Susan Polgar (2555) revealed the development process of Fischer Random Chess, which began when Bobby Fischer moved to Budapest in 1993. They called it “shuffle chess”, experimenting with random piece placement without restrictions. Their early versions lacked symmetry between White and Black positions and had no requirements for bishop placement or castling rights.

“He asked me, ‘Susan, do you think people can remember 960 opening theories?’” Polgar recounts of the moment Fischer settled on the format. The final version emerged when mathematicians confirmed that even with symmetrical positions, bishops on opposite colors, and preserved castling rights, 960 starting positions remained possible. This number satisfied Fischer, who believed it would prevent memorization from dominating chess competition.

The current Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 represents significant developments in promoting Chess960. It has completed tournaments in Weissenhaus, Germany (February 7-14), Paris, France (April 7-14), and Karlsruhe, Germany (April 17-21), shich Magnus Carlsen won with phenomenal 9/9 points. Upcoming events are scheduled in Las Vegas, USA (July 15-19), relocated from New York with a five-day format, and Cape Town, South Africa (December 5-12). A Delhi event planned for September 2025 was postponed.