About David Forsyth
Lived 1854 – 1909 (aged 55). David Forsyth was a New Zealand chess player.
David Forsyth (1854–1909) was a Scotsman who emigrated to New Zealand, served as chess editor of the Glasgow Weekly Herald. Forsyth invented a method for recording chess positions, which he published in the Glasgow Weekly Herald in 1883, now known as Forsyth notation. He won the New Zealand Chess Championship in 1901.
He was also one of the compilers of what was possibly the first regular Go column in any newspaper (in the Otago Witness, from February 1902 until March 1903), according to the New Zealand Go Society.
In recent times, Forsyth notation has been extended as Forsyth–Edwards Notation for use with computers.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped David Forsyth's
Frequently asked questions
Who was David Forsyth?
New Zealand chess player
When was David Forsyth born?
David Forsyth was born on 16 May 1854 in Highland, Alness.
When did David Forsyth die?
David Forsyth died on 30 December 1909 in Dunedin.
What was David Forsyth's occupation?
David Forsyth was a chess player.
What nationality was David Forsyth?
David Forsyth was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: David Forsyth (chess player)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Forsyth. https://biography.guide/david-forsyth-chess-player/
MLA: "David Forsyth." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-forsyth-chess-player/.
Chicago: "David Forsyth." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-forsyth-chess-player/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-27 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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