FEN notation

FEN notation

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S

London

Joined
30 Aug 05
Moves
1250
02 Sep 05

Can anyone teach me how to insert or use FEN notation ? It seems a bit too complex for me .

B
Non-Subscriber

RHP IQ

Joined
17 Mar 05
Moves
1345
02 Sep 05

Do you know how to construct a FEN string?

S

London

Joined
30 Aug 05
Moves
1250
02 Sep 05

That's why I posted this thread , to find out how.

s

Joined
12 Feb 05
Moves
47202
02 Sep 05

Originally posted by SicilianNajdorf
Can anyone teach me how to insert or use FEN notation ? It seems a bit too complex for me .
A FEN record contains 6 fields. The separator between fields is a space. The fields are:

1) Piece placement (from white's perspective). Each rank is described, starting with rank 8 and ending with rank 1; within each rank, the contents of each square are described from file a through file h. White pieces are designated using upper-case letters ("KQRBNP"😉, Black by lowercase ("kqrbnp"😉. Blank squares are noted using digits 1 through 8 (the number of blank squares), and "/" separate ranks.

2) Active color. "w" means white moves next, "b" means black.

3) Castling availability. If neither side can castle, this is "-". Otherwise, this has one or more letters: "K" (White can castle kingside), "Q" (White can castle queenside), "k" (Black can castle kingside), and/or "q" (Black can castle queenside).

4) En passant target square. If there's no en passant target square, this is "-". If a pawn has just made a 2-square move, this is the position "behind" the pawn.

5) Halfmove clock: This is the number of halfmoves since the last pawn advance or capture. This is used to determine if a draw can be claimed under the fifty move rule.

6) Fullmove number: The number of the full move. It starts at 1, and is incremented after Black's move.


Taken from wikipedia

B
Non-Subscriber

RHP IQ

Joined
17 Mar 05
Moves
1345
02 Sep 05
1 edit

You really only need to worry about 1) in the above post. That's a basic FEN string which can describe any given chess position.

Then you can use the FEN link when posting.

S

London

Joined
30 Aug 05
Moves
1250
02 Sep 05

Can you guys show me an two different examples and the board as well, that way it'll be easier for me to see how it works.

B
Non-Subscriber

RHP IQ

Joined
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Moves
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03 Sep 05
1 edit

Originally posted by SicilianNajdorf
Can you guys show me an two different examples and the board as well, that way it'll be easier for me to see how it works.



The initial position.

Click "Reply & Quote" here to view the string.

West Virginia

Joined
20 Oct 04
Moves
41581
03 Sep 05

Originally posted by SicilianNajdorf
Can anyone teach me how to insert or use FEN notation ? It seems a bit too complex for me .
There is an easier way than just typing the FEN in. I use a free program called ChessPad from http://www.wmlsoftware.com . You see the board, get the position you want the FEN for and under the "Position" menu just "Copy as...FEN" and paste it in the little box that comes up when click on "Insert board from FEN" at the bottom of the posting page with the "Insert smilies" 🙂

Simple, easy, and fairly clean, or I think so anyway. ChessPad also works for grabbing those quick PGNs from emails and such you just want to take a quick look at using copy and "Game"/"Paste from...PGN" Sure I can do this with other applications I have available, but ChessPad seems to be a much lighter program and just pops up faster!



White to move and several moves...

There ya go!

B
Non-Subscriber

RHP IQ

Joined
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Moves
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03 Sep 05
1 edit

I thought all chess programs had this feature.

You sound like an advertisement.

West Virginia

Joined
20 Oct 04
Moves
41581
03 Sep 05
1 edit

I've been told that before, but I think anyone giving good features of a product or service sounds like an advertisment to some degree regardless of how they say it. Btw I'm not affiliated with them other than using the software and being pleased with it for what it does.

Can you do this with the Chessmaster series software? I know SCID has the feature.

s
Fast and Curious

slatington, pa, usa

Joined
28 Dec 04
Moves
53223
03 Sep 05

Originally posted by Drax946
I've been told that before, but I think anyone giving good features of a product or service sounds like an advertisment to some degree regardless of how they say it. Btw I'm not affiliated with them other than using the software and being pleased with it for what it does.

Can you do this with the Chessmaster series software? I know SCID has the feature.
What is SCID?

B
Non-Subscriber

RHP IQ

Joined
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03 Sep 05

Originally posted by sonhouse
What is SCID?
Mr Google seems to know.

West Virginia

Joined
20 Oct 04
Moves
41581
04 Sep 05

Originally posted by sonhouse
What is SCID?
It's a freeware chess database.

West Virginia

Joined
20 Oct 04
Moves
41581
04 Sep 05

I thought I typed white to move and win in several moves, but win seems to have been left out.

K
Strawman

Not Kansas

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10 Jul 04
Moves
6405
06 Sep 05
1 edit

Originally posted by Bowmann
[fen]rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR[/fen]


The initial position.

Click "Reply & Quote" here to view the string.


Golly.