Editing Chess960 (section)

==Tournaments==
{{see|World Chess960 Championship}}
===First tournaments===
* 1996 – The first Fischer Random Chess tournament was held in [[Vojvodina]], Yugoslavia, in the spring of 1996, and was won by [[Peter Leko]] with 9½/11, ahead of Stanimir Nikolić with 9/11.<ref>Gligorić (2002), pp. 42–69.</ref>
* 2006–present – The first Fischer Random Championships of the Netherlands was held by Fischer Z chess club and has since been held annually. [[Dimitri Reinderman]] has won this title for five years, champion in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2023 en 2024. Two grandmasters have won the title twice, [[Yasser Seirawan]] and [[Dennis de Vreugt]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fischerz.nl/nkstats.pdf |title=Results |work=msoworld.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fischerz.nl/ |title=Reykjavik online |website=www.fischerz.nl |language=nl |access-date=2018-03-11}}</ref>
* 2010 – In 2010 the [[US Chess Federation]] sponsored its first Chess960 tournament, at the Jerry Hanken Memorial US Open tournament in Irvine, California. This one-day event, directed by Damian Nash, saw a first-place tie between [[Larry Kaufman]] and Mark Duckworth,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alchess.com/chess/10/usopen/?page=STANDINGS&xsection=fischer |title=10 U.S. Open |work=alchess.com}}</ref> which Kaufman won on tiebreaks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uschess.org/results/2010/usopen/?page=STANDINGS&xsection=fischer |title=2010 US Open Championship |work=uschess.org}}</ref>
* 2012 – The British Chess960 Championship was held at the [[Mind Sports Olympiad]], won by Ankush Khandelwal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.msoworld.com/2012-results/ |title=2012 Results |work=msoworld.com}}</ref>
* 2018 – The first edition of the European Fischer Random Cup was held in [[Reykjavík]] on March 9, 2018, on Fischer's 75th birthday. It was won by [[Aleksandr Lenderman]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reykjavikopen.com/events/european-fischer-random-cup-2018/ |title=European Fischer Random Cup 2018 (Free day) – GAMMA Reykjavík Open 2018 – Bobby Fischer Memorial |website=www.reykjavikopen.com |date=October 3, 2017 |access-date=2018-03-11}}</ref>
* 2019 – The Icelandic Chess Federation organized the European Fischer Random Championship on the rest day of 34th edition of The GAMMA [[Reykjavik Open]] on April 12, 2019. The tournament was won by the then 15-year-old Iranian prodigy [[Alireza Firouzja]], a full point ahead of US's [[Andrew Tang]], who was second on tiebreaks.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/reykjavik-open-2019-round-5 |title=Reykjavik Open: Firouzja shines |date=April 13, 2019 |publisher=[[ChessBase]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.frchess.com/news/firouzja-wins-invite |title=Firouzja Wins Invite |date=May 8, 2019 |website=www.frchess.com }}</ref>
* 2024 – The [[European Chess Union]] organized the European Blitz, Rapid and Random (Chess960) Championships in [[Skopje]], [[North Macedonia]]. The Chess960 championship, held on December 10, was won by [[Vladimir Fedoseev]], who also won the Rapid championship.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-12 |title=Fedoseev and Van Foreest win European Rapid and Blitz Championships |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/fedoseev-and-van-foreest-win-european-rapid-and-blitz-championships |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=[[ChessBase]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Mainz Championships===
