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Board Setup

This dialog provides the set-up of a start position. It is simple to use, therefore only the features will be explained.

Piece Selection

If the mouse pointer hovers the board - in this case the cursor is showing the selected piece - the middle mouse button will select the next piece, and the right mouse button will switch the color of the piece. A square will be emptied with setting the same piece on this square.

Castling

In Chess 960 positions (or Shuffle Chess positions) the castling rook may not be uniquely defined. In such cases it is obligatory to determine the file of the castling rook. If the ambiguity of any castling rook is unresolved while saving the position (with OK button), the application will detect this automatically, and an error will be reported.

Start position

Scidb is supporting Chess 960 positions. Chess 960 allows 960 different start positions, which are enumerated with a worldwide accepted scheme, developed from Reinhard Scharnagl. The standard start position has number 518 in this scheme. With the input of a number the corresponding position will be set-up. For further details of the enumeration see Chess960 numbering scheme .

Scidb is alos supporting Shuffle Chess positions. Shuffle Chess contains all the Chess 960 positions, with or without castling rights. Furthermore Shuffle Chess is allowing positions where castling is not possible, because the rule that the king is between two rooks will not be fullfilled. These positions will be enumerated with an extension of the Scharnagl scheme - there exists 2880 different start positions. All Chess 960 positions, with or without castlings rights, are retaining their position numbers.

Moreover Scidb supports special start positions, provided on the FICS server (as special chess variants). You can select a FICS start position with button . But only the start positions which are supported from Scidb will be offered.

Crazyhouse

In this chess variant it is necessary to specify the pieces in holding.

Moreover a special button exists:

With the use of this symbol you can tag pieces which are the result of a pawn promotion. This is essential, because in Crazyhouse promoted but captured pawns are dropped as pawns.

Three-check Chess

In this chess variant the specification of given checks is required; how often white has given check, and how often black.