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Oct-30-12 | | SimonWebbsTiger: A little trivia: both Nick and Graham lived in Denmark back in the 1990s. |
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Oct-30-12 | | SuperPatzer77: Hey, Chess folks! I had been using descriptive notation until the algebraic notation grew on me in the late 1980's. The descriptive notation is kind of confusing. As we know, Bobby Fischer had been using the descriptive notation a lot. Algebraic notation is my type.
SuperPatzer77 |
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Oct-31-12 | | SimonWebbsTiger: The "funny" thing is that loads of youths turn their noses up on books in descriptive. That is quite sad since it isn't that hard to learn and there is a whole treasure trove of out of print classics - e.g. the 1970s books published by Batsford by Keene, Bronstein, etc, etc - which can be bought quite cheaply from specialist second hand book shops. I grew up reading and using descriptive and only gave it up when FIDE made a rule against it with re. to keeping score. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <SimonWebbsTiger: The "funny" thing is that loads of youths turn their noses up on books in descriptive. That is quite sad since it isn't that hard to learn and there is a whole treasure trove of out of print classics - e.g. the 1970s books published by Batsford by Keene, Bronstein, etc, etc - which can be bought quite cheaply from specialist second hand book shops.> Exactly. As I mentioned above, the majority of the books in my chess library are in descriptive notation. Not knowing that system would mean not being able to read those books. Pity the younger players miss out. <I grew up reading and using descriptive and only gave it up when FIDE made a rule against it with re. to keeping score.> I remember when that was done: It was at the beginning of 1981. I really did resent the fact of having something rammed down my throat, irrespective of whether or not it might be better objectively. In fact, I still don't like the idea of that kind of arbitrary high-handedness. I know that by now, what with the advent of the Internet and all, the changeover would long since have been made, as it would be exponentially more difficult to make a computer understand descriptive as against algebraic notation, but it was to me a matter of principle at the time. |
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Oct-31-12 | | SimonWebbsTiger: @<Infohunter>
<Exactly. As I mentioned above, the majority of the books in my chess library are in descriptive notation. Not knowing that system would mean not being able to read those books. Pity the younger players miss out.> One of the first books I read as a kid was Batsford's "200 Open Games" by David Bronstein. I loved that book and am rather amazed it has only ever been reprinted, years ago, by the Dover publishing house (and in descriptive, too). That book is perhaps the only thing I have in common with Garry Kasparov. It was one of his first chess books too and he loves it to this day. Bronstein, true to form, presented an original lay out to a games collection of his wins, draws and losses in the 1.e4 e5 openings. The score, without notes, follows a proceeding warm essay on people, events, theory, some analytical remarks on the game, etc. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <SimonWebbsTiger>
...
<One of the first books I read as a kid was Batsford's "200 Open Games" by David Bronstein. I loved that book and am rather amazed it has only ever been reprinted, years ago, by the Dover publishing house (and in descriptive, too).> I am happy to say that I, too, have a copy of that Dover reprint. |
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Oct-31-12
 | | perfidious: <Simon> Bronstein's 200 Open Games was a finely written book indeed. P to KKt4-Franklin K Young was a piece of work, right enough! |
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Oct-31-12 | | gars: <Infohunter>: thanks for your F. K. Young's quotation. Please try "Franklin K. Young" in Google or similar to some other pompous phrases. Now, concerning Descriptive Notation, let us not forget that Fischer used it all the time and that many very good books were written in it. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <gars: <Infohunter>: ...
