If you’ve ever wished chess could be a little less predictable — good news: it can. Freestyle Chess, officially known as Fischer Random or Chess960, is a fun and unpredictable variation where the pieces start in a random layout, opening theory is thrown out the window, and every game becomes a creative battlefield. Best of all? You don’t need anything fancy to try it — just a board, your wits, and a willingness to surprise your opponent.

While it might sound new, the idea actually dates back to Bobby Fischer. Frustrated by how memorised openings dominated elite play, he introduced this variant in the late ’90s. The twist? There are 960 possible starting positions, meaning players must think from move one. Today, a new generation has rebranded it Freestyle Chess, reviving Fischer’s original vision — but with glitzier events, faster formats, and a fresh spotlight.

Bobby Fischer (1943 – 2008) was a chess prodigy who became World Champion at just 29, defeating the Soviet empire’s best during the Cold War - a genius and a rebel, he revolutionised the game and vanished at the peak of his fame

What Is Freestyle Chess (aka Chess960)?

At its core, Freestyle Chess is just regular chess — but with the starting positions of the back-rank pieces shuffled. The pawns stay where they are, but everything behind them gets mixed up according to a few simple rules:

• The King must sit between the rooks (so castling still works), and
• The Bishops must be on opposite-coloured squares.

That setup alone creates 960 possible starting positions — hence the name Chess960.

The beauty of this format is that it levels the playing field. There's no point memorising lines when you have no idea where your Queen or Bishops will begin. Every match becomes a test of adaptability and imagination — a refreshing change from the deeply analysed openings of traditional chess. And while Freestyle Chess is the new buzzword, it's built entirely on Fischer's original foundation.

One possible starting position for Freestyle chess out of 960 options - Black pieces always mirror White pieces

How to Play It Yourself (Set up in under 60 seconds)

If you want to give Freestyle Chess a go, the easiest way is to use an online Chess960 position generator — there are plenty of them online (eg. this one), click a button, and you’ll get a legal starting setup instantly. Set it up on your board and start playing! 

But if you want to make it a bit more fun (and old-school), you can use a regular dice to create the position yourself. Here’s a simple step-by-step method:

1. First Bishop: Roll the dice to place a Bishop on a dark square (counting from a1). Re-roll if needed (for 5, 6).

2. Second Bishop: Roll again to place the other Bishop on a light square.

3. Queen: Roll and place the Queen on the Xth empty square from the left.

4. First Knight: Roll and place it on the Yth empty square (re-roll if you roll a 6).

5. Second Knight: Roll again and place on the Zth empty square (re-roll 5 or 6).

6. King and Rooks: The King must go between the two remaining Rooks to allow castling.

7. Pawns: Set up the Pawns on the second rank as usual.

8. Black’s side: Mirror the position for Black.

In under a minute, you’ll have a totally fresh position ready to go — no memorisation, just instinct and imagination from the very first move.

Quick note: Castling works the same way as in regular chess — the King and Rook end up on their usual squares (c1/g1 or c8/g8), even if they start elsewhere.

Freestyle Today: GOATs and Glory

While Fischer believed chess was in crisis — even dead — Magnus Carlsen just sees it as a hobby he wants to enjoy. That’s why he walked away from the official World Championship cycle. Not because he couldn’t win, but because the slow, drawn-out format just didn’t excite him anymore. So instead of grinding through something that felt more like work than play, he went looking for a fresh way to keep the spark alive.

Magnus Carlsen (33) is a five-time World Chess Champion from Norway, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time - known for his deep intuition, endgame mastery, and dominance across all formats, he redefined what it means to be a modern chess legend

That led to the launch of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, also known as the G.O.A.T. Challenge. It’s a million-dollar tour played entirely in the Chess960 format, with rapid time controls and a fresh focus on creativity. Anyone can qualify through open events, and the format has already attracted some of the biggest names in chess — Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and even the reigning World Champion, D. Gukesh, all showed up for the first Grand Slam in Weissenhaus, Germany.

In the end, Vincent Keymer claimed the title with calm, clever play — an impressive performance in a format where no one can rely on memory. The event had a refined feel, held in a stunning location with a crowd that clearly loved every moment. Chess, but with a twist — and just the right amount of glamour.

Vincent Keymer (20) is Germany’s top chess prodigy, who became a Grandmaster at 14 and is known for his calm under pressure and rapid rise through the elite ranks

And Then... the Drama

Now, you’d think everyone would be thrilled, right? Not quite. The organiser wanted to crown a “World Champion of Freestyle Chess,” but FIDE (international chess federation) didn’t approve. Things spiralled: there were angry letters, talk of banning players, even calls for the FIDE president to resign. Legal threats were flying. In the end, they settled on a new name — Freestyle Chess Champion.

For now.

Stay tuned — the next chapter is just beginning - Follow updates at www.freestyle-chess.com

Why You Should Try It

Freestyle Chess isn’t just for grandmasters or million-dollar tournaments — it’s for anyone who wants to shake things up. No theory, no pressure, no need to remember 20 opening moves. Just a fresh position, your own ideas, and a chance to surprise your opponent from move one.

Whether you’re playing casually at home or bringing something new to your club night, it’s one of the easiest and most fun ways to fall back in love with the game. All you need is a board — and maybe a dice if you’re feeling fancy.

Brain Boost Bonus: Since every starting position is different, you’re not relying on memory — you’re training pattern recognition, adaptability, and creative problem solving. It’s a proper workout for your brain… with no two sessions the same.

Freestyle Chess setup using our Tournament Pro Chess Set

Ready to give it a go? Let chaos be your opening...