Stanley Random Chess Introduced & Explained for Beginners
Gregory Topov is one of the most famous Grandmasters in Stanley Random Chess in the modern era. A
life-long devotee of the sport, he dominated the game for the last two decades of the twentieth
century. Topov has won a total of 13 world championships, including an unprecedented eight consecutive
victories from 1982-1989. After narrowly missing out on a closely-contested title early in 2004, he
has retired from active competition, but continues to make an important contribution to the world of
Stanley Random Chess by his writings, sharing insightful analysis and observations. GM Topov was
recently inducted as lifelong member of the IFSRC (International Fraternity for Stanley Random
Chess) Hall of Fame. Believing that Stanley Random Chess is much misunderstood and underappreciated,
he is actively committed to promoting greater awareness about Stanley Random Chess. This article first
appeared in Stanley Random Chess Monthly in June 2004, as part of a series of articles geared towards
explaining the sport for newcomers. We are proud to reproduce it here online, with permission from the
publishers.
Description
Despite having a long and illustrious history, Stanley Random Chess (commonly designated SR Chess), is
relatively unknown in the modern era due to the fact that it flourished in exclusive clubs and under
the cover of secret societies. Not to be confused with Fischer Random Chess (FR Chess), SR Chess has
only recently emerged into the modern public arena, where it is presented as a chess variant. Recent
historical studies published by Dr. Bill Goldman have now offered conclusive proof that in fact the
more commonly played traditional chess is merely an inferior and simplified variant of SR
Chess. For this reason common chess is usually designated in SR Chess circles as Simplified Stanley
Random Chess, or Simplified SR Chess. While superficially similar to Simplified SR (Common) Chess, SR
Chess is a far more advanced and complex game that requires greater skill and imagination. Unlike the
more popular and simplified form of the game, it relies more on pattern recognition and sequenced
moves, offering a complexity and creativity that is initially perplexing for new players, but far more
rewarding. It relies less on memorization and opening theory, and leads to more exciting and creative
play, with draws being relatively infrequent.
Objective
Like Simplified SR (Common) Chess, the objective of SR Chess is to win the game by checkmate. Draws
can occur under the same conditions as in Simplified SR (Common) Chess, but due to the imaginative and
more complex play of an SR Chess game, draws are typically far less frequent, which is one of the
reasons SR Chess is so appealing to players disillusioned with the number of unsatisfactory draws
common in Simplified SR (Common) Chess. An SR Chess game can also be won by a Forced IMR (Inferior
Material Resignation) after move 30 - see further details under Rules.
Playing Supplies
Play is conducted in the same manner as Simplified SR (Common) Chess, using the same chess board and
pieces, and with both players moving in turn. Some variations require the use of two dice, eight
territorial square markers, and a score sheet, but these are not specialty items. Special Deluxe SR
Chess sets have been known to be marketed separately, but novices should be forewarned that these
merely consist of regular chess playing supplies along with a set of rules of SR Chess. The rules that
accompany Deluxe or Gift SR Chess sets are typically incomplete, limited to one local variation, and
are not sanctioned by the ISRCA (International Stanley Random Chess Association), and cannot be
recommended. During play in tournaments, the rules are supervised by an official adjudicator or local
SRCA representative. In informal settings without an adjudicator, is not uncommon for there to be
lengthy discussions about rules and strategy. It is rare for a game to be played in less than an hour,
primarily because of the complexity and creativity the game requires.
Rules
Relation to Simplified SR (Common) Chess
The basic rules of SR Chess are identical to those of Simplified SR (Common) Chess, so I will not risk
redundancy by repeating them in full. Learning Simplified SR (Common) Chess has proven helpful for
some players, since a knowledge of its legal moves and some basic strategy is essential for good SR
Chess play. However, the simplifications of Simplified SR (Common) Chess do
impoverish the
traditional game of much beauty and creativity, and can hinder the development of sound strategy. The
difference lies in the fact that Simplified SR (Common) Chess has eliminated the original rigid code
and rules that govern required move sequences and permissible board patterns of SR Chess. These are
quite complex, and attempting to summarizing them will only confuse the novice, but new students of
the game should familiarize themselves with the important principles enumerated below.
