Chess960

What is Chess960?

Chess960, also called Fischer Random, is normal chess with one twist: the pieces on the back rank start in a shuffled order. Pawns stay where they always are, and Black’s pieces mirror White’s. Because the starting position changes every game, memorized openings stop working and you have to think from move one. Bobby Fischer proposed it in 1996.

The setup rules

• The bishops start on opposite colors: one on a light square, one on a dark square.
• The king starts somewhere between the two rooks, so castling is possible on both sides.
• That leaves exactly 960 possible starting positions.

Every position has a standard number from 0 to 959. The normal chess setup is number 518. Enter a number to play a specific position, or let the dice pick one for you.

How castling works in Chess960

After castling, the king and rook end up on the same squares as in normal chess. Castling kingside (O-O) puts the king on g1 and the rook on f1. Castling queenside (O-O-O) puts the king on c1 and the rook on d1. For Black, it’s the same on the eighth rank. Depending on the setup, the king might move several squares, one square, or not at all.

• Neither the king nor that rook may have moved yet.
• Every square the king and rook travel over, and their end squares, must be empty, apart from the castling king and rook themselves.
• The king may not be in check, pass through an attacked square, or land on one.

To castle here, move your king onto your own rook. If the king’s castling square is free and isn’t a normal king move, you can also move the king straight there. The rook jumps into place by itself.

Tips for your first games

Look at the position before you move. Check which pawns protect weak squares, where your bishops want to go, and whether any piece starts undefended. Develop quickly and get your king safe, just like in normal chess. Prefer the classic setup? Use the two-player board or play Stockfish.