Why in chess the players write the game on paper?

All excellent reasons for recording moves.

Paper an pencil are readily available and cheap.

I wonder if tradition also plays a part in writing moves down on paper? It may give a sense of connection to the past.

Just some thoughts...

AND to add...chess notation is standard and regardless of what language barriers exist we can all (I only assume )understand chess notation..

#12 I disagree. Chess pieces have different notations on different languages.

But you can easily read notations in other languages. As long as they are „algebraic“ which is mandatory at FIDE tournaments.

(in the US this might be the descriptive notation to encrypt it and hide it from the rest of the world like their rules.)

Since I play chess online 99% of time (and don't write notations playing otb with friends) I think notations on my own language would confuse me a lot.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT they were just trying to look smart.

HEY LOOK AT ME WRITING CHESS NOTATION ON PAPER ( i am not just a monkey moving pieces around on a board ) .... It is like those people who wear faux reading glasses just to come off as some kind of fancy intellectual... the things people do to grab some attention... IT IS ALL SMOKE AND MIRRORS.

A lot of answers! I had the opportunity to ask @TalBaron-YouTube about this, and he gave me a really good answer! One way its tradition of many reasons, like some people mention it here, but Tal said it is because of concentration and it keeps you focus on the board and don't waste your time on other things. It means like if you something writing down you are better into it and you are more informed about it.

But the next question is, is it a must to write it down and is there any chess player who don't wanted to write it? It would be funny to find such things and to see why he doesn't want to write it down! Something for @agadmator !

What if now in the Championship one of the player don't want to write it? Is it allowed?

My thinking is, it is boring to write it every time on paper, and if i know the tournament will be recorded i would never wrote it. Of course if i know it wouldn't be a video about my games i would do something, but i don't know do we still need to write it down on paper, like mentioned there is other ways to do it.

@Sarg0n @FoxKing @Celestial_Object @ddu_du_ddu_du @hangrad @Leart @Noora1 @obsidianglow @OzyWho @PhantomSelf

If you play offline it is mandatory for longer periods. As easy as that. ;)

FIDE Laws of Chess:
8.1 In the course of play each player is required to record his own moves and those of his opponent in the correct manner, move after move, as clearly and legibily as possible, in the algebraic notation (See Appendix C), on the scoresheet prescribed for the competition. It is forbidden to write the moves in advance, unless the player is claiming a draw according to Article 9.2, or 9.3 or adjourning a game according to the Guidelines of Adjourned Games point 1.a. A player may reply to his opponent’s move before recording it, if he so wishes. He must record his previous move before making another. Both players must record the offer of a draw on the scoresheet. (See Appendix C.13)
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If a player is unable to keep score, an assistant, who must be acceptable to the arbiter, may be provided by the player to write the moves. His clock shall be adjusted by the arbiter in an equitable way.