Posting chess games, positions and variations

Technical information will be posted here, use it to ask questions too.

Paul Habershon
Posts: 550
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paul Habershon » Fri Mar 21, 2014 3:25 pm

None of the 4 threads mentioned went very far, though the most useful seems to be the second one where Carl suggests using FEN through chessgames.com.

Can diagrams or games be posted direct from Fritz 12 or ChessBase 10?

I repeat, any instructions need to be in step-by-step detail.

John McKenna

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by John McKenna » Fri Mar 21, 2014 3:35 pm

A simple manual solution might be just to create a PGN file copy the contents to the clipboard and paste into a post then "select all" the PGN that appears in the post and go to the top of the posting area and click on 'pgn'. That should put around your PGN content. Then submit the post and pray it works. If it does try playing thru; the game using the arrows below the board and see what happens...

Edit: surprised myself there by posting an initial-array board without intention!?
Looks like games and diags are dealt with in the same way - don't remember doing a diag.

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21291
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Roger de Coverly » Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:26 pm

Paul Habershon wrote: Can diagrams or games be posted direct from Fritz 12 or ChessBase 10?

I repeat, any instructions need to be in step-by-step detail.
It's probably easier to say that you need to learn a couple of standard techniques. First is how to save a game or position from Fritz or ChessBase as a file onto your local disk. Second is how to move a file from your local disk into the posting area of the forum. Putting a {pgn} or {pos} tag around it is then no more difficult than putting a {quote} tag around it.

User avatar
Paolo Casaschi
Posts: 1186
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:46 am

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paolo Casaschi » Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:27 pm

You can either post full games or a position.

For full games (with or without annotations) get from your software the PGN export of the games and enclose those in this tag:

Code: Select all

[pgn] ... [/pgn]
For a position, get from your software the FEN string and enclose that in this tag:

Code: Select all

[pos] ... [/pos]
Notes:
- all chess software should be able to export games in PGN format and position as FEN strings; if you don't know how then refer to the manual/help of your chess software
- if you post games or a position following these instructions and the square A8 on the resulting chessboard is flashing, this means your PGN text or your FEN string is incorrect and needs fixing (you might click square A8 for more info)

For more info about the PGN format: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Game_Notation
For more info about FEN strings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth%E2 ... s_Notation

For example, this gives your the games of today's candidates:

Code: Select all

[pgn]

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Russia"]
[Date "2014.03.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Karjakin"]
[Black "Aronian"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O
6. O-O Re8 7. Nbd2 a6 8. Bxc6 dxc6 9. Nc4 Nd7 10. b4 Bd6
11. Qb3 Nf8 12. Bg5 Qd7 13. Be3 Ng6 14. Nfd2 Bf8 15. d4 Qe7
16. dxe5 Be6 17. Qc2 Bxc4 18. Nxc4 Nxe5 19. Nd2 a5 20. a3 axb4
21. axb4 Qe6 22. f3 Nc4 23. Bf4 c5 24. b5 Nd6 25. Rxa8 Rxa8
26. Rb1 b6 27. e5 Nc4 28. Qe4 Ra4 29. Rc1 h6 30. h4 Nb2
31. c4 Qd7 32. Rb1 Ra2 33. Be3 Na4 34. Rb3 Rxd2 35. Bxd2 Qxd2
36. Rd3 Qc1+ 37. Kh2 Nb2 38. Rd8 Qxc4 39. Qa8 Qxh4+ 40. Kg1 Qe1+
41. Kh2 Qxe5+ 42. g3 Qe2+ 43. Kh3 Nd3 44. Rxf8+ Kh7 45. Re8 Nf2+
46. Kh4 Qxb5 47. g4 Qc4 48. Qc8 Qf4 49. Qf5+ Qxf5 50. gxf5 c4
51. Re7 c5 52. Rxf7 c3 53. f6 Kg6

