The Chess Game on the Web

[Eric Schiller]

I am keeping the game with commentary up-to-date (as quickly as I can) on

http://www.best.com/~schiller/phishgam.htm

I am trying to include diagrams, for those who don't know chess notation, but
for some reason my GIF files don't seem to be working. I'll try to fix this as
time permits.

The modern (algebraic) form of chess notation is pretty simple. Place the
board with the White pieces closer to you and the Black pieces on the other
side. The lower left corner (White rook on dark square) is a1. The other White
rook, in the lower right, is at h1. The Black rook on a light square is a8, and
the Black rook on a dark square is h8.

So the vertical lines (files) are a-h, with a at the left. The horizontal
lines (ranks) are numbered 1-8. So you have an 8x8 grid.
The first move was 1.e4. Since there is no piece indicated, it is a pawn.
the square e4 is 5 from the left, 4 rows up. So move the pawn there.
Black answered 1...e5. Again, no piece indicated so it is a pawn. move
a Black pawn to the 5th file from the left, 5 rows up from you.

Then Page played 2.Bb5. Here we have B for bishop, and it moves to the
b-file (2nd from left), 5 rows up.

You'll get the hang of it before long.

So the moves up to now are: 1.e4 e5 2.Bb5 Nc6 3.Nf3 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6
Sometimes a longer form is used: 1.e2-e4 e7-e5 2.Bf1-b5 Nb8-c6 3.Ng1-f3 a7-a6
4.Bb5xc6 d7xc6

or, in the old style, 1.P-K4 P-K4 2.B-N5 N-Qb3 3.N-KB3 P-QR3 4.BxN QPxB

or, if you are over 100 years old:
1.Pawn to king's fourth, pawn to king's fourth 2.Bishop to knight's fifth,
Knight to Queen Bishop three 3.Knight to King Knight's three, Pawn to
Queen's Rook three 4.Bishop captures Knight Queen's pawn captures bishop.

I think you see why the modern style took over. It is much shorter and easier.
Still, if it makes it easier I can switch to the long form.

Eric Schiller