CHESS 960

Chess960 (also called Fischer Random Chess) is a variation of standard Chess created by Bobby Fischer. The goal is the same as regular chess—checkmate the opponent’s king—but the starting positions of the pieces are randomized.

 Key Idea
In Chess960, the pieces on the back rank are arranged randomly before the game starts.
There are 960 possible starting positions, which is where the name comes from.

 Rules for the Starting Position
Even though the setup is random, these rules must be followed:
Two bishops must start on opposite-colored squares.
The king must be placed somewhere between the two rooks.
All other pieces (queen and knights) are placed randomly in the remaining squares.
Pawns stay in the normal position.

♜ Castling in Chess960
Castling still exists but works slightly differently:
After castling, the pieces end up on the same squares as standard chess:
King-side castling → King on g-file, rook on f-file
Queen-side castling → King on c-file, rook on d-file
The path to get there just depends on the starting position.

 Why People Play It
Removes heavy opening theory memorization
Encourages creativity and calculation
Every game starts with a new position
Many top players like Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura play it in tournaments.

Example:
A possible starting row might look like:
R N B Q K B N R (normal chess)
But Chess960 could start like:
B R N N K Q R B