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Russia"]
[Date "2014.03.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Kramnik"]
[Black "Mamedyarov"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5
6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Qc2 c5 8. e3 Qa5 9. Bd3 c4 10. Bf5 O-O
11. O-O Re8 12. Nd2 g6 13. Bxd7 Nxd7 14. h4 b5 15. a4 Bxc3
16. bxc3 b4 17. cxb4 Qxb4 18. Nb1 Qd6 19. Nc3 Qc6 20. Rfb1 Ba6
21. Qd1 f6 22. Bf4 Rad8 23. Qf3 Nf8 24. Bh6 Kf7 25. Rb2 Ne6
26. Rab1 Ng7 27. g4 Kg8 28. Qf4 Kf7 29. e4 Ne6 30. exd5 Nxf4
31. dxc6 g5 32. hxg5 fxg5 33. c7 Rd6 34. Bxg5 Nh3+ 35. Kg2 Nxg5
36. d5 Bc8 37. Rb8 Rf6 38. Ra8 Rf4 39. f3 Rxf3 40. d6 Bxg4
41. Rxe8 Kxe8 42. Rb8+ Kf7 43. Rd8 Bh3+ 44. Kh2 Rxc3 45. d7 Rc2+
46. Kg3 Rg2+ 47. Kh4 Be6 48. Rf8+ Kxf8 49. c8=Q+ Kg7 50. Qb7 Nf3+
51. Qxf3 Rh2+ 52. Kg5 h6+ 53. Kf4 Rh4+

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Russia"]
[Date "2014.03.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Svidler"]
[Black "Anand"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 O-O
6. O-O d6 7. Nbd2 Ne7 8. Re1 c6 9. Ba4 Bb6 10. d4 Ng6
11. h3 exd4 12. cxd4 d5 13. e5 Nh5 14. Nf1 Nhf4 15. Bc2 f6
16. Ng3 fxe5 17. Bxg6 Nxg6 18. Bg5 Qc7 19. Nxe5 Nxe5 20. Rxe5 h6
21. Bh4 Qf7 22. Nh5 Be6 23. Re3 Bd8 24. Rf3 Qxf3 25. gxf3 Bxh4
26. Kg2 Rf7 27. Rc1 Raf8 28. Rc3 Bg5 29. Ng3 Re7 30. b4 a6
31. a4 Bd7 32. Qb3 Kh8 33. b5 cxb5 34. axb5 Bxb5 35. Qxd5 Rd7
36. Qe4 Bc6 37. Rxc6 bxc6 38. Qxc6 Rxd4

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"]
[Site "Russia"]
[Date "2014.03.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Andreikin"]
[Black "Topalov"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bxf6 Qxf6
6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Qc2 O-O 8. e3 c5 9. dxc5 Nd7 10. cxd5 exd5
11. Nb3 a5 12. a4 b6 13. c6 Bb4+ 14. Kd1 Nc5 15. Nbd4 Ne4
16. Bb5 g5 17. h3 h5 18. Kc1 Bc5 19. Kb1 Re8 20. Ka2 Ra7
21. Rad1 Kf8 22. Rhf1 Kg7 23. Ka1 Bf8 24. Ne2 Rd8 25. h4 g4
26. Nf4 Kg8 27. Nxd5

[/pgn]


This code instead gives you the final position of Aronian's game:

Code: Select all

[pos]8/5Rp1/1p3Pkp/2p5/7K/2p2P2/5n2/8 w - - 1 54[/pos]

Paul Habershon
Posts: 550
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paul Habershon » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:19 pm

Trying to follow help given above and experimenting with random game and position which I have in my ChessBase 10. Not sure how it will work out.


Paul Habershon
Posts: 550
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paul Habershon » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:27 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:Trying to follow help given above and experimenting with random game and position which I have in my ChessBase 10. Not sure how it will work out.

Partially successful, but I somehow posted it twice. However, the first diagram did not have the move arrows underneath and the second diagram was apparently in automatic play-through mode, which I was unable to stop. Also lots of unnecessary garbage in symbol form remained unintentionally included.

Helpful comments welcome.

User avatar
Paolo Casaschi
Posts: 1186
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:46 am

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paolo Casaschi » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:34 pm

Paul Habershon wrote:Trying to follow help given above and experimenting with random game and position which I have in my ChessBase 10. Not sure how it will work out.
It looks better like this:



Position after 40...Nc5



It did not work for you because you nested the pos tag within the pgn tag:

Code: Select all

[pgn] xxx [pos] yyy [/pos] [/pgn]
Instead, you should have closed the pgn tag before opening the pos tag:

Code: Select all

[pgn] xxx [/pgn] [pos] yyy [/pos]

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Carl Hibbard » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:38 pm

I am not using the latest version it seems?
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21291
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:40 pm

Paolo Casaschi wrote: Instead, you should have closed the pgn tag before opening the pos tag:

Code: Select all

[pgn] xxx [/pgn] [pos] yyy [/pos]
Could you remind us how to start with a position and follow it up with a few moves? I think you have to embed the start position inside the pgn, but what's the syntax?

