Chess960

This Wired article "Unorthodox Chess From an Odd Mind" is about two dozen programmers gathering to play a Chess960, a variation of chess invented by Bobby Fisher. The idea is that the pieces behind the pawns can be placed anywhere provided the bishops are on opposite colors, the king falls between rooks and black positions mirror white. There are 960 possible start configurations. Hence, the name.

Apparently Chess960 is gaining popularity even among grandmasters. The problem it addresses is what ultimately drove me out of serious chess play. The more deeply I got into the game, the more it became a matter of scholarship and rote memorization. It became less and less like a game of skill and more and more like a homework assignment. Maybe it's time to give 960 a try.

(HT: Kottke)