How to use ECO table?

Date: 03 Apr 2007 08:49:08
From: Tilak
Subject: How to use ECO table?

Dear members, I am learning to consult the ECO opening tables found in
John Nunn's opening's reference. I am not able to understand a few
notations in the guide. Please explain:

The use of ellipses in the tables indicates the same move above? What
if there are multiple ellipses? example:

The heading of the table is as follows:

1 e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6

6 7 8
1 Bg5 Bg5+ Qe2
Bg7 Bd7 a6
2 ... e5 Qc2
Nc6 fxe5 Nd2
3. ... Bb2 Bc2
... Bd3 Be3
4. ... ... Qd4
... ... Nc3

(the above moves are fictitious)

What is the role of the ellipse in (2) and the two ellipses in (3)

The list of variations below is a little difficult to understand:

1. 6. Be2, 6Be3, 6 Bc4 - p.220; 6 h3 Bg7 7 Bc4 0-0 8 0-0 - p.220; 6
Nd5 Bg7! (6...Nxe4?
7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Qc2 +-) 7 Bb5+ (7 Nxf6 Bxf6 8 Bxh6 Qb6) 7...Bd7 8 0-0 Nc6
=

The list of 3 6th moves for White I presume indicates what? What
follows is a list of variations, some variations start at the 6th
move, I suppose indicating a continuation to the heading, which
proceeds upto the 5th move. But many variations start at the 7th or
10th move, leaving me to wonder what I must presume to be the previous
2 or 3 moves.

Sincerely,
Mr. Balu

Date: 05 Apr 2007 11:06:38
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: How to use ECO table?

On Apr 4, 7:38 am, David Richerby <[email protected] >
wrote:
> [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "Tilak" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> What is the role of the ellipse in (2) and the two ellipses in (3)
>
> > NOw, the 'ellipse' ("...")
>
> BTW, it's `ellipsis': an ellipse is a squashed circle. The plural of
> both words is `elipses' but pronounced `ell-ip-SEEZ' for the dots and
> `ell-IP-siz' for the circles.
>
> Dave.
>
> --
> David Richerby Slimy Homicidal Dish (TM): it's likewww.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a fine ceramic dish but it wants to
> kill you and it's covered in goo!

Thanks, usenet police. You enhanced the conversation dramatically. Oh,
wait, maybe it isn't a 'conversation'...where is that dictionary....

Date: 04 Apr 2007 07:36:19
From: Tilak
Subject: Re: How to use ECO table?

On Apr 4, 4:38 pm, David Richerby <[email protected] >
wrote:
> [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "Tilak" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> What is the role of the ellipse in (2) and the two ellipses in (3)
>
> > NOw, the 'ellipse' ("...")
>
> BTW, it's `ellipsis': an ellipse is a squashed circle. The plural of
> both words is `elipses' but pronounced `ell-ip-SEEZ' for the dots and
> `ell-IP-siz' for the circles.
>
> Dave.
>
> --
> David Richerby Slimy Homicidal Dish (TM): it's likewww.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a fine ceramic dish but it wants to
> kill you and it's covered in goo!

I get the use of the table right below the first list of moves. But
after the table is the main list of variations. They are number 1,2,3
etc. The first list of variations start with the move after the moves
in the initial move list, in the above example - move 6. But further
variations start at move 7,8,9, or 10. For a variation starting at
move 8, what would be move 6 and 7. Some variations start at move 15
or 16. Note, this is not the table, but the list of variations I am
referring to.

Sincerely,
Mr. Balu

Date: 05 Apr 2007 12:02:31
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: How to use ECO table?

Tilak <[email protected] > wrote:
> I get the use of the table right below the first list of moves. But
> after the table is the main list of variations. They are number
> 1,2,3 etc. The first list of variations start with the move after
> the moves in the initial move list, in the above example - move 6.

In the table, there are small numbers after some of the moves. For
example, you might see something like ``Nc3 (14)'', where I'm using
the brackets to indicate the small number. That means you should look
at note 14 to see alternatives to the move Nc3.

Dave.

--
David Richerby Solar-Powered Newspaper (TM): it's
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ like a daily broadsheet but it doesn't
work in the dark!

Date: 03 Apr 2007 09:06:37
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: How to use ECO table?

On Apr 3, 11:49 am, "Tilak" <[email protected] > wrote:
> Dear members, I am learning to consult the ECO opening tables found in
> John Nunn's opening's reference. I am not able to understand a few
> notations in the guide. Please explain:
>
> The use of ellipses in the tables indicates the same move above? What
> if there are multiple ellipses? example:
>
> The heading of the table is as follows:
>
> 1 e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6
>
> 6 7 8
> 1 Bg5 Bg5+ Qe2
> Bg7 Bd7 a6
> 2 ... e5 Qc2
> Nc6 fxe5 Nd2
> 3. ... Bb2 Bc2
> ... Bd3 Be3
> 4. ... ... Qd4
> ... ... Nc3
>
> (the above moves are fictitious)
>
> What is the role of the ellipse in (2) and the two ellipses in (3)
>
> The list of variations below is a little difficult to understand:
>
> 1. 6. Be2, 6Be3, 6 Bc4 - p.220; 6 h3 Bg7 7 Bc4 0-0 8 0-0 - p.220; 6
> Nd5 Bg7! (6...Nxe4?
> 7 Bb5+ Bd7 8 Qc2 +-) 7 Bb5+ (7 Nxf6 Bxf6 8 Bxh6 Qb6) 7...Bd7 8 0-0 Nc6
> =
>
> The list of 3 6th moves for White I presume indicates what? What
> follows is a list of variations, some variations start at the 6th
> move, I suppose indicating a continuation to the heading, which
> proceeds upto the 5th move. But many variations start at the 7th or
> 10th move, leaving me to wonder what I must presume to be the previous
> 2 or 3 moves.
>
> Sincerely,
> Mr. Balu

Very simple.

The moves above the table take you to the position that applies to all
variations listed below.

The actual variations are read from LEFT to RIGHT. So, if you are
looking at variation #1, the actual moves would be:

1 e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6 (then, to the
variation table..) 6.Bg5 Bg7 7.Bb5+ Bd7 8.Qe2 a6.

NOw, the 'ellipse' ("...") means apply the first move you see above it
for that color in that column. For example, variation #2 reads

1 e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 g6(then, to the
variation table, line #2) 6.Bg5 (because 6.Bg5 is the first move above
it for white in that column) 6...Nc5 7.e5 fxe5 8.Qc2 Nd2.

The note you speak of [1. 6. Be2, 6Be3, 6 Bc4 - p.220; 6 h3 Bg7 7 Bc4
0-0 8 0-0 - p.220;...etc.] simply means that for variations 6.Be2,
6.Be3 or 6.Bc4, go to page 220, etc.

With a little practice, you'll get it easily.

Good luck.

Date: 04 Apr 2007 12:38:43
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: How to use ECO table?

[email protected] <[email protected] > wrote:
> "Tilak" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> What is the role of the ellipse in (2) and the two ellipses in (3)
>
> NOw, the 'ellipse' ("...")

BTW, it's `ellipsis': an ellipse is a squashed circle. The plural of
both words is `elipses' but pronounced `ell-ip-SEEZ' for the dots and
`ell-IP-siz' for the circles.

Dave.

--
David Richerby Slimy Homicidal Dish (TM): it's like
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a fine ceramic dish but it wants to
kill you and it's covered in goo!