ZeroChess

Zero opening preparation. Zero starting evaluation.

1. e3 g6 2. c4 Nc6 3. Qb3 d6 4. h3 Nf6

Online play on ZeroChess is not available yet. Generate a starting position for an in-person game, or copy its FEN/PGN to another chess app. For example: Lichess offer.

How it works

Start from a random, balanced position.

A short sequence of legal moves is generated from the standard starting position. A modern chess engine checks that the result evaluates to zero. From there, it is standard chess.

Why ZeroChess?

The fixed chess starting position has two fundamental problems.

It is too well studied

Opening preparation and memorization are disproportionately important. Common positions are analyzed to great depths.

It is not balanced

White starts with an advantage. Most tournaments have an odd number of rounds, so players cannot receive equal games with each color, creating an inherent fairness problem.

Why not Chess960?

It addresses opening preparation only partially: 960 positions can still become familiar.
Its starting positions remain unbalanced and can increase White's initial advantage.
Castling is less intuitive in some positions.

Esports-inspired

Competitive mode: Draft

Don't want to be forced into an undesirable starting position? Draft mode gives both players control over what they play. A selection of balanced positions is revealed before the game. Players take turns banning positions. The game starts from the remaining position.

Chess position after 1. d3 Nc6 2. Nd2 b6 3. Ngf3 Bb7 4. Nb3 a6 — 1. d3 Nc6 2. Nd2 b6 3. Ngf3 Bb7 4. Nb3 a6

Chess position after 1. d4 e6 2. Nd2 Nc6 3. Ngf3 Nf6 4. Nb1 b6 — 1. d4 e6 2. Nd2 Nc6 3. Ngf3 Nf6 4. Nb1 b6

Chess position after 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. e3 g6 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bg7 — 1. Nf3 Nc6 2. e3 g6 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bg7

FAQ

Why do some positions look better for Black?

Balanced positions may look Black-favored because we are used to White starting with an advantage.

Why does White's position sometimes look awkward?

White may need to make less natural moves to offset the first-move advantage.

Won't the evaluation change at different depths?

Yes, it's not perfect. There will be some variance, but it is unbiased (the average evaluation should stay at zero). The average absolute evaluation will remain below 10 centipawns, which is much better than the standard starting position's 30–40 centipawns.

Contact

Get in touch.

Have a question, feedback, or an idea for ZeroChess? Interested in helping the project? Send the developers a message.