- Blind mode tutorial
lichess.org
Donate

Does anybody else miss the old descriptive notation?

#1

I grew up with the old style notation: 1. P-K4, P-K4 2. N-KB3, N-QB3 etc. I found the symmetrical nature of this notation intuitive; each side counts ranks and files from their own perspective. If the algebraic notation solved an internationality issue I would understand the justification for it better, but even in algebraic you still have to know the abbreviations for the pieces in the target language; that is, B(ishop) in English is A(lfil) in Spanish, etc. I don't think it's that I'm stuck in my ways; I adapted to the metric system without an issue. I just find the lack of symmetry in the algebraic system harder to work with.

I grew up with the old style notation: 1. P-K4, P-K4 2. N-KB3, N-QB3 etc. I found the symmetrical nature of this notation intuitive; each side counts ranks and files from their own perspective. If the algebraic notation solved an internationality issue I would understand the justification for it better, but even in algebraic you still have to know the abbreviations for the pieces in the target language; that is, B(ishop) in English is A(lfil) in Spanish, etc. I don't think it's that I'm stuck in my ways; I adapted to the metric system without an issue. I just find the lack of symmetry in the algebraic system harder to work with.
#4

This notation is horrible. For example, king's rook to queen's bishop 4, queen's rook to queen's bishop 3, and then 3 moves later queen's rook to king's rook 5, but which rook was queen's rook and which was king's rook. It's ridiculous.

This notation is horrible. For example, king's rook to queen's bishop 4, queen's rook to queen's bishop 3, and then 3 moves later queen's rook to king's rook 5, but which rook was queen's rook and which was king's rook. It's ridiculous.
#5

Yeah, most people seem to hate it. But I still find it useful when talking about positions generally.

Yeah, most people seem to hate it. But I still find it useful when talking about positions generally.
#6

@pointlesswindows If both rooks are on the Queen's Bishop's file then they are on different ranks, so if the move involves a change of file (which your example does) then there's no need to specify which is which beyond what square it is moving to.

Descriptive notation is reasonable if you're playing the moves on a physical board but it makes it almost impossible to tell at a glance what's happening. It's unsuited to the pace of modern life.

@pointlesswindows If both rooks are on the Queen's Bishop's file then they are on different ranks, so if the move involves a change of file (which your example does) then there's no need to specify which is which beyond what square it is moving to. Descriptive notation is reasonable if you're playing the moves on a physical board but it makes it almost impossible to tell at a glance what's happening. It's unsuited to the pace of modern life.
#7

Verbally, it's fine; when you get to 40 moves+, it becomes a pain to write everything down.

Verbally, it's fine; when you get to 40 moves+, it becomes a pain to write everything down.
#8

@biscuitfiend Another example: what if both knights can go to the same square and they've already moved a lot?

@biscuitfiend Another example: what if both knights can go to the same square and they've already moved a lot?
#10

@Foolacious For international audiences they use figurative algebraic notation. Then a symbol replaces the letter in any particular language. The 2d symbols they use are based on the political, religious and gender hierarchy of the Victorian Age and are based on the winners of a conspiracy of the Staunton Style chess pieces designed by John Jacques, but often attributed to either Howard Staunton or Jacques, brother-in-law, Nathanial Cook, who was also an editor at The London Illustrated Times where Staunton worked as the, "chess dude", and famous chess influencer before Twitch, and already had a convenient working relationship to promote the Jacques chess set that came to dominate the chess world.

@Foolacious For international audiences they use figurative algebraic notation. Then a symbol replaces the letter in any particular language. The 2d symbols they use are based on the political, religious and gender hierarchy of the Victorian Age and are based on the winners of a conspiracy of the Staunton Style chess pieces designed by John Jacques, but often attributed to either Howard Staunton or Jacques, brother-in-law, Nathanial Cook, who was also an editor at The London Illustrated Times where Staunton worked as the, "chess dude", and famous chess influencer before Twitch, and already had a convenient working relationship to promote the Jacques chess set that came to dominate the chess world.

This topic has been archived and can no longer be replied to.