Classical chess setup ranks 562nd out of 960 after 460,800 games
Classical chess ranks 562nd of 960 starting positions after 460,800 games
A massive engine tournament, halfway through its 921,600-game run, reveals that the standard chess starting position is below average in Fischer Random. With White and Black choosing independent setups, the first-move advantage shrinks, and a king near the edge proves decisive. The project also uncovers that all 960 positions form 480 mirror pairs, halving the number of strategically distinct setups.
The entire body of opening theory that humanity has written over centuries grew up around a formation that is objectively inferior to more than half of the rest.