Chess960

About this board game

Chess960 is a two-player chess game with a play time of 180 minutes, using a randomized arrangement of the pieces behind the pawns on the white side.

The game follows standard chess, but each match begins from one of 960 possible starting setups. The white pieces are placed randomly subject to specific restrictions, while the black pieces are arranged to mirror the white side.

• The two white bishops must occupy opposite-colored squares.
• The king must be positioned somewhere between the two rooks.
• The black pieces mirror the arrangement of the white pieces.

These rules create the game’s 960 starting positions. The total comes from four possible locations for the white bishops, four possible locations for the black bishops, six possible queen locations, and ten possible arrangements for the knights.

By changing the initial placement of the pieces while retaining standard chess, Chess960 removes the need to memorize openings. Every setup begins with the same defining conditions, yet the familiar arrangement is replaced by a randomized one.

The game was proposed by Grand Master and former World Champion Bobby Fischer. He originally called it Fischerandom, later changing the name to Fischer Random Chess. The name Chess960 was proposed by a FIDE committee and is now the official name.

For players seeking a different way to begin a game of chess, Chess960 offers a clearly defined alternative built around randomized starting positions and the enduring rules of standard chess.