I was wondering what chess players here thought of Fischer Random Chess?(It is also called chess960, because there are 960 different starting positions.) For those of you who are not familiar with it, it is the same rules as classical chess except the back rank is shuffled. Placing the pieces on different squares at the start of the game eliminates opening theory, not opening stratergy. I find that most players I meet like it, but I am curious what people who post here think?

Personally, I am tired of beating players simply because I have had the time in the past to memorize some openings. I am also tired of losing to players for the same reason. Absoluetly no thinking envolved here, just regurgitation. I find that playing people this version of shuffle chess puts my opponents at a more competive level with me. To beat them, I have to play more creatively on uncharted territory. Simply put, shuffle chess will attract more players to the board who quit playing because of the enormous opening preparation required to play at the tournament level. Some of my friends now play chess because of this very reason.

Another good thing about shuffle chess is that it will reduce cheating. There are no opening manuels for Chess960. The position is not determined until the game actually starts! Creative thinking starts at move 1! The better player will still win and for the right reason: he won because he played more creatively and soundly, not because he has more free time to memorize openings. Chess960 would free up chess study time that was spent on opening preparation to more edifying and stimulating aspects of the game like beautiful tactics or attacking techniques(not to mention other middle game principles.) I know people who never get better because they spend all of their time studying openings.

What else does not knowing the starting position of the game mean...NO MORE PREARRANGED GAMES! I remember 2 years ago listening to Silman give a lecture at the US Chess Championships. I could not believe how often he said that prearranged games happen between GMs. Spectators drive hundreds of miles to see GMs play only to see a prearranged draw or whatever. This would not be possible in Fischer Random Chess. There are already Chess960 tournaments in Germany attracting as many as 80 GMs playing in them. Just do a search on the web to see the games and the top players in the world playing them. Peter Svidler is the current chess960 champion. He intially won the title from beating Peter Leko in a Chess960 match! Michael Adams played Peter Leko in the first Chess960 championship.

So what do you people think? Anyone care to debate?

Regards,
Mark Havrilla

It looks like a really good game, actually. Too bad Bobby Fischer came up with it.

No, there won't be opening theory, at least not to the same extent. Every single game has a different arrangement. You'd have to have 960 MCOs.

I have played,and yes it is a great equaliser,especially as you mention if you haven't got mega hours a week to try and memorise moves/strategies intraditional chess.

I understand women players are doing extremely well internationally at chess 960?

i think fischer-960 chess would suck against computers ... 960 MCO's is no problem for them ... human v human may be a little more interesting.

another question might be ... which arrangement most massively reduces the affect of opening books?

The modern Queen didn't exist until the fifteenth century.

http://www.the-tls.co.uk/this_week/story.aspx?story_id=2109387

Actually chess is not 5000 y/o and has, more than twice, evolved. Just do a seach : history and chess for the info. If the bank rank is shuffled, top players agree that there too many psoitions for openig theory to happen. The game would be saved from people pre-arranging it, because nobody knows the starting position before the game starts.

Thanks for your reply. Which 960 posiition is garbage? Or do you know? Any proof here? Several GMs support chess960. Over 70 GMs play in the chess960 tournament in Germany.

But the point is, "opening theory chess" promotes people to copy and replay games, whereas chess960 promtes orignality and creativity.