Answers.Body: <p>There are a number of these on the internet ( <a href="https://www.chess.com/forum/view/fun-with-chess/custom-positions-copetetion" rel="noreferrer">1</a>, <a href="https://www.chess.com/forum/view/fun-with-chess/funniest-chess-positions?page=3" rel="noreferrer">2</a>), though how much fun is to be had is up to those that choose to play them. Such judgements are beyond me.</p>
  <p>I've never tried any of these. And I don't plan to.</p>
  <hr />
  <p>A few selections.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #1&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;rnbqqbQR/npppppPN/bp4PB/kp4PK/qp4PQ/bp4PB/npPPPPPN/rqBQQBNR w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>Another one.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #2&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;r2qk2r/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>One with the Queens in jail.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #3&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;r1b1kb1r/Pp1ppppp/qP6/Pp6/pP6/Qp6/pP1PPPPP/R1B1KB1R w KQkq - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>The Kings in jail.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #4&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;r2q1nnr/Pp1ppppp/kP6/Pp6/pP6/Kp6/pP1PPPPP/R2Q1NNR w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>No Rooks.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #5 (~+2.6)&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;qk6/bbb5/nnnn4/ppp5/5PPP/4NNNN/5BBB/6KQ w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>A key challenge is finding starting positions that lead to interesting play and have close to equal evaluations. For example...</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #6&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;1k6/ppp2ppq/ppp2ppp/5ppp/PPP5/PPP2PPP/QPP2PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>And simple changes?</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #7 (+6.9)&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;8/8/rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR/8/8 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>It depends.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #8 (+0.5)&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;8/rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR/8 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  <p>Some aren't too bad.</p>
  <pre><code>[Title &quot;Position #9 (+0.3)&quot;]
  [FEN &quot;rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/pppppppp/1p1p1p1p/1P1P1P1P/PPPPPPPP/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-02-21T02:08:04.433Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2022-02-21T02:08:04.433Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: SecretAgentMan
Body: <p>Recently, I found this funny position called Omicron. Are there are any other funny starting positions like this that can be used to have fun with friends?</p>
  <pre><code>[FEN &quot;2bqkb2/1rppppr1/np4pn/p6p/P6P/NP4PN/1RPPPPR1/2BQKB2 w - - 0 1&quot;]
  </code></pre>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-02-19T16:11:59.147Z
Comments.Text: Did you invent this starting position? Anyway, it gives White a big advantage. Stockfish 14 on depth 22 gives 1 d4 +1.13.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Rosie F
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-02-19T19:55:55.307Z
Comments.Text: no, not me? I've found this accidentaly in internet :)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ginger Bread
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-02-20T05:44:46.520Z
Comments.Text: @RosieF What's Stockfish's main line?  Is the point that d3(d4) and e3(e4) gain tempo by attacking the loose Nh6/Na6 ?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-02-20T06:44:40.843Z
Comments.Text: @NoamD.Elkies Stockfish 14, on my PC with a 3.2GHz quad-core Intel i5-4460 CPU, gives 1 d4 e5 2 Nb5 (Nb1 d5 3 Bxh6 Bxh3 4 dxe5) c6 (Ng4 3 e4) 3 Bxh6 cxb5 (d5 4 Ng5/Rg1/Rh2; not Bb4+? 4 c3 cxb5 5 cxb4 d5 6 Bxg7 Bxh3) 4 axb5 (e4) Nc7 (Nb4/Bb4+) 5 dxe5 (c4 d5; Bxg7 Bxg7 6 c4) Nxb5 (d5 6 exc6; Bb4+ 6 Bd2) 6 c4 (Bxg7 Bxg7) d5 7 cxb5 Bxh3 (Bb4+ 8 Bd2 Bxh3 9 Bxb4 axb4) 8 Rh2 Be6. I limited Stockfish's analysis of each ply to 60s, so different runs might give different results.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Rosie F
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-02-20T16:15:42.517Z
Comments.Text: Of course there are such positions (even on CSE; recently there was one where all white officers stand *before* the pawns, amazingly the position is rather =). The latter is also the snag: for real fun such a position should be = (and for additional lulz, very unbalanced like that I quoted).
Comments.UserDisplayName: Hauke Reddmann
Tags: <opening><chess-variants>
Title: Funny chess starting positions
ThreadText: # Funny chess starting positions
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-19)
  
