Random Resources

A new video from Chess.com's IM Daniel Rensch explains the basics:-

• Learn To Play Chess960 (Fischer Random)

Chess.com has also released a short puzzle test:-

• Learn to Play Fischer Random - Chess Lessons

That's a great idea, but it could be split into at least two puzzle series: 1) Do you know the castling rules?, and 2) Tactical devices that never arise from the traditional start position. Both of those ideas are easily expanded. Also worth a look is:-

• Chess960 Dice (indiegogo.com; 'Chess based on talent not memory!')

HarryO of Chess960 Jungle, points out:-

• Arena Kings - Fischer Random (aka Chess 960) Friday (youtube.com; GMHikaru)

Harry says, 'You announce "The NO LOOK 1.e4!" with your hands raised in the air'. One of the comments points to another sequence in the video where GM Nakamura plays 'The NO LOOK 1.c4!':-

From the 1978 Karpov Gambit in the Open Variation of the Spanish Game to "I didn't even look at the board." Thank you, Bobby Fischer!

I can't tell if 'Thank you, Bobby Fischer!' is sincere or sarcastic.

Phase Two of FWFRCC Underway

Last month's post, Titled Players Join the FWFRCC, reported on the second phase of the biggest chess960 tournament ever held, where FWFRCC means 'FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship'. Although other variations of that awkward acronym are in use, that's the one I pulled from an early page announcing the event, and that's the one I'll continue to use.

The plans call for six days of play, two tournaments per day, 7 players qualifying per tournament. Half of the 12 tournaments have been held, with the results available at World Fischer Random Championship: Qualified Players. The page mentions, 'The last four [sic] FIDE World Fischer Random Titled Qualifier events will take place on August 4.' The full schedule is shown in the following image.

Schedule (frchess.com)

Some well known players have already qualified, like chess960 specialist GM Andrey Deviatkin in the third event, and former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov in the fifth. Chess.com, the host for the online events, doesn't require players to use their real names as identifiers, making it often problematic to recognize specific players. It does, however, require titled players to prove their identity. By the time of this blog's next report on the event, the third phase 'Knockout Qualifiers' should have already started.