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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!tymix!kanner
From: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner)
Newsgroups: net.games.chess
Subject: Re: Kasaparov: at last a new champion !
Message-ID: <576@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Nov-85 12:35:39 EST
Article-I.D.: tymix.576
Posted: Fri Nov 15 12:35:39 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Nov-85 09:10:42 EST
References: <359@tekchips.UUCP> <22300011@uiucdcsp> <395@uwvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner)
Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 27
Keywords: descriptive algebraic
Summary: 

The follow-up I am following up is really to a mild diatribe against algebraic
notation.  Difficult to debate matters of taste.  Algebraic required
internationally for several years now primarily because the descriptive
notation was used only in the English and Spanish speaking countries, I
know not why. 

Now, with respect to ambiguity.  I find my error rate in recording games is
much lower with algebraic than it was with descriptive.  Here is the
reason.  The error Nc3 when you should have written Nbc3 because there is a
knight on e2 which could also go to c3 is equally easy to make, or avoid,
in both systems.  And it is easy to form a habit pattern that avoids that
error.  If two instance of the same piece can go to the same square, you
are likely to notice that fact.  However, a case like B x P is the booby trap in
descriptive.  During the game, you are thinking of the tactical or
strategic importance of that bishop taking that pawn, and are not likely to
notice whether the other (at the moment irrelevant) bishop is capable of
taking a very different pawn.

Some years ago, a friend and I who belonged to the same chess club in
England decided to take the plunge and switch to algebraic notation.  We
both found that for a few months it was sufficiently distracting that it
probably lost us a few games.  By the time we were at home with it, we were
both thoroughly glad that we had switched.
-- 
Herb Kanner
Tymnet, Inc.
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