Re: Notation
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:47 pm
Evans wrote:
Your last note, crust, is rather interesting.
That Black plays first may be a little confusing for players who have come to the game right off chess, but that brings up an intriguing point. For all that we complain about our lack of knowledge of Tafl from the Old Norse Sagas, we have ignored one important note. Both the Friðþjófs Saga (though it more implies it) and the Hervarar Saga (better known to some perhaps as the Saga of King Heidrek), in the Heithreksgátur (riddles of Heithrek), agree that the Attackers are coloured White and the Defenders Black (or red). It is strange that we have ignored this despite the fact that we yearn for more from these sagas. This practice would also have it so that White DOES move first (just a bit easier), and would be more historically correct. For the moment our current practice is fine, but maybe it would be better to normalize our notation so that the Attackers are White and the Defenders Black in time, especially if we form an official association.
Also, when we notate Hnefatafl perhaps it would be profitable to standardize notations for the quadrants of the board, for easier reference, especially in theory if we talk of which corner the Defenders (who I will still call White) are attacking, although the board is symmetrical (and so are the openings, but it is specifically useful in middlegame references). And on this, perhaps it would also be best to standardize (again in the future) where players sit in live tournaments. I know this seems rather small, but it is easier for seeing which corner is being attacked, so that we say that the 'Attacker' player is sitting in front of the 1st Rank while the 'Defender' player is sitting in front of the 11th Rank.
Evans
Your last note, crust, is rather interesting.
That Black plays first may be a little confusing for players who have come to the game right off chess, but that brings up an intriguing point. For all that we complain about our lack of knowledge of Tafl from the Old Norse Sagas, we have ignored one important note. Both the Friðþjófs Saga (though it more implies it) and the Hervarar Saga (better known to some perhaps as the Saga of King Heidrek), in the Heithreksgátur (riddles of Heithrek), agree that the Attackers are coloured White and the Defenders Black (or red). It is strange that we have ignored this despite the fact that we yearn for more from these sagas. This practice would also have it so that White DOES move first (just a bit easier), and would be more historically correct. For the moment our current practice is fine, but maybe it would be better to normalize our notation so that the Attackers are White and the Defenders Black in time, especially if we form an official association.
Also, when we notate Hnefatafl perhaps it would be profitable to standardize notations for the quadrants of the board, for easier reference, especially in theory if we talk of which corner the Defenders (who I will still call White) are attacking, although the board is symmetrical (and so are the openings, but it is specifically useful in middlegame references). And on this, perhaps it would also be best to standardize (again in the future) where players sit in live tournaments. I know this seems rather small, but it is easier for seeing which corner is being attacked, so that we say that the 'Attacker' player is sitting in front of the 1st Rank while the 'Defender' player is sitting in front of the 11th Rank.
Evans