FISCHERANDOM CHESS: Chess960 Random Position Generator

Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players ·

Kibitzing









position # random

FEN: rnkrbnqb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNKRBNQB w KQkq -

How to Use This Page

This page is used for generating a random position to play Fischerandom Chess. Every time you reload this page, or press the new position button, a different position will appear. Just set up a chessboard based on the diagram above, find an opponent, and have fun.

Quick Rules for Fischerandom Chess

Fischerandom Chess is played with a normal chess board and pieces. All rules of Orthodox Chess apply except as otherwise noted.
The initial configuration of the chess pieces is determined randomly for White, and the black pieces are placed equal and opposite the white pieces. The piece placement is subject to the constraints:

the king is placed somewhere between the two rooks, and
the bishops are on opposite colors.
pawns are placed on each player's second rank as in Orthodox Chess.
There are 960 such configurations.
Castling, as in Orthodox chess, is an exceptional move involving both the King and Rook. Castling is a valid move under these circumstances:

Neither King nor Rook has moved.
The King is not in check before or after castling.
All squares between the castling King's initial and final squares (including the final square), and all of the squares between the castling Rook's initial and final squares (including the final square), must be vacant except for the King and Rook.
No square through which the King moves is under enemy attack.
The movement of the King and Rook during castling should be easily understood by players of Orthodox Chess:

When castling on the h-side (White's right side), the King ends on g1 (g8), and the rook on f1 (f8), just like the O-O move in Orthodox chess.
When castling on the a-side (White's left side), the King ends on c1 (c8), and the rook on d1 (d8), just like the O-O-O move in Orthodox chess.
Sometimes the King will not need to move; sometimes the Rook will not need to move. That's OK.

The object is to checkmate the opponent's King. Have fun!

Audio file of Bobby Fischer explaining Fischerandom

fischerandom.mp3 (MP3 format)

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 37 OF 52 · Later Kibitzing>
Jan-04-06		trumbull0042: <chesswonders: What is the position number in Fischer Random where the pieces arrange in the regular classical chess position?> #54. Now I understand <Tarigov>'s comment above: <Tariqov: The most deeply analyzed position in FischerRandom is number 54!i always play that position with my friends:)>

Jan-04-06		alhemyare: hi

Jan-05-06		Gene M: [1] Does anyone here own ChessMaster 10000 (that came out new in 2005)? Is it enabled for chess960? [2] There are several differing systems for assigning numeric id values to each chess960 setup. Fritz9 assigns 359 to the traditional setup, I call it F#359. However, in my judgment (having studied the formulas), the Fritz9 system seems less advantageous than other available systems, and nobody else uses the F# system. Other software assigns 518, or S#518. Chessgames.com assigns it 54. The system I feel is the best assigns it M#362. Computers do not need any id system, all they need is the FEN string like RNBQKBRN. The purpose of the id numbers is for easier human conversation. It is easy to answer briefly with "M#813" when your pal asks "What chess960 setup did you play last weekend?" There is much more detail in my soon-to-be-release book "Play Stronger Chess by Examining Chess960: Usable Strategies of Fischer Random Chess Discovered" (see web site below). I had expected the book to be released by early Jan 2006, but there was a delay of another month. Thanks. Gene Milener http://www.CastleLong.com/

Jan-05-06		blingice: <Gene M> Before I even saw your comment, I came here to generate a position to manually put in and play on Chessmaster 10th Edition. I haven't seen anything to automatically do it, and after I set up the position, CM became kinda confused, i.e. I had to TELL it to make moves, because it didn't understand what was happening, and also it attempted to play the Sicilian on me, so I'm guessing that Ubisoft hasn't really tried to program it for FischerRandom yet.

Jan-05-06		Gene M: BlingIce, That confirms my suspicions. UBI was not saying anything about chess960 one way or the other, which seemed to mean CM10 lacks this ability. Given the long release cycles, CM may become one of the few remaining chess960-ignorant engines before CM11 is ever released.

Jan-06-06		chull: In reference to wanting a bigger board and more pieces, check out http://www.gothicchess.com/. Looks a lot like what that reader is suggesting. (They need to redesign that "chancellor" piece though. A piece should be easily identifiable by its head not its base.)

Jan-07-06		blingice: CM still beat me with me telling it to move. Ha.

Jan-10-06		Endgame: I just visited that gothichess site that <chull> kibitzed just above. It actually seems kind of a good variation of chess. Although personally I would probably never play it, as I still have so much to learn about normal chess. Same thing with FRC... I would probably never take it up as a hobby, because I will never be able to get bored with normal chess.

