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diff --git a/data/book/fen.doc b/data/book/fen.doc new file mode 100644 index 0000000..da5570c --- /dev/null +++ b/data/book/fen.doc @@ -0,0 +1,130 @@ + +Opening classification uses modified FEN notation, i.e. the halfmove and +fullmove numbers are dropped since these are irrelvant for opening positions. + +--- + +16.1.1: History + +FEN is based on a 19th century standard for position recording designed by the +Scotsman David Forsyth, a newspaper journalist. The original Forsyth standard +has been slightly extended for use with chess software by Steven Edwards with +assistance from commentators on the Internet. This new standard, FEN, was +first implemented in Edwards' SAN Kit. + +16.1.2: Uses for a position notation + +Having a standard position notation is particularly important for chess +programmers as it allows them to share position databases. For example, +there exist standard position notation databases with many of the classical +benchmark tests for chessplaying programs, and by using a common position +notation format many hours of tedious data entry can be saved. Additionally, +a position notation can be useful for page layout programs and for confirming +position status for e-mail competition. + +Many interesting chess problem sets represented using FEN can be found at the +chess.uoknor.edu ftp site in the directory pub/chess/SAN_testsuites. + + +16.1.3: Data fields + +FEN specifies the piece placement, the active color, the castling +availability, the en passant target square, the halfmove clock, and the +fullmove number. These can all fit on a single text line in an easily +read format. The length of a FEN position description varies somewhat +according to the position. In some cases, the description could be eighty +or more characters in length and so may not fit conveniently on some +displays. However, these positions aren't too common. + +A FEN description has six fields. Each field is composed only of non-blank +printing ASCII characters. Adjacent fields are separated by a single ASCII +space character. + + +16.1.3.1: Piece placement data + +The first field represents the placement of the pieces on the board. The +board contents are specified starting with the eighth rank and ending with +the first rank. For each rank, the squares are specified from file a to +file h. White pieces are identified by uppercase SAN piece letters +("PNBRQK") and black pieces are identified by lowercase SAN piece letters +("pnbrqk"). Empty squares are represented by the digits one through eight; +the digit used represents the count of contiguous empty squares along a +rank. A solidus character "/" is used to separate data of adjacent ranks. + + +16.1.3.2: Active color + +The second field represents the active color. A lower case "w" is used if +White is to move; a lower case "b" is used if Black is the active player. + + +16.1.3.3: Castling availability + +The third field represents castling availability. This indicates potential +future castling that may of may not be possible at the moment due to blocking +pieces or enemy attacks. If there is no castling availability for either +side, the single character symbol "-" is used. Otherwise, a combination of +from one to four characters are present. If White has kingside castling +availability, the uppercase letter "K" appears. If White has queenside +castling availability, the uppercase letter "Q" appears. If Black has +kingside castling availability, the lowercase letter "k" appears. If +Black has queenside castling availability, then the lowercase letter "q" +appears. Those letters which appear will be ordered first uppercase before +lowercase and second kingside before queenside. There is no white space +between the letters. + + +16.1.3.4: En passant target square + +The fourth field is the en passant target square. If there is no en passant +target square then the single character symbol "-" appears. If there is an +en passant target square then is represented by a lowercase file character +immediately followed by a rank digit. Obviously, the rank digit will be "3" +following a white pawn double advance (Black is the active color) or else be +the digit "6" after a black pawn double advance (White being the active +color). + +An en passant target square is given if and only if the last move was a pawn +advance of two squares. Therefore, an en passant target square field may have +a square name even if there is no pawn of the opposing side that may +immediately execute the en passant capture. + + +16.1.3.5: Halfmove clock + +The fifth field is a nonnegative integer representing the halfmove clock. +This number is the count of halfmoves (or ply) since the last pawn advance +or capturing move. This value is used for the fifty move draw rule. + + +16.1.3.6: Fullmove number + +The sixth and last field is a positive integer that gives the fullmove number. +This will have the value "1" for the first move of a game for both White and +Black. It is incremented by one immediately after each move by Black. + + +16.1.4: Examples + +Here's the FEN for the starting position: + +rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1 + +And after the move 1. e4: + +rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq e3 0 1 + +And then after 1. ... c5: + +rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq c6 0 2 + +And then after 2. Nf3: + +rnbqkbnr/pp1ppppp/8/2p5/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 1 2 + +For two kings on their home squares and a white pawn on e2 (White to move) +with thirty eight full moves played with five halfmoves since the last pawn +move or capture: + +4k3/8/8/8/8/8/4P3/4K3 w - - 5 39 |