  Recently, I found this funny position called Omicron. Are there are any other funny starting positions like this that can be used to have fun with friends?
  [FEN "2bqkb2/1rppppr1/np4pn/p6p/P6P/NP4PN/1RPPPPR1/2BQKB2 w - - 0 1"]
  
  **Tags:** opening, chess-variants
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Did you invent this starting position? Anyway, it gives White a big advantage. Stockfish 14 on depth 22 gives 1 d4 +1.13.  
  > **username_0**: no, not me? I've found this accidentaly in internet :)  
  > **username_2**: @RosieF What's Stockfish's main line?  Is the point that d3(d4) and e3(e4) gain tempo by attacking the loose Nh6/Na6 ?  
  > **username_1**: @NoamD.Elkies Stockfish 14, on my PC with a 3.2GHz quad-core Intel i5-4460 CPU, gives 1 d4 e5 2 Nb5 (Nb1 d5 3 Bxh6 Bxh3 4 dxe5) c6 (Ng4 3 e4) 3 Bxh6 cxb5 (d5 4 Ng5/Rg1/Rh2; not Bb4+? 4 c3 cxb5 5 cxb4 d5 6 Bxg7 Bxh3) 4 axb5 (e4) Nc7 (Nb4/Bb4+) 5 dxe5 (c4 d5; Bxg7 Bxg7 6 c4) Nxb5 (d5 6 exc6; Bb4+ 6 Bd2) 6 c4 (Bxg7 Bxg7) d5 7 cxb5 Bxh3 (Bb4+ 8 Bd2 Bxh3 9 Bxb4 axb4) 8 Rh2 Be6. I limited Stockfish's analysis of each ply to 60s, so different runs might give different results.  
  > **username_3**: Of course there are such positions (even on CSE; recently there was one where all white officers stand *before* the pawns, amazingly the position is rather =). The latter is also the snag: for real fun such a position should be = (and for additional lulz, very unbalanced like that I quoted).  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2022-02-21. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  There are a number of these on the internet ( 1, 2), though how much fun is to be had is up to those that choose to play them. Such judgements are beyond me.
  I've never tried any of these. And I don't plan to.
  
  A few selections.
  [Title "Position #1"]
  [FEN "rnbqqbQR/npppppPN/bp4PB/kp4PK/qp4PQ/bp4PB/npPPPPPN/rqBQQBNR w - - 0 1"]
  
  Another one.
  [Title "Position #2"]
  [FEN "r2qk2r/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 0 1"]
  
  One with the Queens in jail.
  [Title "Position #3"]
  [FEN "r1b1kb1r/Pp1ppppp/qP6/Pp6/pP6/Qp6/pP1PPPPP/R1B1KB1R w KQkq - 0 1"]
  
  The Kings in jail.
  [Title "Position #4"]
  [FEN "r2q1nnr/Pp1ppppp/kP6/Pp6/pP6/Kp6/pP1PPPPP/R2Q1NNR w - - 0 1"]
  
  No Rooks.
  [Title "Position #5 (~+2.6)"]
  [FEN "qk6/bbb5/nnnn4/ppp5/5PPP/4NNNN/5BBB/6KQ w - - 0 1"]
  
  A key challenge is finding starting positions that lead to interesting play and have close to equal evaluations. For example...
  [Title "Position #6"]
  [FEN "1k6/ppp2ppq/ppp2ppp/5ppp/PPP5/PPP2PPP/QPP2PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
  
  And simple changes?
  [Title "Position #7 (+6.9)"]
  [FEN "8/8/rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
  It depends.
  [Title "Position #8 (+0.5)"]
  [FEN "8/rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
  Some aren't too bad.
  [Title "Position #9 (+0.3)"]
  [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/pppppppp/1p1p1p1p/1P1P1P1P/PPPPPPPP/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
  
  
  ---
  
  