''Note: None of the [[Mainz]] championships were recognized by [[FIDE]]. Furthermore, they were all played with rapid time controls.''
* 2001 – [[Peter Leko]] defeated [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]] 4½ to 3½ in an eight-game Fischer Random Chess match at the [[Mainz Chess Classic]], in what was regarded as one of the earliest serious tests of the chess variant.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chess |last=Speelman |first=Jon |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |via=Newspapers.com |date=2001-07-08 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer-chess/160547965/ |access-date=2024-12-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Chess |newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |last=Peters |first=Jack |via=Newspapers.com |date=2001-07-06 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-chess/160548167/ |access-date=2024-12-08}}</ref>
* 2002 – In 2002 at Mainz, an open tournament was held which was attended by 131 players, with Peter Svidler taking first place. Fischer Random Chess was selected as the April 2002 "Recognized Variant of the Month" by ''[[The Chess Variant Pages]]'' (ChessVariants.org). The book ''Shall We Play Fischerandom Chess?'' was published in 2002, authored by Yugoslavian grandmaster [[Svetozar Gligorić]].
* 2003 – At the 2003 Mainz Chess Classic, Svidler beat Lékó in an eight-game match for the World Championship title by a score of 4½–3½. The Chess960 open tournament drew 179 players, including 50 grandmasters.  It was won by [[Levon Aronian]], the 2002 World Junior Champion. Svidler is the official first World New Chess Association (WNCA) world champion inaugurated on August 14, 2003, with Jens Beutel, Mayor of Mainz as the President and Hans-Walter Schmitt, Chess Classic organizer as Secretary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2636/stories/20030906005106900.htm |title=Another new world body |last=Aaron |first=Arvind |work=tssonnet.com |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210234930/http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2636/stories/20030906005106900.htm |archive-date=2005-02-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1130 |title=Anand pulls off hat-trick win at Mainz Chess Classic |work=Chess News|date=August 18, 2003}}</ref> The WNCA maintains an own dedicated Chess960 rating list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ratings.schach-chroniken.net/ips/wnca/topranking.html |title=W-NC-A – Rating Library |author=Hans D. Post |date=January 25, 2009 |work=schach-chroniken.net}}</ref>
* 2004 – Aronian played Svidler for the title at the 2004 Mainz Chess Classic, losing 4½–3½. At the same tournament in 2004, Aronian played two Chess960 games against the Dutch computer chess program The Baron, developed by Richard Pijl. Both games ended in a draw. It was the first ever man against machine match in Chess960. [[Zoltán Almási]] won the Chess960 open tournament in 2004.

