What is Chess960 and how does it differ from standard chess?

Chess960, proposed by Bobby Fischer, shuffles the starting positions of pieces (except king, rooks, bishops) creating 960 possibilities, unlike standard chess's fixed setup.

Did Marc Barthelemy's analysis find Chess960 to be fair?

Marc Barthelemy's analysis suggests Chess960 is not entirely fair, as some starting positions give a significant advantage to white or black.

Is the standard chess starting position considered exceptional?

Surprisingly, the standard chess starting position is considered average in fairness and complexity when compared to the 960 Chess960 variations.

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Chess960: Random starts may skew game fairness

2 Jan

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Summary

New analysis suggests Chess960 starting positions are not equally balanced.
Some Chess960 configurations offer significant advantage to white or black.
Standard chess openings are surprisingly average in complexity and fairness.

Chess960: Random starts may skew game fairness

A novel analysis of Chess960, a popular chess variant featuring randomized starting positions, indicates that the game may not be as fair as commonly believed. Physicist Marc Barthelemy's research, which examined all 960 possible starting configurations, revealed that some arrangements significantly favor white, while a few even grant black a slight advantage. This challenges the notion that inherent randomness guarantees an equitable game.

Barthelemy utilized a chess computer, Stockfish, to gauge the complexity of each position by evaluating how easily players could decide on a move. His findings suggest that certain Chess960 starting positions could be strategically manipulated for tournament organizers to ensure fairer matches. Conversely, some experts argue that the very randomness of Chess960 ensures fairness by preventing over-preparation based on memorized openings, a common issue in standard chess.