Jan-10-06		terrifictb: Besides this websites "Little Chess Partner," is there anyway to play a match? Or am I missing something?

Jan-10-06		WannaBe: <terrifictb> we really don't play chess on this site. We tend to study games and discuss them more than 'play'. =)

Jan-10-06		WannaBe: <terrictb> You might want to think of this place as a 'gym' instead of the 'boxing ring'.

Jan-11-06		terrifictb: Thanks

Jan-12-06		trumbull0042: I will voice my opinion on Fischerandom. Fischerandom is for zombies. Orthodox chess is already complicated enough as it is, and I really don't understand the people, especially those who are in no position--none!--to do so, who criticize orthodox chess for being too "mechanical" or too "studied". Those people usually know barely 5%--if that much--of opening theory, and have yet to grasp the complexities of chess. Orthodox chess will die when somebody proves the starting position is won for White, won for Black, or is a theoretical draw, but given the circumstances (the limits of current computing power coupled with the sheer enormousness of chess's game tree), that seems highly unlikely. Very few humans, if any, have the brain power to memorize all the opening variations that exist for orthodox chess, so the argument that says that it has become too predictable, too repetitive, is not very strong. Orthodox chess rewards effort and hard work; Fischerandom rewards zombies.

Jan-13-06		supermanprime: Fischerandom is awesome. It rewards those who are tactically gifted and have a mind for strategy just like the real game. It does take out the element of opening book which is one of the main weapons of cheaters at all levels, whether it be online or otb.

Jan-13-06		supermanprime: By cheaters I mean especially computer cheaters.

Jan-15-06		morphyvsfischer: Best game ever. This blows orthodox chess out of the water.

Jan-16-06		morpstau: Very few humans, if any, have the brain power to memorize all the opening variations that exist for orthodox chess, so the argument that says that it has become too predictable, too repetitive, is not very strong. Orthodox chess rewards effort and hard work; Fischerandom rewards zombies. This is unappropriete.

Jan-17-06		Dudley: I think Fischer Random and other chess variants are a lot of fun. Just because players can't memorize all of chess opening theory doesn't mean they don't get bored with regular chess. I guess that makes me a tactically gifted Zombie! (lol)

Jan-17-06		Gene M: Chess960 is not more "complicated" than traditional chess1. Chess960 is just more "varied". The opening moves in the Mainz ChessTigers.de chess960 games have some complications, but nothing mind boggling. Is anyone saying chess1 middle games are simpler than chess960 openings? Is anyone saying chess1 openings are simple, even though a million chess1 opening books have been sold that go into extreme details about moves into the early middle game? Chess960 positions arise from logical play, not from chaotic spasms of movement. The resulting chess960 positions are plenty logical, they are just less repetitious and less familiar than chess1 positions.

Jan-17-06		LoFarkas: Someone said you can play Fischer Random on gameknot.com... Is that correct? I haven't found this option on the site. Do you have to be a subscriber?

Jan-17-06		terrifictb: LoFarkus, I didn't see anything on gameknot.com. However, if you go to the home page on this site, click on Little Chess Partner. It is slightly above Fisherandom. Once in Little Chess Partner, click on Chess Jester. It takes you to ludochess.com. Once in Chess Jester, change game type to "throne of chaos." You do need Java to play this. It is a strong opponent, but it is fun. If you choose "Lethal Amazons, you each get 4 queens. There are about 8 different set ups, and you get to choose the computers level.

Jan-17-06		johnnyboy: <terrifictb: LoFarkus, I didn't see anything on gameknot.com. However, if you go to the home page on this site, click on Little Chess Partner. It is slightly above Fisherandom. Once in Little Chess Partner, click on Chess Jester. It takes you to ludochess.com. Once in Chess Jester, change game type to "throne of chaos." You do need Java to play this. It is a strong opponent, but it is fun. If you choose "Lethal Amazons, you each get 4 queens. There are about 8 different set ups, and you get to choose the computers level.> just played a game....it's pretty good

Jan-19-06		DeepBlade: starting postition #265 is really cool

Jan-19-06		Endgame: #54 is the coolest

Jan-25-06		Lucky1: #265 is interesting. Bishops and rooks start in their normal positions and each knight can move to its normal first move position. King's Indian? On the wrong side?

Jump to page # (enter # from 1 to 52)
search thread:
< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 37 OF 52 · Later Kibitzing>

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
Nothing in violation of United States law.
No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
No trolling.
The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.