What ia a FEN?

Originally posted by DOlivier2004
...but the forums give more reliable answers.

Originally posted by Bowmann
I think you're beyond help.

FEN stands for "Forsyth-Edwards Notation", and it uses ASCII characters to describe a chess position.

If you google "FEN chess" you can see how it works...for example:

http://www.chessville.com/Reference_Center/FEN_Description.htm

The significance of a FEN is that it can be used, for example, to place chess position diagrams in a post here at RHP, so that you can illustrate a board position, such as:




It was from this position, for example, that Frank Marshall (black), in 1912, made his famous Qg3 move, upon which his opponent, Levitzky, resigned.

FENs will tell you other things beside just the board position though, which is important when you "paste" a FEN into a chess software program to commence play from that position...the FEN will also indicate which Color can still castle, and to which side, (King or Queen side), it will tell you how many moves have been made since a pawn moved or since a capture was made... important to know for the 50 move rule... it will also tell you if en passant is available for the side to move...

That's basically the significance of FENs as far as RHP use is concerned...

Originally posted by DOlivier2004
So what? Ask Google, ask a forum of chess players. You'll get the same answer. Google is quicker, but the forums give more reliable answers.

Of course the forum also throws out the condescending answers, the sarcastic answers and the downright arrogant answers that you have to deal with. But the forum has one advantage Google doesn't: it identifies the village idiots to be ignored and avoided.

Originally posted by mikelom
Serious answers much appreciated, thank you all! At least I now know. Silly answers happily ignored by myself, as could have been to those who may have ignored my question if it was apparently silly to them! Alas, the nuclear phsyisist all had to have their jibe.