side making the move (shown by the black or white text). The advantage is that each side numbers the row closest to them as row 1. Each side also references the files (columns) by the same notation (QR, QN, ...). So there is no disadvantage contributed to either side due to the notation itself. In other words, it is symmetrical.

That's in contrast with Algebraic Notation described at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebraic_notation_(chess):

Algebraic Notation is upside down and backwards for the player playing black

SCD_algebraic_notation_400.png (38.73 KiB) Viewed 3049 times

I used to do 1 through 8 going up and A through H left to right.

That sounds like you were using "Algebraic Notation".

Algebraic notation is oriented "normally" toward one player (typically "white") and oriented upside down and backwards for the other player (typically "black"). According to Wikipedia: "Each square of the chessboard is identified by a unique coordinate pair—a letter and a number—from White's point of view". Since "white" usually moves first, the white player already has an advantage. So this notation only makes the situation more unbalanced toward "white". As you may know, I'm a big fan of fairness, and this biased perspective of "Algebraic Notation" has always been a little annoying to me. That's probably the main reason that I proposed using Descriptive Notation.

Having said all of that, you can see that I've been struggling to present the notation from both perspectives. So maybe I should just give up and use the much simpler (although more biased) algebraic notation.

On another note, we're using a modified Descriptive Notation that only specifies the starting and ending location of each move (described from the player's perspective). The more traditional "Descriptive Notation" appears to have a greater potential for ambiguity. They drop off various parts of the description when they are not needed because those alternative moves would be impossible. But that requires a more careful examination of the board to determine whether it was possible to move say the King's Rook or the Queen's Rook or both to the given location. Sometimes when both are possible, there is either an ambiguity or additional notation must be included. That seemed like a potential source of error. So to keep it simple, I was hoping we could just specify the starting and ending squares for each move (much like Algebraic Notation), but use the more descriptive and "unbiased" Descriptive Notation for the squares.

Really, I'm happy with any notation that we can all understand.   

[Chris McKeon]

BOB, what happened to our Game? I believe the Site has been hacked. Please call Me Chris. 925-497-1059

[Bob Kuczewski]

BOB, what happened to our Game? I believe the Site has been hacked. Please call Me Chris. 925-497-1059

Hi Chris,

I don't think the site has been hacked. Bill and I were just discussing notation between moves. Here's the current game board:

8	♜	♞	♝		♚			♜
7	♟	♟	♟		♞	♟	♟	♟
6
5			♝		♟
4	♙						♙
3								♘
2		♙	♙	♙		♙		♙
1	♖		♗	♕	♔	♗		♛
	QR	QN	QB	Q	K	KB	KN	KR

Taken: ♟
Taken: ♘♙♖

You're still playing white and it's your move. Please post your move whenever you are ready.

[Chris McKeon]

QBPTOQBP4

[Bob Kuczewski]

QBPTOQBP4

That looks like it would be QB2 to QB4 (the "P" for Pawn isn't needed because there can only be on piece on QB2).

Here's your move from your perspecitive:

8	♜	♞	♝		♚			♜
7	♟	♟	♟		♞	♟	♟	♟
6
5			♝		♟
4	♙		♙				♙
3								♘
2		♙		♙		♙		♙
1	♖		♗	♕	♔	♗		♛
	QR	QN	QB	Q	K	KB	KN	KR

Taken: ♟
Taken: ♘♙♖

OK, I'm going to move my Queen:
      From my perspective that would be: KR8 to KR7 x P
      From your perspective that would be: KR1 to KR2 x P

Here's the board after my move from your perspective:

8	♜	♞	♝		♚			♜
7	♟	♟	♟		♞	♟	♟	♟
6
5			♝		♟
4	♙		♙				♙
3								♘
2		♙		♙		♙		♛
1	♖		♗	♕	♔	♗
	QR	QN	QB	Q	K	KB	KN	KR

Taken: ♟
Taken: ♘♙♙♖

Your move!!

[Chris McKeon]

KR2

[Chris McKeon]

In regard to; Speed of Play. I think that maybe instead of Playing using our Computers . I think that Bob and I should complete our Games of Chess in a quicker time if We played using the USPD. That way our game would roll right along.

[Chris McKeon]

Q4

[Bob Kuczewski]

In regard to; Speed of Play. I think that maybe instead of Playing using our Computers . I think that Bob and I should complete our Games of Chess in a quicker time if We played using the USPD. That way our game would roll right along.

Well, we just made 4 moves in less than 2 days.

Q4

OK, that looks like Q2 to Q4:

8	♜	♞	♝		♚			♜
7	♟	♟	♟		♞	♟	♟	♟
6
5			♝		♟
4	♙		♙	♙			♙
3								♘
2		♙				♙		♛
1	♖		♗	♕	♔	♗
	QR	QN	QB	Q	K	KB	KN	KR

Here's my move:

      From my perspective: K4 to Q5 x P
      From your perspective: K5 to Q4 x P

Here's the board after my move:

8	♜	♞	♝		♚			♜
7	♟	♟	♟		♞	♟	♟	♟
6
5			♝
4	♙		♙	♟			♙
3								♘
2		♙				♙		♛
1	♖		♗	♕	♔	♗
	QR	QN	QB	Q	K	KB	KN	KR

Taken: ♟
Taken: ♘♙♙♖♙

Your move!!