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    Free tool · Fischer Random Chess

    Chess960 position generator

    All 960 starting positions by their official number. Draw a random one, use today's position (the same for everyone, all day), copy the FEN, open it on Lichess, or print a sheet for club night.

    Position

    35

    BNNQRKRB

    King
    f1
    Queen
    d1
    Rooks
    e1, g1
    Bishops
    a1, h1
    Knights
    b1, c1

    FEN

    bnnqrkrb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/BNNQRKRB w KQkq - 0 1

    Open on Lichess

    Share this exact position with the link lwsed.com/tools/chess960/?n=35

    The rules, in one minute

    • The pawns start on their usual squares. Only the pieces behind them are shuffled.
    • The two bishops always start on opposite colours, and the king always starts between the two rooks.
    • Black's pieces mirror White's exactly, so the position is fair.
    • Castling ends on the usual squares: king to g1 and rook to f1 on the h-side, king to c1 and rook to d1 on the a-side.
    • Everything else, from check to promotion, is normal chess.

    Want your child to build the thinking skills that Chess960 rewards? Get a free report on their online games, or see our free online tournaments.

    Club sheet: 8 random positions

    1. Board 1 · No. 779 · QRKNBRNB

    2. Board 2 · No. 428 · RBNQNKBR

    3. Board 3 · No. 68 · NBBNRKQR

    4. Board 4 · No. 589 · QRNBKRBN

    5. Board 5 · No. 717 · RKQBNNBR

    6. Board 6 · No. 7 · QNBNRKRB

    7. Board 7 · No. 760 · RBKNBNRQ

    8. Board 8 · No. 31 · NQNRKRBB

    Common Questions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Chess960, also called Fischer Random Chess, is chess with the pieces on the back rank shuffled. The pawns stay where they are, the bishops are on opposite colours, the king is somewhere between the two rooks, and Black mirrors White. That gives 960 possible starting positions, so opening theory you've memorised stops helping and you have to think from move one.

    The king and rook end up on the same squares as in normal chess: castling on the h-side puts the king on g1 and the rook on f1; on the a-side, the king on c1 and the rook on d1. Every square between them must be empty (except the king and that rook), and the king can't be in check, pass through check or end in check. Some positions need no king or rook move at all for one of the two.

    Each position has a number from 0 to 959 in Reinhard Scharnagl's numbering, which FIDE, Lichess and Chess.com use. Number 518 is the normal starting position. Quoting the number is the easiest way for a club or arbiter to make sure everyone sets up the same position.

    Press "Open on Lichess": the position opens on Lichess's free analysis board, set to Chess960. To play a friend, create a game on Lichess, choose the Chess960 variant and paste the FEN shown here as the starting position.

    Yes, for children who already know how the pieces move. Because no one has memorised the opening, it rewards looking at the whole board, development and calculation rather than recall, the habits a coach wants anyway. Most children find it fun to work out where their pieces should go.