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Chess960

Chess960

(Public Domain) · 1996
210–180 min10+ yrs3.3/5 complexity7.7 BGG#7.607 BGG151CouplesStrategy
short answer

How do you play Chess960?

Like the standard game of chess, but the pieces behind the pawns on the white side are arranged at random, with the proviso that bishops must end up on opposite colors, and the king is somewhere between the two rooks.

To find the best price for Chess960, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

Chess960 box art
official art · (Public Domain)

Like the standard game of chess, but the pieces behind the pawns on the white side are arranged at random, with the proviso that bishops must end up on opposite colors, and the king is somewhere between the two rooks. The black pieces are lined up to mirror the white.

This results in 960 different possible positions, hence the name Chess960: 4 possible white bishop locations × 4 possible black bishop locations × 6 possible queen locations × 5 × 4 / 2 = 10 possible knight arrangements = 960 possible starting setups

The game was proposed by Grand Master and former World Champion Bobby Fischer, to remove the need to memorize openings. He originally called it Fischerandom, and later changed the name to Fischer Random Chess, which is also frequently used. The name Chess960 was proposed by a FIDE committee and is now the official one.

game anatomy
Complexity3.3 / 5
BGG rating7.7 / 10
Vibe
CouplesStrategy
Play time
10–180 min
Players
2
Recommended age
10+ yrs
BGG rank
#7.607
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Chess960 cost?
No store is currently tracking Chess960. Check the Prices tab — you can set a price alert to be notified when it appears.
Q2Where can I buy Chess960 cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Chess960?
Chess960 is a abstract strategy game, for 2 players, taking ~10–180 minutes, featuring grid movement. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Chess960 — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Chess960 support?
Chess960 is played by 2 players.
Q5How long does a game of Chess960 take?
A game of Chess960 takes about 10–180 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Chess960 for?
Chess960 is recommended from age 10.
Q7How complex is Chess960?
Chess960 has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 3.3 out of 5.
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