Random Moves
Newcomers may find the random part of Stanley Random Chess rather confusing. The truth is
that the name is an unfortunate misnomer, because SR Chess is certainly not random. The original name
of the game was Stanley Chess, but the perceived randomness by the numerous fans of Simplified SR
(Common) Chess led to the unfortunate designation Stanley Random Chess. Players familiar with
Simplified SR (Common) Chess typically observe apparent randomness in two respects:
- Sudden/strange game moves
- Sudden/strange game termination
What might be perceived as apparent random moves to the newcomer, is in fact the result of careful and
precise play, in conjunction with an elaborate set of rules that strictly govern legal sequences and
patterns. Any notion of randomness will be eliminated by a correct understanding of:
- Legal patterns and sequences
- Winning patterns and sequences
1. Legal Patterns and Sequences
Legal Moves: Unlike Simplified SR (Common) Chess, the sequence and patterns of
possible moves are strictly regulated by a carefully articulated body of laws, so that SR Chess has a
lesser number of legal moves (approximately half). Maxwell's Bipolar Law of Corresponding
Necessities might benefit the novice:
- First Theorem of Permissible Play: A legal move in Simplified SR (Common) Chess is not by
necessity legal in SR Chess, but a legal move in SR Chess is by necessity legal in Simplified SR
(Common) Chess.
- First Reversed Theorem of Permissible Play: An illegal move in Simplified SR (Common)
Chess is by necessity illegal in SR Chess, but an illegal move in SR Chess is not by necessity illegal
in Simplified SR (Common) Chess.
The awesome scope of the regulations that govern permissible patterns and sequences adds an element of
complexity and creativity to SR Chess that is not found in Simplified SR (Common) Chess, and also
accounts for the apparent sudden/strange (random) moves sometimes perceived by novices.
Illegal Moves (Freezing) Newcomers will notice that simplified captures and retreats
are sometimes deemed illegal in SR Chess. When a move that is legal in Simplified SR (Common) Chess,
but illegal in SR Chess, the piece in question is said to be frozen. In some traditions,
frozen pieces are termed stone-walled. Freezing of pieces typically occurs
when moves are not sequenced according to the Nubular Rule, or when a Pattern of Unbalance is created.
Unfreezing a piece is possible, but is dependent on the proportion of occupied white squares relative
to occupied dark squares, and subject to the Rule of Double Diagonals.
2. Winning Patterns and Sequences
Forced IMR Unlike Simplified SR (Common) Chess, SR Chess has the added dimension
that after the 30th move, the VollenHauser Sudden Death Principle comes into play, enabling
players to win the game by a Forced IMR (Inferior Material Resignation), with the winner being the
player with the most material. If the game has not been concluded at this point, one of the players is
usually quick to create a position that requires a Forced IMR, and so it is unusual for a game to
extend beyond 40 moves. Typically the number of legal moves increases in the end game, leading to
faster and exciting play, greater attacking possibilities, daring sacrifices, and sudden victories.
This also accounts for the apparent sudden/strange (random) termination of the game sometimes
perceived by novices.
VH Conditions The precise conditions in which a Forced IMR is allowed are too
numerous and complex to enumerate here, and it can take time for novices to develop strategies to
create the right pattern in which such a conclusion is allowed. A good understanding of the
VollenHauser Sudden Death Principle (usually designated as VH Conditions) is critical. The
classic work by Leopold Strauss, A Reexamination of Forced Inferior Material Resignations: A Guide to
Winning Play under VollenHauser Conditions (Belgrade Press, 1934), is the standard reference text on
this subject. In tournaments, adjudictors will normally announce to both players at the conclusion of
move 29, The game is now under VH Conditions, which means that the VollenHauser Sudden Death
Principle is now in effect. Note that before VH Conditions come into effect, all sequences and
patterns that would lead to a Forced IMR win under VH Conditions are illegal, to prevent players from
establishing an unfair advantage earlier in the game. The possibility of a sudden win by a Forced IMR
while the game is under VH Conditions leads to very exciting and novel play, particularly after the
30th move.
3. Other Rules
The precise rules are far too numerous to list here, and the above rules merely introduce some of the
unique aspects of SR Chess. A good grasp of the more comprehensive laws that govern legal and winning
patterns and sequences is essential for expert play, but these are amply documented and explained in
Samuel Worthington's fourth edition of Stanley Random Chess: The Official Player's Guide - Vol. 1,
The Rules (Vol. 2, The Players and Vol. 3, Developing Winning Strategy are also
worthwhile). The close observation of expert play is one of the best ways to acquire a good
understanding of the rules.
