Starting position #459
Back-rank setup: RNNKBQRB
SP-459 · ThroneGuard — Both knights start on inner files (b–g) while the king sits centrally on d or e — one of 204 positions filed here.
Move the pieces right on the board — full Chess960 rules, castle by dropping the king on the rook.
Position features
The king starts on d1, the rooks on a1 and g1, the queen on f1.
Castling ends where it always does: king to g1 and rook to f1 on the short side, king to c1 and rook to d1 on the long one.
A bishop starts in the corner on h1: it has a single diagonal, which the g-pawn unlocks, running out to a8.
The second rank carries 2 pawns with no defender at all: b2, h2.
The setup belongs to the ThroneGuard family; read right to left it becomes position 689.
The engine's main line opens with g4.
Every sentence here is computed from the setup itself and can be checked on the board.
Balance
MBI 31 Morozov Balance Index: 31 of 100 — class C — noticeable edge.
- Engine evaluation of the starting position: +32 centipawns for White (depth 44, 400 000 000 nodes).
- Rank 668 of 960 by balance — 1 is the most balanced start.
- Balance band M — moderate edge · dynamics along the play-out: equalizing
- Evaluation along the engine's main line (60 half-moves): +45 → +25 → 0
Position facts
- Mirror twin: position #689
- The king starts on d, the rooks on a and g
- This position does not come up as the daily position in the next four years
Puzzles from this position
- Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b8 — Chess960 specifics · 620
- Attack on the uncastled king: queen to f8 (f1·2) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Attack on the uncastled king: king to c1 (c2) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Winning blow: queen to c6 (g2) — Chess960 specifics · 920
- Winning blow: queen to e7 (e6·5) — Chess960 specifics · 1150
- Winning blow: rook to c6 (c3·2) — Chess960 specifics · 1200
- Winning blow: queen to d6 (d3·5) — Chess960 specifics · 1290
- Winning blow: rook to d5 (a5·3) — Chess960 specifics · 1340
- Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to g5 (d2·4) — Chess960 specifics · 1630
- Winning blow: rook to f7 (f1·27) — Chess960 specifics · 2060
This position appears in course day 6
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Commentary
The king begins on d1 and castling is ordinary in both directions. A bishop holds the corner on h1 with one diagonal to a8; the second bishop is on e1. Two pawns begin with no defender at all: b2 and h2, and c2 leans on the king alone. The knights stand side by side on b1 and c1, the queen on f1. Three knight moves follow in six half-moves: g4 Nc6 Nc3 Nd6 Nd3 g6.
Written from the measured facts above and checked against the board before publishing. All 960 positions have one.