From: Pieter Stouten <stouten <at> SHOGI <dot> NET>
Date: 20 mar 2001
Subject: Re: About the name of the pieces

On 01/03/20 at 11:18 +0100, Arnoud Kleynjan wrote:

>I wouldn't mind using B33, but I think B3c is already "common practice",
>isn't it?
>
Yes, and I think that that should be factored in any discussion on
adopting a new standard. The piece-digit-letter (PDL) and algebraic
notations are distinctly different, but to my mind the
digit-digit-piece (DDP) and PDL notations are next to equivalent.

>I've checked; B3c is used:
>-by Reijer in his Shukan Shogi updates.
>-in the "suggested notation" for ladder games
>-by Matt Casters in his Java database.
>And a whole bunch of other sites I browsed through.
>
The vinyl boards George Hodges sells/sold also employ that system,
and there are quite many of those around. In fact, John Fairbairn and
George may have been the ones to introduce the PDL notation system,
which with some minor adjustments (omission of the dash, single quote
and asterisk both indicating drops) is still in use today. I think
most (all, perhaps) European associations also use the PDL format in
their newsletters.

It is interesting that history truly repeats itself. Admitted, the
actors are different but the play is the same. Check out the thread
that Reijer Grimbergen started on 13 January 1996. The relevant
postings can be found at
<http://www.shogi.net/shogi-l/Archive/1996index.html>.

Ciao,

Pieter