Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: Help with this interesting position?

Author: James Robertson

Date: 08:20:59 11/06/98

Go up one level in this thread


On November 06, 1998 at 07:10:56, Terry Godat wrote:

>I have a very fast computer (K6-2 350) and would be glad to analyse that
>position if you or anyone else would explain the notation used to describe the
>position in question. I have been playing chess for thirty years or so, but I
>have never met anyone who used rrpppkk1 (or whatever that stuff is) to describe
>a position.  Help anyone?
>Terry

That notation is known as FEN. The position translates to:

- - - - r r k -
p p p - - p p -
- - q p - - - p
- - n - - - - -
- - P - P Q - B
- - - P - - - -
P - P - P - P P
R - - - - R K -

To understand FEN, think of the first square as h8, and every row is ended by
 a /. So if you see a line like 4rrk1/ then you would skip four squares, make a
rook, another rook, and then a king and then one blank square. The line then
looks like this:
- - - - r r k -
the whole line:
4rrk1/ppp2pp1/2qp3p/2n5/2P1PQ1B/3P4/P1P1P1PP/R4RK1 w - -
translates to the position at the top. Capital letters are White, small letters
black. The 'w' says that white is to move. the next - is castling rights, and
finally  the last - is an en passant square if any. In this position, no one can
castle and no en passant square is available, so both are '-'. Hope this helps!

James



This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.