Friday night was the first football game of the season for Denton HS, and therefore also the first outing for the marching band. My daughter Clarissa is Marching Officer for the trombones. She pointed out that there are at least two similarities between marching and algebraic notation. First, marchers find their spots on the field by a combination of file-first, then rank.

Second, marchers are identified by letter and number. Unlike chess, though, the letter and number stay with the marcher throughout. Clarissa is b1, and the other four trombones are b2-b5. More chess and band connections: At the last band party, chess and scrabble (and some video games) were played.