Now, concerning Descriptive Notation, let us not forget that Fischer used it all the time and that many very good books were written in it.> Rest assured, <gars>, that not only have I not forgotten those things for one minute, but in fact, as I have said elsewhere (so much so, in fact, that I'm starting to lose track of just where), descriptive is how I learned it, and it's still my "native tongue" (so to speak) in chess, algebraic being analogous to a second language for me. Thus, for example, in reading the first three moves of this game, which form the Alekhine Defense, Modern Variation, even though the score says "1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6," in my mind I am thinking, "1. P-K4, N-KB3; 2. P-K5, N-Q4; 3. P-Q4, P-Q3." Speaking of Fischer, I am pleased to be able to relate that I have a copy of his *My 60 Memorable Games* which, like the majority of the books in my personal chess library, is written in English Descriptive Notation. |
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Oct-31-12 | | SimonWebbsTiger: @<Infohunter>
in the grand old spirit of one-upmanship, I have the Batsford edition. :P I hope chessgames will forgive me if I mention I bought a copy via a friend of mine these past 25+ years: Tony Peterson. Look him up on Google. He is one of those second hand specialists I mention. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <SimonWebbsTiger> Thank you, I've just bookmarked his page. Now that we've started this "one-upmanship" business, I can't resist asking: You don't by chance have a copy of *Malekool* by Paul Keres, do you? |
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Oct-31-12 | | SimonWebbsTiger: Nope <Infohunter>. It pleases me to know, though, that I have issue 6 of Informator which current chief editor Josip Asik doen't have as well as vol. 3 of Paul Keres' best games (the Later Years) which Jon Speelman pleaded for on ICC since he doesn't own that one either. |
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Oct-31-12 | | gars: <Infohunter>: My mother chess language is "Descriptive Portuguese", so the Najdorf Sicilian goes like this: 1) P4R P4R
2) C3BR P3D
3) P4D PxP
4) CxP C3BR
5) C3BD P3TD and I have never been able to think about it any other way. Some day I'll count up the Algebraic and Descriptive books on my shelves, but I am too lazy to do it now... |
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Oct-31-12
 | | kevin86: Decoy the queen away,the bishop can check and the rooks mate. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <SimonWebbsTiger: Nope <Infohunter>. It pleases me to know, though, that I have issue 6 of Informator which current chief editor Josip Asik doen't have as well as vol. 3 of Paul Keres' best games (the Later Years) which Jon Speelman pleaded for on ICC since he doesn't own that one either.> Funny, I just happen to have a copy of issue 6 of *Informator* myself. (I wonder why I've never seen anybody who has a copy of number 1; limited press run, perhaps?) As for Keres' games, I have an Arco Books paperback that incorporates all three volumes into one book, said book being entitled *Grandmaster of Chess: The Complete Games of Paul Keres*, edited by Harry Golombek. I also have a copy of the Dover reprint of *Paul Keres' Best Games of Chess, 1931-1948, edited by Fred Reinfeld. <gars: <Infohunter>: My mother chess language is "Descriptive Portuguese"...> I knew there was a Spanish Descriptive, but I did not know there was one for Portuguese as well. But say, in the Najdorf, wouldn't Black's first move be 1...P4BD rather than 1...P4R? |
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Oct-31-12 | | SimonWebbsTiger: Am the happy owner of Informators 1 and on. I swear I find stuff faster with the books than kids armed with Chessbase. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <SimonWebbsTiger: Am the happy owner of Informators 1 and on.> Congratulations! You are the first person I have known to own a copy of number 1. <I swear I find stuff faster with the books than kids armed with Chessbase.> I like the way you think, <Simon>. |
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Oct-31-12
 | | perfidious: <Infohunter> I, too have a copy of Informator 1, though mine is packed away, along with most every other chess book belonging to me. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <perfidious> OK, that makes you the second. I must have been missing something all these years. |
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Oct-31-12
 | | perfidious: <Infohunter> Back in 1983, got volumes 1-7 from a player in Boston who was getting out of things ($50 for the lot). All in decent shape too! In the 1990s, there were two stores in Montreal where Informators could be had. Specialiste d'Echecs is long gone, but I don't know about Larry Bevand's place-haven't been to Montreal in a number of years. Always enjoyed visiting the city though. |
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Oct-31-12 | | Infohunter: <perfidious:
...
In the 1990s, there were two stores in Montreal where Informators could be had. Specialiste d'Echecs is long gone, but I don't know about Larry Bevand's place-haven't been to Montreal in a number of years. Always enjoyed visiting the city though.> I've never been to Montreal. I just might have to make a pilgrimage to that city one of these days, if that Larry Bevand is still in business. |
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Nov-01-12
 | | perfidious: <Infohunter> Larry's shop was in Rue Berri, just north of Sherbrooke, though the last time I visited the store was ca 1997. |
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Nov-01-12 | | Infohunter: <perfidious> What is (or was) the name of his shop? |
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Nov-01-12
 | | perfidious: <Infohunter> Funnily enough, I do not remember, nor could I give directions if asked. If I were to drive there today, it would be little trouble. |
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Nov-01-12 | | Infohunter: <perfidious> My, how tantalizing this is. |
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