From: gls@windmill.ATT.COM (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Subject: Smythescript marches on!
Organization: Jack of Clubs Precision Instruments Co.
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 15:42:39 GMT

A random sampling of readers' messages:

				O-O-O

From: "Dr. Michael J. White" <mwhite@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu>

	Hi! I would like to know more about Smythescript.
	Can you mention a reference?

ANSWER:  The best reference is a rare typescript by Smythe himself.  I
own the only known remaining copy, which I keep in an underground vault
guarded by giant centipedes.

The June-July 1992 issue of _Chess Chow_ has an article by a self-appointed
expert on Smythescript (and everything else).

				O-O-O

From: tcmaint@pogo.wv.tek.com (TeleCom Maintenance)

	The notation used is a particular something. I am wondering if you
	could post instructions on how to understand and use this code.
	Perhaps how to translate it into "standard" chess notation.

ANSWER:  The _Chess Chow_ article was sneakily copied from an article in
rec.games.chess.  I will see if I can arrange to have it added to the
Frequently Asked Questions list.

				O-O-O

From: John G Dobnick <jgd@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>

	>> > # 1. A- S- 2. 7XXU 31 3. F A- 4. 3C N 5. 4 7XS 6. T 3X1 7. N- 7XI
	>> > # 8. 34 H- 9. 32 4
	>
	>                      ....  Here's the same game in Old Notation: ...

	"Old Notation"?   Shouldn't that be "algebraic notation"?  I always
	thought "old notation" was the traditional
		
		1. P-Q3  P-KN3
		2. N-KB3 B-KN2
		  etc.

This is a common confusion.  "Algebraic Notation" is the old name for
Old Notation.  "Algebraic" is of course a misnomer; it ought to be called
"Analytic Geometry Notation."

The P-Q3 style is called "English Descriptive Notation." To appreciate
English Descriptive Notation to the full, you should write it out without
abbreviating:

			1

	Pawn to the Queen's third square.
	Pawn to the King's Knight's third square.

			2

	Knight to the King Bishop's third square.
	Bishop to the King Knight's second square.

Your opponent is sure to be intimidated when you pull out a blank score
sheet the size of a tablecloth!

				O-O-O

From: trb@ima.isc.com (Andrew Tannenbaum)

	In article <1992Sep11.010728.17906@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> you write:
	>	Breathe deep, the gathering gloom

	From N's in White Satin?

ANSWER:  Why do we never get an answer?

				O-O-O

From: fry@math.harvard.edu (David Fry)

	You people are crazy. :-)

ANSWER:  Note that this message comes from an institution best known for
the _National Lampoon._

From: mccarthy@glacier.stanford.edu (Anthony McCarthy)

	I believe there is a mistake in notation on move 24 of game 5.

ANSWER:  Say, you're right!  I must be more careful about pawn captures.
Here are the correct scores:

