The Four 'Modern' Chess Principles

• Reverse Symmetry
• Symmetric Castling to either side
• The option of having both Bishops start up on squares of the same color
• The Bishop Adjustment Rule

"Modern" variants

• Modern Chess (9x9), invented by Gabriel Vicente Maura in 1968
• Modern Random Chess (9x9), invented in 2008
• Contemporary Random Chess (8x8), invented (or "discovered") in 2008
• Prime Ministers Contemporary Random Chess (8x8), invented in 2008
• Prime Ministers Chess (9x8), proposed in 2008
• Modern Capablanca Random Chess (10x8), invented in 2008
• International Contemporary Random Chess (10x10), invented in 2008
• Modern Ministers Courier Chess (11x8), invented in 2009

"Modern" Principles

• The option of having both Bishops start up on squares of the same color.

  Simple, just as stated. Bishops may be both placed on the dark, or light, squares at the begining of the game. They may (but do not have to) be on opposite colored squares in the starting position.
  
  
  
  Gabriel Vicente Maura's 1968 Modern Chess starting position. Both Bishops start on the dark squares.
  
  

• Reverse Symmetry

  Reverse symmetric starting positions have a unique feature: both White and Black players get the same view of the board, of both their own pieces as well as for the enemy army.
  
  ....
  
  Look at this sample Modern Random Chess starting position, from both White or Black's point of view the see the exact same setup of their pieces, and of their opponent's pieces.
  
  More examples of Reverse Symmetry:
  
  Modern Capablanca Random Chess (10x8):
  
  
  
  International Contemporary Random Chess (10x10):
  
  
  
  

• Symmetric Castling to either side

  For 9x9 variants castling is like the Orthodox Chess long castling (O-O-O), but to both sides of the board; while for 8x8 and 10x8 variants castling is like the Orthodox Chess short castling (O-O), but to both sides of the board.
  
  
  • This table shows where the King and Rook end up and the notation for each type of castling in a 9x9 board:
    
    

    White castles a-side	c-castling	O-O-Oc	Kc1, Rd1
    White castles i-side	g-castling	O-O-Og	Kg1, Rf1
    Black castles a-side	c-castling	O-O-Oc	Kc9, Rd9
    Black castles i-side	g-castling	O-O-Og	Kg9, Rf9

    
    
    
  • This table shows where the King and Rook end up and the notation for each type of castling in a 8x8 board:
    
    

    White castles a-side	b-castling	O-Ob	Kb1, Rc1
    White castles h-side	g-castling	O-Og	Kg1, Rf1
    Black castles a-side	b-castling	O-Ob	Kb8, Rc8
    Black castles h-side	g-castling	O-Og	Kg8, Rf8

    
    
    .... ....
    
    Look at the sample Contemporary Random Chess starting position on the left. Both players are able to castle on their first move. The middle diagram shows the board after 1. O-Og (g-castling), and the diagram on the right shows the position after 1... O-Ob (b-castling) from Black's point of view.
    
    
  • This table shows where the King and Rook end up and the notation for each type of castling in a 10x8 board:
    
    

    White castles a-side	b-castling	O-Ob	Kb1, Rc1
    White castles j-side	i-castling	O-Oi	Ki1, Rh1
    Black castles a-side	b-castling	O-Ob	Kb8, Rc8
    Black castles j-side	i-castling	O-Oi	Ki8, Rh8

  
  
  

• The Bishop Adjustment Rule

  
  The Rule that gives a player the option to convert a game where the Bishops start in the same color squares, into a game with Bishops in opposite color squares.

Notes