Reference
135
into the Windows clipboard. Switch to ChessBase, press "S" for position entry and click
the button Paste ASCII or Paste FEN. The position will appear on the board. You can
test it in this help file: copy one of the strings given above and paste it in ChessBase.
You should get the position shown in the top picture.
To generate position descriptions click Copy ASCII or Copy FEN in the position input
window. The description is copied into the Windows clipboard and can be inserted in
any word processor by pressing Ctrl-V.
Note:
ChessBase is pretty flexible in interpreting ASCII diagram descriptions. For instance
it ignores text that surrounds the description, unless there is a word that can be
interpreted as a piece and square. You can test this by copying all of the above text
and pasting it as ASCII.
White and black pieces can alternate. After it finds a “w” ChessBase will switch to
white pieces, after “b” to black pieces. The above position will be correctly read even
if the pieces are mixed (wKh3, bKd2, wQh1, bQf4, bBd3, wNf2, bNe3, wPe5, f6, h6,
bPd4).
The piece names must be in capitals, the colours in small letters (wK, not WK or
wk).
You can put one piece on a number of squares, e.g. wPa2, b2, d4, e5, f2, g2, h2.
Actually wPa2b2d4e5f2g2h2 works fine as well.
When you Paste ASCII or FEN the board is first emptied and then the pieces are
inserted. This means that you do not have to click Clear board first, but it also means
you cannot paste a few additional pieces to an existing position (you can add them
with the mouse).
3.1.8
Annotating games
There are many different forms of annotation:
Variations – alternative continuations that can be replayed on the board.
Text commentary – embedded in the game (e.g. “This is the critical position.”).
Symbol commentary – in the form of special chess symbols inserted before or after
ChessBase 2014