The name Fischer Random Chess soon turned into Fischerrandom, and after he had introduced this variant into the Mainz Chess Classic in 1991 organiser Hans-Walter Schmitt changed it to Chess960, which reflects the number of different starting positions that are possible in the game.
What is the point of Chess960?
Chess960, or Fischer Random, is a variant invented by the late World Champion Bobby Fischer. The rules of the game are the same as standard chess, but in an effort to reduce the impact of opening theory, the pieces have been randomly shuffled on each player’s back rank.
Where do you find the king in Chess960?
This means, irrespective of which of the 960 starting positions you are playing, O-O (for white) would find the king on g1 and the rook that was to the right of the king on f1. O-O-O would find the king on c1 and the rook that was to the left of the king on d1.
Where does the number 960 come from in chess?
The number 960 in Chess960’s name comes from the number of possible positions in how the game can start. With the restricting rules on the chessboard setup, there are 960 possible combinations for the pieces to be in when the game commences.
Who is the FIDE world champion for Chess960?
In 2019, GM Wesley So became the first Chess960 World Champion in history in an official FIDE event in partnership with Chess.com. Nepomniachtchi playing against So during the FIDE World FR Chess Championship 2019. Photo: Lennart Ootes. How To Play Chess960? The rules for Chess960 are mostly the same as the ones in regular chess.
What do you need to know about Chess960?
The rules for chess960 are simple (hear Fischer’s short explanation): There are only two things you need to know over and above classical chess: (a) how to generate a starting position, and (b) how to castle. The pieces are randomly placed on the back row, with the pawns on the next row, as usual. There must always be:
