First Steps in Fischer Random

Last week's post, Bobby Fischer Day by Day (May 2022), spawned a similar post on my chess960 blog, Bobby Fischer in 1996 (also May 2022). That post also relied on an earlier chess960 post containing an image exploring Fischer's first steps to develop the chess evolution that bears his name.

It didn't happen overnight. Here is that image again.

From The Early Evolution of Fischerandom (February 2021)

The 16 links in that image plus another 15 links in 'Early Evolution' revealed a larger picture. Putting all of the dates together I concluded,

Fischer's early [chess960] activities were bunched into two time periods. The first period took place in 1992-1993, when Fischer developed the rules of his emerging invention. The second period took place in 1995-1996, when Fischer revealed his invention to the world.

Those posts effectively covered Fischer's first steps. Another post on my chess960 blog, covering a later, post-1996 period, Fischer and 'Wild Variant 22' (December 2013), was pure speculation:-

I started to wonder whether Fischer might possibly have played chess960 on the ICC.

'Wild Variant 22' has long been the most popular post on the chess960 blog. I can imagine why.