Letter #43 -  2007

Sub:    Which piece is being moved
Date:   12/13/2007 12:54:49 P.M. MST
From:  Anthony
To:      service@chess-poster.com

Dear Chess-Poster people,

Would you please explain one “Anonymous” emailers suggestion that the following 2 moves would be the shortest possible game, won by black:

1. g4 e5
2. f3 Qh4#

I just don't get it. In your reply you did agree that it was the shortest possible checkmate. I refer to your webpage:

http://www.chess-poster.com/english/mail/mail_2003/shortest_game_ever.htm

But, at game start, there are no chessman in rank&file "g4". So which pieces are being moved?

I am a novice so, would you be so kind as to comment on the foregoing moves using plain language, and how this checkmate would occur.

Thank you so much for your time.
Anthony

Dear viewer,

Pawns have a slightly different form of notation than minor pieces (Bishops/Knights) and major pieces (Queen/Rooks).

You wrote: "at game start, there are no chessman in rank&file g4".

Pawns movements are annotated only to the square they landed on or moved to. So, "g4" means that the white Pawn on "g2" moved to "g4" and "e5" shows black Pawn on "e7" moving to "e5". It will never be annotated as "Pg4" or "g2-g4" for white and "Pe5" or "e7-e5" for black. This is the rule and is followed by everybody.

For more info see the following link:

http://www.chess-poster.com/english/mail/mail_2007/question_regarding_annotation.htm

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