Starting position #498
Back-rank setup: BRQNKBNR
SP-498 · 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 b1 and h1, the queen on c1.
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 a1: it has a single diagonal, which the b-pawn unlocks, running out to h8.
One second-rank pawn starts with no defender at all: a2.
The setup belongs to the ThroneGuard family; read right to left it becomes position 551.
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 91 Morozov Balance Index: 91 of 100 — class A — most balanced.
- Engine evaluation of the starting position: +13 centipawns for White (depth 49, 400 000 000 nodes).
- Rank 91 of 960 by balance — 1 is the most balanced start.
- Balance band S — slight edge · dynamics along the play-out: equalizing
- Evaluation along the engine's main line (70 half-moves): +17 → +13 → +27 → +22 → 0
- Deeper check (1 200 000 000 nodes, depth 53): +9 cp, -4 cp against the base run — verified · E — even
Position facts
- Mirror twin: position #551
- The king starts on e, the rooks on b and h
- It becomes the daily position in 488 days
Puzzles from this position
- Attack on the uncastled king: pawn to g4 (f3·8) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Attack on the uncastled king: knight to a7 (c6) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Attack on the uncastled king: queen to b3 (c2) — Chess960 specifics · 780
- Attack on the uncastled king: knight to d6 (b5·4) — Chess960 specifics · 920
- Winning blow: pawn to c5 (d4·9) — Chess960 specifics · 920
- Winning blow: queen to b6 (a6·2) — Chess960 specifics · 1150
- Attack on the uncastled king: queen to d6 (d2) — Chess960 specifics · 1280
- Winning blow: rook to f8 (g8) — Chess960 specifics · 1510
- Winning blow: rook to d7 (c7·9) — Chess960 specifics · 1870
- Chess960 tactic on e7 (e3·2) — Chess960 specifics · 2350
This position appears in course day 18
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Commentary
Castling is ordinary in both directions from e1, with the rooks on b1 and h1. A bishop is shut into the corner on a1 with a single diagonal to h8; the second bishop is on f1. Among the pawns, a2 is the one that begins without a defender. The queen is on c1, the knights on d1 and g1. Both sides mirror each other for six half-moves: b4 b5 e3 e6 f4 f5.
Written from the measured facts above and checked against the board before publishing. All 960 positions have one.