Chess 960 Online
Chess 960 (or Chess960, Bobby Fischer’s random chess) shuffles the back rank at the start of every game. No memorized openings: you play real chess from the very first move, against the computer or a friend.
Shuffle the starting position, choose how you want to play and start.
How to play Chess 960
All the rules of regular chess apply; only the starting position changes. The pawns stay where they always are and the back-rank pieces are shuffled, with the same arrangement mirrored for Black: the bishops always sit on squares of different colors and the king always stands between the two rooks. There are exactly 960 possible positions, each with its own number.
In Chess 960, castling ends on the same squares as in classic chess: on kingside castling the king goes to the g-file and the rook to the f-file; on queenside castling, the king goes to the c-file and the rook to the d-file. The squares between the king, the rook and their destinations must be empty, and the king cannot be in check or pass through an attacked square.
To castle here, tap the king and then its destination square, or drag the king onto its own rook (the safest way when the king is already close to its destination). Shuffle a position, choose your opponent and level, and start. The computer understands Chess 960 rules and calculates moves from the start.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Chess 960 created?
To reward creativity instead of memory. Bobby Fischer proposed the format in the 1990s because classic chess openings had become more and more memorized. With 960 starting positions, nobody arrives prepared.
Can the classic starting position come up?
Yes: it is position number 518 out of the 960. Every position has the same chance of being drawn, and you can shuffle again before starting the game.
Can I play Chess 960 against the computer?
Yes, on 5 levels, from beginner to strong, or with another person on the same device. You also get undo, an optional clock and a move list.