Chess960 is a variant of chess that uses the same board and pieces as standard chess, but the starting position of the pieces is randomized. As the starting positions are generated at random, it neutralizes the advantage of memorized openings and forcing the players to use their true talent and ideas at the board. It's purpose is to bring back the romantic side of chess and expand the imagination of the players.
It is useful for both recreational and educational proposes, as it will tremendously increase your creativity, talent, judgment and ability!
Invented by the eleventh World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer and it is the only chess variation recognized by FIDE (World Chess Federation).
The play maintains the original chess flavor while ensuring the live creative spark.
Wins are based only on players skills and general understanding of the game , as opposed to openings preparation, tricks and memorization.
Chess960 lets me enjoy myself without having to disrupt my life for months of preparation.
- Garry Kasparov -
(Chess Grandmaster, 6 times World Chess Champion)
I get bored from playing the same openings over and over again. I think that in the future we will only be playing Chess960.
- Shakhriyar Mamedyarov -
(Chess Grandmaster, ranked as No. 3 in the world as of September 2018)
Τhis innovation will return us to the golden age of chess: the age of innocence and creativity, without losing any of the essential attractions of the game we love.
- Valery Salov -
(Chess Grandmaster)
If you get into Chess960 and not just move the pieces to achieve known positions it will really improves your chess vision.
- Levon Aronian -
(Chess Grandmaster, rank as the fourth highest rated player in chess history)
Roll the dice and place a bishop on the square indicated.
(This will be one of the black A, C, E or G squares)
Roll the second dice and place the second bishop on the square indicated.
(This will be one of white B, D, F or H squares)
Roll the third dice and place the queen on the first empty position indicated .
(always skipping filled positions)
(Thus, 1 is the first (leftmost) empty square, while 6 is the sixth (rightmost) empty square)
a) Roll the dice and place a knight on the empty position indicated.
b) Roll again the dice and place the second knight on the empty position indicated. (Roll again a 5).
These placements will leave three empty squares.
Place the king on the middle empty square, and the rooks on the remaining two squares.
Finally, place the white and black pawns on their usual squares, and mirror exactly the Black's positions with the White's.
Enjoy the game!
Play is much improved because you don't need to analyze or memorize any opening.
- Svetozar Gligoric -
(Chess Grandmaster)
No more theory means true creativity.
- Artur Yusupov -
(Chess Grandmaster)
The power of memorization is so tremendous in modern era. Theory is so advanced, it used to be 10 or 15 moves, now is going to 20 or even 30 moves. We need a change and it would be a good idea to shuffle the first row of the pieces. This way we will get rid of all negatives that comes with theory.
- Bobby Fischer -
(Chess Grandmaster. Many consider him to be the greatest chess player of all time.)
Chess is played very differently today when compared to the originality of the past. With modern-day computers, books and game databases, we know which openings and configurations are the best and we can learn to play them from memory. Older players can learn to play from memory even whole games.
Although this can successfully drive us to a win, the spirit of such play is not satisfactory to all chess players.
This approach to chess produced a general decline in creativity. The solution is to shuffle the back row of pieces (with constraints to allow castling and preserving the opposing colored bishop pairs).
Although the concept might seems radical, actual play comes quite naturally. This innovation offers players the chance to enjoy original, creative, and exciting games without compromising the core elements of chess.
It’s extremely easy to learn, and most importantly, fun to play.
When the starting positions are random it would be impossible to memorize the moves of the game and players must create every move originally. From the first move, both players must devise original strategies and cannot use any well-established pattern, trick or opening.
We ship worldwide. We plan to ship the product mid/end of September 2019. We will keep you up to date for the expected delivery date of your order.
Nakamura, Carlsen and Kasparov playing Chess960.