[[File:Computer-WM 2009-07-29.jpg|thumb|300px|The four programs [[Sjeng (chess)|Deep Sjeng]], [[Shredder (chess)|Shredder]], [[Rybka]], and [[Ikarus (chess)|Ikarus]] (with the programmers) at the 5th Livingston Chess960 Computer World Championship, Mainz 2009]]
* 2005 – Almási and Svidler played an eight-game match at the 2005 Mainz Chess Classic. Once again, Svidler defended his title, winning 5–3. Levon Aronian won the Chess960 open tournament in 2005. During the Chess Classic 2005 in Mainz, initiated by Mark Vogelgesang and Eric van Reem, the first-ever Chess960 computer chess world championship was played.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chesstigers.de/ccm5_index.php?lang=1 |title=Chess Tigers Homepage |author=Thilo Gubler |work=chesstigers.de |access-date=October 6, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060218225131/http://www.chesstigers.de/ccm5_index.php?lang=1 |archive-date=February 18, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Nineteen programs, including the powerful [[Shredder (chess)|Shredder]], played in this tournament. As a result of this tournament, [[Spike (chess)|Spike]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chessprogramming.org/Spike | title=Spike – Chessprogramming wiki }}</ref> became the first Chess960 computer world champion.
* 2006 – The 2006 Mainz Chess Classic saw Svidler defending his championship in a rematch against Levon Aronian. This time, Aronian won the match 5–3 to become the third ever Fischer Random Chess world champion. [[Étienne Bacrot]] won the Chess960 open tournament, earning him a title match against Aronian in 2007. Three new Chess960 world championship matches were held, in the women, junior and senior categories. In the women category, [[Alexandra Kosteniuk]] became the first Chess960 Women World Champion by beating [[Elisabeth Pähtz]] 5½ to 2½. The 2006 Senior Chess960 World Champion was [[Vlastimil Hort]], and the 2006 Junior Chess960 World Champion was [[Pentala Harikrishna]]. Shredder won the computer championship, making it [https://www.chessprogramming.org/Chess960CWC_2006 Chess960 computer world champion 2006].
* 2007 – In 2007 Mainz Chess Classic Aronian successfully defended his title of Chess960 World Champion over [[Viswanathan Anand]], while [[Victor Bologan]] won the Chess960 open tournament. [[Rybka]] won the 2007 computer championship.
* 2008 – [[Hikaru Nakamura]] won the 2008 Finet Chess960 Open (Mainz).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/crosswords/chess/10chess.html |title=New Twists From the Start in a Variation on the Game |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 9, 2008 |last1=McClain |first1=Dylan Loeb }}</ref> 
* 2009 – The last Mainz tournament was held in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chesstigers.de/ccm10_index_news.php?id=2288&rubrik=6&lang=1&kat=0&PHPSESSID=63648af9cf84c035fca281d309c168eb |title=Chess Classic Mainz 2010 (CCM10) 2010-08-06 - 2010-08-08 |work=chesstigers.de |access-date=December 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506182158/http://www.chesstigers.de/ccm10_index_news.php?id=2288&rubrik=6&lang=1&kat=0&PHPSESSID=63648af9cf84c035fca281d309c168eb |archive-date=May 6, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Hikaru Nakamura won the Chess960 World Championship against Aronian,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/crosswords/chess/09chess.html |title=A Game With 960 Possible Openings, but an American Champ Is Unfazed |last=McClain |first=Dylan Loeb |date=2009-08-08 |work=The New York Times }}</ref> while [[Alexander Grischuk]] won the Chess960 open tournament.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Summary of Mainz Winners<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chesstigers.de/bilder/rosa/ChessClassicWinners-EN.pdf |title=winners PDF |access-date=December 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813095438/http://www.chesstigers.de/bilder/rosa/ChessClassicWinners-EN.pdf |archive-date=August 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
! Year
! Championship
! Open
! Women's Championship
! Computer Championship
|-
| 2001 || [[Péter Lékó]] (4½–3½ vs. [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]])||  ||  ||
|-
| 2002 ||  || [[Peter Svidler]] ||  ||
|-
| 2003 || [[Peter Svidler]] (4½–3½ vs. Péter Lékó) || [[Levon Aronian]] ||  ||
|-
| 2004 || [[Peter Svidler]] (4½–3½ vs. Levon Aronian) || [[Zoltán Almási]] ||  ||
|-
| 2005 || [[Peter Svidler]] (5–3 vs. Zoltán Almási) || [[Levon Aronian]] ||  || [[Spike (chess)|Spike]]
|-
| 2006 || [[Levon Aronian]] (5–3 vs. Peter Svidler) || [[Étienne Bacrot]] || [[Alexandra Kosteniuk]] (5½–2½ vs. [[Elisabeth Pähtz]]) || [[Shredder (chess)|Shredder]]
|-
| 2007 || [[Levon Aronian]] (2–2, 1½–½ vs. [[Viswanathan Anand]]) || [[Victor Bologan]] ||  || [[Rybka]]
|-
| 2008 ||  || [[Hikaru Nakamura]] || [[Alexandra Kosteniuk]] (2½–1½ vs. [[Kateryna Lahno]]) || [[Rybka]]
|-
| 2009 || [[Hikaru Nakamura]] (3½–½ vs. Levon Aronian) || [[Alexander Grischuk]] ||  || [[Rybka]]
|}

