Why do pro chess players record notations during each pro game they play?

Question

I have noticed that every pro chess player notates each chess game while he plays it? Is it a mandatory for them to do it? Why do they do it?

Thanks for your answers everybody. But I still have a few more questions. I understand that it is important to write down your moves just in case of a disagreement. But why are the players relied on to settle the disputes in case the board falls, etc? Shouldn't there be one or more neutral officials to write down every move? And shouldn't they be reffered to when there is a dispute of the board? Also, I know if helps the players to study their games afterwards if they write it down, but again, I still think there should be an "official" move recorder. And secondly, all the games appear online on chessgames.com anyway, it may sound silly, but can't the players just refer to that to study their games?

Answer 1

Good question. Especially when most masters and grandmasters can remember their moves without any problem. Still, it is mandatory in official tournaments and matches. Also it helps them to think twice about their move when they write it down before they play it.

Answer 2

Yes, it is mandatory, in most formal, rated chess tournaments and matches, to write down the moves. If player A wishes to claim a win on time, that is, win the charge that his opponent, B, has not made the required number of moves in the allotted time, player A must have a complete, correct scoresheet to prove his claim. Same for claiming a draw by three-fold repetition of position.

The tournament director will often seize both scoresheets to settle the claim, and will set up a second board in order to play through the scoresheets' moves with the goal of reproducing the position on the game board between A and B.

After a tournament game, like most tournament chessplayers, I will go over the game with my opponent, a practice called a post-mortem. We read our scoresheets and reproduce the moves, often helping each other with occasional notation mistakes. Then we explain to each other our thinking at critical points in the game. The scoresheet facilitates this discussion. Later, I can take the scoresheet home and feed its moves to a computer chess program, which can point out further mistakes for me to learn from.

Please vote: Did this help?

Answer 3

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Answer 4

First of all, pro player need to do it, it's in the chess' rules.
The reason of that rule, is.. if something happen ( the board fall on the ground, the piece are misplaced, or the players disagree on the position of some piece.. )

But, even if they aren't asked to do it.. it's really usefull to do so, because you can look back at the game afterward, and see where you could have play better, things like that.

Answer 5

writing down the chess moves is a way to help improve urself and go over the game after it is over...ive done this since i started playin when i was 3

also if a problem were to come up on the board writing down the moves would allow for the problem to be fixed easily

Answer 6

It enables them to go back and review the game and explore possible better moves after the game. I am not a pro but I write my games down and just doing that seems to help build pattern recognition which some grandmasters say is key to becoming a pro.

I told my 17 year old daughter that I would give her $100 on the day she could beat me at chess. She beat me about 4 games later!!! I didn't write that one down but I sure wish I had!

Good luck and "castle early!"

...and yes, I stayed true to my word and paid her $100. I also made her a framed certificate verifying that she beat her old man and won the money!

Answer 7

Keeping a chess score is common and is required for rule enforcement. Without an accurate score sheet checking for three-fold repetitions, illegal moves, and fifty-move rule claims would be impossible. It also allows people to go over their games.

Answer 8

So future generations can enjoy the games they played

Answer 9

you really dont have to do it. not all pros do it, its just a way of seeing their mistakes and how to improve on it