Starting position #492
Back-rank setup: QBRNKNBR
SP-492 · ThroneGuard — King on a central file (d/e) with both knights on inner files — the classic-type setup.
Move the pieces right on the board — full Chess960 rules, castle by dropping the king on the rook.
Position features
The king starts on e1, the rooks on c1 and h1, the queen on a1.
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.
The bishops stand on b1 and g1; their long diagonals reach h7 and a7 once the c- and f-pawns step aside.
One second-rank pawn starts with no defender at all: g2.
The setup belongs to the ThroneGuard family; read right to left it becomes position 572.
The engine's main line opens with b4.
Every sentence here is computed from the setup itself and can be checked on the board.
Balance
MBI 43 Morozov Balance Index: 43 of 100 — class C — noticeable edge.
- Engine evaluation of the starting position: +28 centipawns for White (depth 46, 400 000 000 nodes).
- Rank 548 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): +23 → +25 → 0
Position facts
- Mirror twin: position #572
- The king starts on e, the rooks on c and h
- It becomes the daily position in 1148 days
Puzzles from this position
- Winning blow: knight to a3 (c2) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Attack on the uncastled king: knight to g2 (e3·2) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Winning blow: pawn to g3 (h2·7) — Chess960 specifics · 920
- Winning blow: knight to e7 (f5·7) — Chess960 specifics · 920
- Attack on the uncastled king: knight to c7 (d5·16) — Chess960 specifics · 920
- Winning blow: knight to f5 (e3·14) — Chess960 specifics · 1200
- Attack on the uncastled king: bishop to d4 (e3·6) — Chess960 specifics · 1280
- Mate in 2: queen to f5 (d3) — Chess960 specifics · 1440
- Winning blow: knight to e6 (c7·9) — Chess960 specifics · 1750
- Winning blow: queen to f6 (c3·6) — Chess960 specifics · 2060
This position appears in course day 28
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Commentary
Castling is ordinary in both directions from e1, with the rooks on c1 and h1. The bishops are on b1 and g1, the knights on d1 and f1. The pawn on g2 has no defender, and e2 leans on the king alone. The queen begins in the far corner on a1. The engine's main line opens b4 f6, then f3 b6 c4 c5.
Written from the measured facts above and checked against the board before publishing. All 960 positions have one.