Still lost..

I've been meaning to learn how to post a chess puzzle, or perhaps ask for public opinions on a particular position on here. I see a number of you have posted positions etc. Just the other day, someone tried to explain to me and it seemed easy enough to do it. But now that I've tried to several times, I am still lost! Now I'm a bit primitive with this computer thing, you see. So I hope you can bear with me. Thanks. OK, so one more time from the top!... hehehehe

Originally posted by ckoh1965
I've been meaning to learn how to post a chess puzzle, or perhaps ask for public opinions on a particular position on here. I see a number of you have posted positions etc. Just the other day, someone tried to explain to me and it seemed easy enough to do it. But now that I've tried to several times, I am still lost! Now I'm a bit primitive with this comput ...[text shortened]... u see. So I hope you can bear with me. Thanks. OK, so one more time from the top!... hehehehe

You need to be more specific about what your problem is. Have you read the FAQ pages about this?

What is FEN = FAQ

The basics are explained on these pages but if anything specific is confusing you let us know what it is and we shall try to help.

[edits - man my typing really does suck and i removed some of the text shown in my next post below]

Originally posted by MCA
You need to be more specific about what your problem is. Have you read the FAQ pages about this?

What is FEN = FAQ

The basics are explained on these pages but if anything specific is confusing you let us know what it is and we shall try to help.

OK, I'll it out first and see if I can make anything out of it... thx.

Originally posted by ckoh1965
OK, I'll it out first and see if I can make anything out of it... thx.

having re-read the FAQ page it does appear that this could perhaps do with an update.

example FEN:

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR


basically the FEN is made up of the positions of the pieces (read from the top left and read down as per a paragraph of text) so that the first line of my example is:

rnbqkbnr = Rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook
as you can see the knights are denoted by an 'n' rather than a 'k' (this is used for the king)

the second line being the pawns:

pppppppp = eight pawns in a row

lines three and four are:

8 = eight blank squares

line five is

4P3 = four blank quares then a pawn and then three blank squares

line six is empty again:

8

line seven is:

PPPP1PPP = four pawns, one blank square followed by three pawns

line eight (bottom line of the board) is

RNBQKBNR = Rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, rook

Use lower case letters for black and UPPER case letters for white

Originally posted by MCA
having re-read the FAQ page it does appear that this could perhaps do with an update.

example FEN:

[b]rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR
[fen]rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR[/fen]

basically the FEN is made up of the positions of the pieces (read from the top left and read down as per a paragraph of text) so that the first l ...[text shortened]... op, knight, rook

Use lower case letters for black and UPPER case letters for white[/b]

Ah... now I think I'm getting the idea! But I think I'm gonna take at least half an hour just to set up one position... hehehehe.... thanks again man!

Originally posted by ckoh1965
Ah... now I think I'm getting the idea! But I think I'm gonna take at least half an hour just to set up one position... hehehehe.... thanks again man!

glad i could be of help.

dont worry - the more you use it the quicker you will become at creating them.

Originally posted by ckoh1965
Ah... now I think I'm getting the idea! But I think I'm gonna take at least half an hour just to set up one position... hehehehe.... thanks again man!

I enter the position in ChessBase and it generates the FEN. Most chess software can do this.

FEN is one way to describe a chess position, however, I've come up with my own little system, (which I often use) all you need is a little common sense.

See if anyone can work out the position, and then see if anyone can solve it!

W:- //Kh1/Qe2/Rf1,e4/Pa4,c5,d6,f3,g2//
B :-//kh6/Qf5/Rg7,e7/Pa6,b7,e5,f4,g4//

(BTM)

While its much longer than FEN strings, unlike FEN, its quite easy to decphier.

If you post the postion, you want in some format (like this^) then many people will be able to understand and paste the FEN for you....

Originally posted by Shinidoki
FEN is one way to describe a chess position, however, I've come up with my own little system, (which I often use) all you need is a little common sense.

See if anyone can work out the position, and then see if anyone can solve it!

W:- //Kh1/Qe2/Rf1,e4/Pa4,c5,d6,f3,g2//
B :-//kh6/Qf5/Rg7,e7/Pa6,b7,e5,f4,g4//

(BTM)

While its much longer than FE ...[text shortened]... e format (like this^) then many people will be able to understand and paste the FEN for you....

FEN was created particularly for software purposes and has the additional advantage that actually creating the position is much fastr than placing pieces on their squares in a "random" order. furthermore the notation you use lacks an indication of castling rights e.p. rights half moves since last pawn push/capture and move number.

Originally posted by Shinidoki
FEN is one way to describe a chess position, however, I've come up with my own little system, (which I often use) all you need is a little common sense.

See if anyone can work out the position, and then see if anyone can solve it!

W:- //Kh1/Qe2/Rf1,e4/Pa4,c5,d6,f3,g2//
B :-//kh6/Qf5/Rg7,e7/Pa6,b7,e5,f4,g4//

(BTM)

While its much longer than FE ...[text shortened]... e format (like this^) then many people will be able to understand and paste the FEN for you....

my example also lack's the 'extras' (just like shin's suggested format) but this is all that is required to show a particular position in a forum post ... which i believe was the purpose of the original question.

shin's is fine if you want to describe a position but if you actually want display the board then FEN is required.