User avatar
Paolo Casaschi
Posts: 1186
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:46 am

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paolo Casaschi » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:46 pm

Carl Hibbard wrote:I am not using the latest version it seems?
No. The only novelty you are missing is the ability to invoke an analysis board (engine included) by clicking E8.

If you want to get that, download the latest version from http://pgn4web.casaschi.net and modify the pgn/pos tag definition adding the parameter ee=t to the board.html?xx=yy line, it should just work then.

Apart from this new feature I do not think you are missing much.

User avatar
Paolo Casaschi
Posts: 1186
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:46 am

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paolo Casaschi » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:52 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote:Could you remind us how to start with a position and follow it up with a few moves? I think you have to embed the start position inside the pgn, but what's the syntax?
Entering this (note the FEN tag in the header with the string corresponding to the starting position):

Code: Select all

[pgn][Event "41st Olympiad Open 2014"]
[Site "Tromso NOR"]
[Date "2014.08.12"]
[Round "10.3"]
[White "Saric, Ivan"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1-0"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2q2k1/1p2bp2/p5pQ/2pPr2b/P1B2P2/1P1P3P/2P3P1/R4RK1 w - - 0 25"]

{ White to move and win against the world champion: }
25. d6! Re2 26. dxe7 Qxe7 27. f5 Qh4 28. Qf4 g5 29. Qxh4 gxh4 30. Rf4 Rxc2
31. Rxh4 Be2 32. Re4 Rd2 33. Re7 Bxd3 34. Bxf7 Kf8 35. f6 Rd8 36. Bh5 Kg8
37. Re8 1-0[/pgn]
will get you this chessboard:


I believe chessbase should be able to generate this kind of PGN fragment, but I can't confirm since I do not have chessbase or fritz. You might have to save a game fragment somehow or to delete the preceding moves. Just try and error until you get it :-)

User avatar
Paolo Casaschi
Posts: 1186
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:46 am

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paolo Casaschi » Wed Aug 13, 2014 8:56 pm

Paolo Casaschi wrote:
Roger de Coverly wrote:Could you remind us how to start with a position and follow it up with a few moves? I think you have to embed the start position inside the pgn, but what's the syntax?
Entering this (note the FEN tag in the header with the string corresponding to the starting position):
...
will get you this chessboard:
...
There's even the possibility to hide the moves text until you click a button, so you can show a puzzle, but Carl has not enabled this yet.
Look at the last example at the bottom of this page: http://pgn4web-test.casaschi.net/phpbb/ ... hp?f=2&t=2
Instructions for Carl to create the puzzle tag at the bottom of this page: https://code.google.com/p/pgn4web/wiki/User_Notes_phpBB

Roger de Coverly
Posts: 21291
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Roger de Coverly » Wed Aug 13, 2014 9:04 pm

Paolo Casaschi wrote: You might have to save a game fragment somehow or to delete the preceding moves. Just try and error until you get it :-)
If you've got the pgn or move text for the whole game, there's a trick. Paste the pgn to this forum and put the pgn tags around it. Go into Preview mode and play through the game until you reach the required position. Click the b8 square of the pgn4web display to get the "Fen". Return to Edit mode and paste the Fen into the pgn at the right place. And the final bit, stick in the FEN tag as indicated, remembering that in the embedded context you use FEN rather than "pos".

I've been watching the Olympiad mostly on chessbomb and you can capture the moves from there by copy and paste. I wanted to put in those variations where we were trying to work out whether David Howell's opponent had resigned in a drawn position, but I had forgotten the FEN syntax needed by the pgn standard.

Paul Habershon
Posts: 550
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2010 5:51 pm

Re: Posting chess games, positions and variations

Post by Paul Habershon » Sun Mar 06, 2016 11:26 pm

Practice at posting a position again. How I missed a mate in two in a recent 4NCL game. White to move.

I actually played 1 fxe6 and won, but of course I missed 1 Qg8+! which I would probably have found if it had been on a puzzle page.

I now need to get more data, such as players' names, next to the diagram.

Post Reply