New Chess variant

Is there a variant like chess960 but where you get to pick how the back rank is organized? I think this could be pretty cool. At the start of the game there could be something akin to a "draft" where each player takes turns assigning pieces to the back row squares. The good thing is that it would make Chess more exciting, less draws, and less dependent on opening theory, while also retaining "opening theory" in the sense that the ideal placement of the pieces would be discovered. There would be "setup theory" and plans associated with different piece setups. I always though fisherandom/chess960 could be improved if the players could decide where the pieces went. What does everyone else think? 

I think that’s a great idea!!!

 Bill:  What you are thinking of was called "Pre-chess" and was proposed by Benko long ago:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess960-chess-variants/pal-benkos-pre-chess2

Here's a direct link to ChessVariants page, but apparently because it's Java none of my browsers will play it anymore:  http://play.chessvariants.com/erf/PreChess.html

I read the original article in Chess Life magazine ages ago but lost it.  Hard to find online.

I have been proposing something like this for some time, with the only exception that the "original" two positions (RNBQKBNR and RNBKQBNR) be excluded. 

My suggested "official" in-person game time control is setup in 5 minutes (8 moves in 5), then 15 minutes with 15 seconds added a move.  Online it'd be 4 minutes with 4 seconds added for every move.

I would love to see Chess.com or some other group have an online version of this for competition, just like they do for 4-player chess and Chess960.  You'd be amazed what support it'd get.  I used to host tournaments way back when and would love to set up tournaments for this.

I'll take on Bill first...