   Game 1       Game 2       Game 3       Game 4       Game 5       Game 6    
Bobby Boris  Boris Bobby  Bobby Boris  Boris Bobby  Bobby Boris  Boris Bobby  
F     F      A     7XXI   F     F      A     A      F     F      A     A
7XXU  7XS    N     S-     7XXU  7XS    N     K      7XXU  7XS    N     K
34    T-     7XN   31     34    T-     7XXU  7XXI   34    T-     7XXU  7XXI
3A    7XI    F     A-     3A    7XI    F-    F-     3A    7XI    F-    F-
4     31     I-    N      4     31     K     N      4     31     K     N
5     U      K     J      5     U      4     T-     5     U      4     T-
3Z    4      K     J      3Z    A-     AK    8K     3Z    A-     AK    8K
N-    A-     3E2   7T     N-    4      J     K      N-    4      J     K
H-    7XU    7XXT  U-     H-    7XU    U-    7XH    H-    7XU    U-    7XH
A     7XH    6     7I     A     7XH    3XXC1 U-     A     7XH    3XXC1 U
7XXA  3      S-    7A     7XXA  3      7XXN  3X     7XXA  3      3Z2   3X
3Z    5P     I     F-     3Z    5P     5X2   3E2    3Z    5P     7XXA  0T
7XXH  3XX    3E2   0Z     7XXH  3XX    7XXT  5L2    7XXH  3XX    T     UK
7XXN  S-     5P2   H-     7XXN  S-     I-    U      7XXN  S-     5J    5P6
34    H-     F     3X1    34    H-     3Z2   3A2    34    H-     5P1   3X2
33    3XZ    S     5L3    33    F      0P    0T     33    F      7XU   3E
T     N      7XXA  I-     NJ    N      F     S      NJ    N      7UK   7J
A     N      7A    IK     3E2   NK     7XXI  S      A     7XF    5K    J
U     7XXA   I     3K     7J    7XS    3XC   U      3C3   7T     J     I-
3XXE1 H      J     SK     U-    A      5K    7J     U-    3XZ    3Z2   31K
8H1   5XXL   SJ    7H     8H1   A      3E    5P4    5L2   8Z2    5J    7I
5H2   7H     5XXL1 W      7J    7XF    7XXU  SK     5P1   U      5T1   I
54    8T     0J    3      3XZ1  5L2    SJ    7T     7XXF  8C1    3C    7H
5H    5P3    7N    J      5H1   I      7XXA  3C     T-    U      5W    0C
8A    3C     5P1   K      3K    J      0H    53     32    I      3K    7I
8P2   8E     54    0E     7XXH  53K    H     5XT1   3K    8J     K     5K
7XXI  3A     5P    32     7F    7F     7XXI  5P5    7XXN  I      H     H
7XXT  0T     5T    K      53    7S     3A    H      7XXA  S      3Z2   0L
7F    7IK    0E    H      7J    8K     5L3   0Z     7XU   8A1    0E    5T1
J     I      53W   0A     J     5T1    0C    T      8E3   7K     0H    7N
3X2   3K     5P1   33     7XA   0A     5H4   T      7H    HJ     I     7S
TK    TJ     U-    H      H     3E     U     7U     83K   7F     0P    7T
54    0A     0E    5P1    7XXN  S      U     7XS    82K   7K     3E1   F
7XXA  5K     3XXC1 H      HK    J      7XXN  F      5K    TXX    0L    7H
5J    5P2    5L4   H      7XF   3XXZ1  7K    J      5L4   7U     0T    7T
S     HK     3XXE1 5P1    7XXU  5T1    5PW   0E     5L2   T8     3E    7S
J     5K     KW    0L     7XF   5H     5P    7K     5XXK  J      0A    7U
8J    I      0C    K      7XA   5T1    3C1   5T4    0     8E6    31    5T
31K   J      33K   51W    7XF   5H     3E1   W      8Z4   W      0     5H1
7A    3E2    0E    7H     15           J     7N     S     5XXL   52    0L
83W   0P     0H    7I                  3E2   5L1    8Z1   8E1    5T1   0Z
7XT   3XE    3XX4  5T4                 5W    0L     I     5XT    0H    5L3
8LK   0C     3C3   5T2                 3Z1   7U     5     5      5P1   7S
7XF   W      T     5P3                 K     0A     5L    8P     3CW   0H
0H    3W     3C2   T                   5PW   0E     S     54K    K     5H
3     3W     3XA   5K                  3Z1   I-     30           3Z1   5T
7J    3A     0A    7H                  5P1   0A                  53W   0A
7TK   7T     0C    7F                  U     5L                  5T1   0A
7AK   7I     3XXZ1 5H1                 55    3K                  3C3   54
8C    30     0P    7T                  H     30                  3A1   7U
             3A    5P                                            0T    7S
             3K    53                                            0H    7U
             3ZK   T                                             3E1   5L2
             3A1   T                                             3A1   5P2
             N     7A                                            0P    7S
             0E    53                                            5L    5K
             K     7I                                            0C    7W
             N     W                                             0     7N
             3     15                                            W     0A
                                                                 3E1   5H5
                                                                 K     J
                                                                 15
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
gls@windmill.att.COM
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess