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Deployment. The initial setup of the pieces is open but hidden from the other player. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
George Duke wrote on Thu, Jul 30, 2009 12:15 AM UTC:
Chess master Aaron Alexandre started these things, PreChess-like, back in 1820s. In that sense Chess decline started at its very pinnacle 200 years ago. FRC is just one embodiment of the general idea of keeping the pieces the same at all costs, despite less ideal initial positionings, many of them aesthetically worthless. Uglier than some of Fischer's many prejudices. When on equally important duty versatile Alexandre would crawl into The Turk machine of Maelzel for performances simulating A.I., despite his tall height. Deployment is another Alexandre random offshoot, like Slide-Shuffle. /a>

George Duke wrote on Tue, Feb 24, 2004 06:59 PM UTC:
A method of randomizing the back row on the (no longer?) sacrosanct 64 squares easily relates to Slide-Shuffle, also posted this week as solution to the Opening Theory, Draw, and Computer problems confronting Orthodox Chess. Suppose this Deployment only specially requires Bishops on opposite colour, as Slide-Shuffle; then each side has the 2880 possible arrays of Sl.Sh.: Deployment's not requiring mirror image here means (2880x2880) 8294400 possible initial set-ups, and opening theory is done away with. Except for Chess-Unequal-Armies games, a break from mirror-image starting array ordinarily entails switch of just two pieces, usually King and Queen. Random Chess, even Fischer's, is not new idea, going back 200 yrs. now; all these are copycats of Aaron Alexandre, author of 'Encyclopedie des Echecs'. Today Chaos Chess goes even step further in allowing deployment anywhere on board, so long as no checks present.

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