2nd WWW Fischer Random Progressive Chess Championship

Round 2 Setup

The above setup was used for all the games in round two. Unlike the position in round 1, this position is extremely volatile. The two bishops in the corner rake against the enemy kingside. The d2/7 square is extremely weak, making it difficult for the b-knights to move. The kings must come to the second rank quickly in order to avoid mate.

The most useful opening moves in this position are d4 and f4, followed closely by g4. d4 looks like an odd move, but it makes the white king just safe enough to threaten g4, Bxb7, Bxa8. Black is forced to play d5 himself to avoid this, or to play riskily with c5, cxd4 or the ambitious c5, g5. Neither king can find a safe square in this setup. The d2/d7 square allows knight checks on f1/f8, and the c2/c7, e2/e7 squares allow harassment by the enemy b-knight.

White holds a definite advantage in this position because the black king must move first (often as early as his 4) to avoid mate. This guarantees white a pleasant check to harass the enemy king.

The queens are surprisingly helpless in this setup. They can't do anything early, due to the enemy mate threats with minor pieces, so they usually just sit and wait to be captured. In addition, moving them out often allows mates with knights on b2/b7, so they have to remain where they are to guard against this threat. This position is all about amazing bishops and powerful knights... the minor pieces dominate in this setup.

One of the interesting characteristics of this position is its tangled development. Since it is hard to move a lot of the pieces due to mate threats, both sides take a long time to get their pieces out. This is especially true of the d4/d5 openings, where the corner bishops are blunted for a long time.

To sum up, this is an extremely dangerous, sharp position for both sides characterized by lively minor piece play and early evacuation of the kings to the second rank. This setup almost certainly favors the white player.

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