I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but it seemed like a good fit. I've recently started playing some chess960, not so much for it's own right (although it's fun), but to improve my skills at classic chess. I'm a pretty decent chess player, but I'm awful at chess960, which demonstrates to me how much I rely on opening theory. Anyway, here's a chess960 set up and my evaluation of it. I'm interested to hear how other people evaluate this so I can learn to improve. Thanks!

Sometimes in chess960, a queen or a bishop starts in one corner, and has an immediate threat across the long diagonal, which always  gives me a big headache. That's not the case here, so good. Also, in chess960, I think it's good if there's a knight way in the corner to get that piece moving pretty quick toward the center, but that's also not the case here. Also, I if a good square for a knight is in front of a pawn that would have to move to give the bishop mobility, I like to move that pawn out two ranks early (maybe that's not such a great principle, though... you tell me). The king's in a farily good spot with nice piece protection, but there's a little threat from a 'fianchetto' of the g-file bishop.

Ok, so for this position, I think my plan might be to play d4, opening up a line for my queen. Then, play Nd3, preparing to castle a-side. After that, I would plan to castle a-side when possible, 'fianchetto' my g-file bishop to the h2 square, aiming at the opponent's a-side, and maybe play e4 and Ne3 if my opponent lets me, and then move out the light-squared bishop. Although, now that I'm looking at it, I think moving the knights out to b3 and g3, protecting the center pawns while keeping lines open for bishops might be a better tack.

Anyway, like I said, I'm not so good at opening in chess960, so I'm eager to hear your analyses! Thanks!

FYI, Shredder likes 1.e4 at 12 plies (+0.10). Of course, I'm looking for more theoretical stuff: good moves and _why_.

This isn't a game in progress is it?

Yo I have never written on one of these walls before, but I just want to say to TheGrobe, it is nice to know that there is someone else on Chess.com who has love for the Boognish.

TheGrobe wrote:

This isn't a game in progress is it?

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 Nope: just practice!

Also, I would invite other people to post their evaluations of other chess960 starting positions as well: that's just as good! Thanks!

redearth329 wrote:

TheGrobe wrote:

This isn't a game in progress is it?

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 Nope: just practice!

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OK, just wanted to be sure -- I've never played 960 before, but what about 1.f3 opening up both your Queen and Bishop with an eye on 2. e4 striking into the centre?

Since I have these in my photo uploads from another Fischerrandom thread, I might as well post them here... no one analysed them then, maybe there will be more interest now...

Shredder may like 1. e4 better than my suggestion because it gives you the opportunity to get the white squared Bishop outside of the pawn chain before playing f3 to open up the diagonals for the Queen and Bishop. 

I still think I'd play 1. f3 as being outside the pawn chain seems a rather confined space for that Bishop who would be vulnerable to pawn advances with tempo and would probably ultimately end up landing on g2 as a bad bishop.

Rael,

     That's one of those positions where the bishops are all gunning each other down across the big diagonals. I'd say there's going to be some quick exchanges early on. I think 1.g4 might be good because it opens lines for two pieces, but I probably wouldn't move the b-pawn because of the threat on h8. Really, I can't see how those a-file bishops are going to get active in the opening without getting swapped out right away... ok, maybe I would deal with that first. Jeez, I just don't know! I don't think I would be inclined to move too many center pawns in that game, though. Those knights should come out pretty quick. Other thoughts?

e4, f3, and Ng3 look good to me. Nb3 looks good if white can castle kingside without moving the king (i don't know the rules to this.

it appears to me like another good attacking theme would somehow use a bishop on f3, a bishop on h2, and a queen on b4 to force b6 to trade the f3 bishop for a rook. 

Yes, if that knight moves then you can castle, although in chess960 that's called castling 'a-side' because the king and queen can be anywhere relative to each other. I do think that getting some diagonal-moving pieces gunning across the board at the opponent's a-side seems like a good plan, but it might be hard to simultaneously defend against a similar approach by the opponent.