===Computers===
In 2005, chess program [[The Baron (chess program)|The Baron]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.chessprogramming.org/The_Baron | title=The Baron – Chessprogramming wiki }}</ref> played two Fischer Random Chess games against Chess960 World Champion [[Peter Svidler]], who won 1½–½. The chess program [[Shredder (chess)|Shredder]], developed by Stefan Meyer-Kahlen of Germany, played two games against [[Zoltán Almási]] from Hungary, where Shredder won 2–0.

TCEC has held [[Top Chess Engine Championship#TCEC FRC (Fischer Random Chess)|TCEC FRC]] since 2019 where [[Stockfish (chess)|Stockfish]] has won every edition except the 2021 edition which was won by [[Komodo (chess)|Komodo]].<ref>{{cite web|title=TCEC FRC 4|url=https://tcec-chess.com/#div=frc4fl&game=48&season=21}}</ref> Since 2022, they have also held tournaments for an additional variant called DFRC (Double Fischer Random Chess) or FRD (Fischer Random Double), which arrange the starting positions for White and Black separately instead of requiring them to be mirrored.<ref>{{cite web|title=TCEC FRD|url=https://wiki.chessdom.org/TCEC_FRD_rules}}</ref> There are thus 960 × 960 = 921,600 possible starting positions, and more potential for the positions to be unbalanced. These events have all been won by Stockfish.

===Miscellaneous matches===
From February 9 to 13, 2018, a Chess960 match between former classical World Chess Champion [[Magnus Carlsen]] and the unofficial Fischer Random Chess world champion [[Hikaru Nakamura]] was held in [[Høvikodden]], Norway. The match consisted of 8 rapid and 8 blitz games, with the rapid games counting double. Each position was used in two games, with colors reversed. Carlsen prevailed with a score of 14–10.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/carlsen-nakamura-in-high-stakes-chess960-match |title=Carlsen, Nakamura in high-stakes Chess960 match |date=2018-02-09 |work=Chess News |access-date=2018-03-02 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/chess960-day-5|title=Carlsen adds a new title: Chess960 champion |date=2018-02-14 |work=Chess News |access-date=2018-03-02 }}</ref>

===Saint Louis Chess Club's Champions Showdown: Chess 9LX===
2018 – From September 11 to 14, 2018, the [[Saint Louis Chess Club]] held a Chess960 event,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.uschesschamps.com/2018-champions-showdown/2018-champions-showdown-chess-960 |title=Champions Showdown Chess 960 |access-date=18 September 2018 }}</ref> but they did not yet call their event 'Chess 9LX'. (They started next year.) The playing format consisted of individual matches, each pair of players facing the same five different starting positions, with 6 rapid games (counting 2 points each) and 14 blitz games (counting 1 point each). ''Players and scores:''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.uschesschamps.com/2018-champions-showdown/results |title=2018 Champions Showdown Results |access-date=18 September 2018}}</ref>

# [[Veselin Topalov]] (14½–11½) defeated [[Garry Kasparov]].
# [[Hikaru Nakamura]] (14–12) defeated [[Peter Svidler]].
# [[Wesley So]] (14½–11½) defeated [[Anish Giri]].
# [[Maxime Vachier-Lagrave]] (17½–8½) defeated [[Sam Shankland]].
# [[Levon Aronian]] (17½–8½) defeated [[Leinier Domínguez]].

2019 – The playing format once again consisted of individual matches. ''Players and scores:''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://uschesschamps.com/2019-champions-showdown-chess-9LX/overview |title=2019 Champions Showdown Results |access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref>

# [[Fabiano Caruana]] (19–7) defeated [[Garry Kasparov]].
# [[Wesley So]] (18–8) defeated [[Veselin Topalov]].
# [[Peter Svidler]] (15½–10½) defeated [[Leinier Domínguez Pérez]].
# [[Hikaru Nakamura]] (14½–11½) defeated [[Levon Aronian]].

