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Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 2:24 pm
by Richard Bates
Why do almost score sheets produced* (in England anyway) still include a line for recording the "Opening". I say "still" but I struggle to see that it ever served a purpose, so the word is probably redundant to the question. Does anyone ever even fill it in, let alone do so for any reason?

*i think the revolutionaries organising the 4ncl have long since committed the heresy of doing away with them on their bespoke spreadsheets, but they're still the only exception I've seen.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 2:35 pm
by Roger de Coverly
Richard Bates wrote:Why do almost score sheets produced* (in England anyway) still include a line for recording the "Opening". .
I think it's mostly the "Chess & Bridge" produced ones, as at least some of the smaller suppliers omit it. You could argue the need for a diagram as well, but there are still leagues with either or both of adjournments or adjudications.

Old Chess Sutton Coldfield scoresheets from the 1960s don't have "Opening" on them.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 2:51 pm
by Matt Mackenzie
I usually fill my space in (same with my scorebooks) even if its only with an ECO code :)

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 3:35 pm
by NickFaulks
Richard Bates wrote:Why do almost score sheets produced* (in England anyway) still include a line for recording the "Opening".
I find it useful as a space in which to record the time control, which really is a matter of interest.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:36 pm
by Nick Burrows
Good point, I have never used it and always thought it a peculiar addition.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 4:51 pm
by IanCalvert
My "New In Chess" scorebooks do not have an opening field.

I assume German scorebooks and scoresheets follow the Dutch ?! :)

In a Bronowski match (Insurance v Banks,27/3/2017) played at Standard Chartered a small picture of the great man was included at the top of the scoresheet.

i can't help wondering what was the design of the most eccentric, English scoresheet ever? :)

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2017 5:11 pm
by Nick Grey
If playing a Surrey League game you could record the 2 offers from the away player and the one accepted at the start of the game. Would help with possible dispute at the time control.
Or record "would you like a drink"?
I think I last used it in a scorebook in the mid 70s when I was playing for my school. I also later added the odd congress to the scorebook leaving blank pages until I played through the game and re-recorded it. I believe there was the odd strange comment.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:37 am
by Jacques Parry
Roger de Coverly wrote:Old Chess Sutton Coldfield scoresheets from the 1960s don't have "Opening" on them.
My first scorebook did, and that must have been 1962 or thereabouts (the Sutton Coldfield outfit attracted young customers by offering schools half-price subscriptions to the magazine). I remember filling in things like "French Defence (by transposition)" and being rather proud of knowing both the concept of transposition and the word for it.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:58 am
by Christopher Kreuzer
Am trying to remember some of the more exotic scoresheet designs I have seen. Some of us keep scoresheets for a long time... Am tempted to have a look and see how many different designs I have used. over the years! There may be better uses of the time though. :wink:

Even have a couple of scoresheet designs from other countries. My recollection is that these tend to be more likely to have a space for the rating of the players.

Maybe some of the chess collectors have collections. Certainly cheaper and takes up less room. You'd need two copies of each - one used and one unused. Carbon copy scoresheets would be a pain.

World championship scoresheets would be very collectible and worth something.

I wonder what the oldest exant scoresheet design is?

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 8:19 am
by Clive Blackburn
I always fill in that box but never with the name of the opening!

At my club we use the Chess & Bridge score sheets and I find that when playing in one of the local league matches there is not enough space on the Event line to record all of the details (name of the Home team, name of the Away team, name of the competition). I therefore use the Opening line as well, since it is about twice the length.

I use the unlabeled box on the right-hand side to record the board number.

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 9:23 am
by Adam Raoof
When I "designed" the scoresheets for Hampstead I dropped the diagram as nobody I knew seemed to use them (except players in the London League).

The field for the Opening also seemed like a waste of space so I dropped that too! You need lots of space to write moves though... to encourage legibility.

http://chesscircuit.blogspot.co.uk/2015 ... s-for.html

Re: Random musing - scoresheet design

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:14 pm
by Paul McKeown
I always find the extra space useful to note down the time control. Every league or tournament seems to have different conditions.