2020 – The playing format changed to a round robin. The event was won by both (There was no tiebreaker) former world (standard) chess champion [[Magnus Carlsen]] and [[Hikaru Nakamura]]. Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura got 6/9. Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian got 5½/9. Wesley So scored 5/9, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Leinier Dominguez Perez got 4/9. Garry Kasparov scored 3½/9, Peter Svidler 3/9 and  Alireza Firouzja 2½/9.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://uschesschamps.com/2020-champions-showdown-chess-9LX/overview |title=2020 Champions Showdown Results |access-date=24 September 2022 }}</ref>

2021 – The playing format was a round robin with 10 players. The event was won by [[Leinier Domínguez Pérez]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.uschesschamps.com/2021-champions-showdown-chess-9lx/pairings-regulations |title=2021 Champions Showdown Pairings & Results |access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref>

2022 – The playing format was a round robin with 10 players. The event was won by [[Fabiano Caruana]] who defeated [[Alireza Firouzja]] in armageddon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://uschesschamps.com/2022-champions-showdown-chess-9lx/pairings-results |title=2022 Champions Showdown Pairings & Results |access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref>

2023 – The playing format was a round robin with 10 players. Sam Sevian won with 7/9. Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Sam Shankland got 6/9. Fabiano Caruana scored 5½/9, Hikaru Nakamura 4/9, Jeffrey Xiong 3½/9, Garry Kasparov 3/9, Leinier Dominguez 2½/9 and Ray Robson 1½/9.<ref>[https://uschesschamps.com/2023-champions-showdown-chess-9lx/pairings-results uschesschamps.com 2023 Champions Showdown chess results]</ref>

2024 – The playing format was a round robin with 10 players. The event was won by Fabiano Caruana.<ref>{{Cite web  |url=https://uschesschamps.com/pgn/2024Chess9LX/SMWSite/index.html |title=2024 Champions Showdown Pairings & Results |access-date=12 January 2025}}</ref>

===FIDE World Championships 2019 and 2022===
{{main|FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship 2019}}
{{main|FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship 2022}}

On April 20, 2019, the first world championship in Fischer Random Chess officially recognized by FIDE was announced. It ended on November 2, 2019. In the finals, [[Wesley So]] defeated the former and four-time world chess champion [[Magnus Carlsen]] 13½–2½ (4 wins, 0 losses, 2 draws) to become the inaugural world Fischer Random Chess champion.

In the announcement, FIDE president [[Arkady Dvorkovich]] commented:<ref name="FIDE2">{{cite news|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/chess-com-announces-fide-world-fischer-random-chess-championship|title=Chess.com Announces FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship|date=April 20, 2019|work=[[Chess.com]]}}</ref> <blockquote>It is an unprecedented move that the International Chess Federation recognizes a new variety of chess, so this was a decision that required to be carefully thought out. But we believe that Fischer Random is a positive innovation: It injects new energies and enthusiasm into our game, but at the same time it doesn't mean a rupture with our classical chess and its tradition. It is probably for this reason that Fischer Random chess has won the favor of the chess community, including the top players and the world champion himself. FIDE couldn't be oblivious to that: It was time to embrace and incorporate this modality of chess.</blockquote>

On August 19, 2022, the second world championship was announced for later in 2022, in Iceland. This is exactly half a century after the [[World Chess Championship 1972]] held in Iceland between Fischer and [[Boris Spassky]]. On October 30, [[Hikaru Nakamura]] played the finals against [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]], who had earlier knocked out [[Magnus Carlsen]]. Nakamura won in the [[armageddon (chess)|armageddon]] after drawing the match 2–2.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.frchess.com/news/hikaru-nakamura-is-the-2022-fide-world-fischer-random-champion|title=Hikaru Nakamura is the 2022 FIDE World Fischer Random Champion |last=Tisdall|first=Jonathan}}</ref>

===Freestyle Chess===
{{For|the computer-aided variant|Advanced chess}}{{Main|Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge|Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour}}

The eight-player Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge was the first major Chess960 tournament that used classical chess time controls. It took place in Germany from February 9–16, 2024. Fischer Random world champion Nakamura was reportedly invited, but did not play in the event. Magnus Carlsen won the tournament by defeating Fabiano Caruana in the finals.

Following the success of the first tournament, organizers Carlsen and [[Jan Henric Buettner]] launched the [[Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour]] in 2025, comprising five "Grand Slam" tournaments and [[Grenke Freestyle Chess Open|one open tournament]]. The winner of the tour will be awarded the title of Freestyle Chess Champion.