Variations
To reduce the inevitable perplexity that inevitably confronts the novice player, it is usual before
the game to adopt the house rules of a popular local variation, such as the International Stanley
Random Grand Prix Rules, or the Modern British Imperial Stanley Random Rules. Over 535 such variations
have been documented by the ISRCA, and the appendix of their 2004 Official Stanley Random Chess
Handbook summarizes the 32 more popular international variations. Due to the development of this wide
spectrum of local variations, novices should not be alarmed to discover that experienced players
typically engage in lengthy and lively debates about the rules and their variations in the course of a
game. Note that the 1983 Genevan Revision has made it mandatory to obtain an unmoded quadrant
(requiring unweighting of the light squares) for openings in tournament play for all variations. For
novices and informal play it is usually replaced by the simpler Gallican Primary Ranking
Order which allows weighted pawn play within the first ten moves.
Openings
New players will find that openings common to Simplified SR (Common) Chess may be entirely inadequate,
and at times illegal, in SR Chess, and conversely that many openings which have been refuted in
Simplified SR (Common) Chess may serve well in SR Chess. Consequently novices will do well to discard
most opening theory they have learned from Simplified SR (Common) Chess. One of the advantages of SR
Chess is that opening theory is less critical, because the creativity and complexity implicit in the
multiple move patterns and sequence formations allows for a greater variety of openings, and less
dependence on pure memorization. While Simplified SR (Common) Chess has been criticized for being a
matter of memorizing openings, SR Chess relies more on skill, strategy and creativity than
memorization, and once a good grasp of the rules has been obtained, imaginative young players are able
to play at a very high level against grandmasters. Novice players should be able to grasp the
essentials of common openings (especially the Genevan Gambler Attack, and the Left Wing Butterfly
Defence) in short order by observing other players. It is not uncommon for a relatively unknown player
to emerge from obscurity and inflict a surprising loss on a well-known grandmaster, as is the case
when the relatively unknown GM Otto Boshnaut first won the 32nd German Championship in 1885.
Strategy
Although advanced strategy is usually beyond most novice players, Sir Humphry Footscray has done
beginning SR Chess players a wonderful service by summarizing some helpful principles that serve as an
excellent introductory strategy for beginners:
- Obtaining a material advantage prior to the enforcement of VH Conditions will increase the
likelihood of successfully winning the game by a Forced IMR.
- Pieces exposed early in the game are vulnerable to attack due to the risk of freezing,
but they also increase the possibility of early material gains when attacking patterns are used to
take advantage of the opponents similar vulnerabilities and freezing. (Experienced players usually
apply the Law of Reversed Colours to calculate whether the risk factor is greater than the piece
quotient.)
- A light square imbalance must be avoided to enable the successful launch of a column attack, in
preparation for a win by Forced IMR.
- When the Rule of Sixes is adopted (as is common in the modern era, requiring players to
play the first six moves without unmoding the black squares), bishop moves on white should be avoided
due to the risk of semi-penetration.
- Long diagonals increase the point value of pawns, and are very powerful when combined with closed
pair knight formations.
It is widely agreed that the second of these principles is essential to master for a good grip of the
game. Note that while the Alphabetic Green Order is a sequence typically used by professional players,
it is not recommended for novices.
History
The name Stanley Random Chess is commonly supposed to originate from the name of a primate
featuring prominently in contemporary software, but this erroneous conclusion is the result of the
mistaken belief that SR Chess is a recent phenomenon and merely a variant of Simplified SR (Common)
Chess.
The post-graduate research of Dr. Bill Goldman (doctoral work supervised by the the late Dr.
Simon Morgenstern) has uncovered ground-breaking evidence that confirms the antiquity and primacy of
SR Chess, from which Simplified SR (Common) Chess later descended, although the latter has enjoyed
greater popularity, and therefore earned the designation Common Chess. The name
Stanley apparently originates from Sir Thomas Stanley (d. 1459), a descendant of William the
Conqueror who excelled in SR Chess from an early age, and was also the name of the pet monkey that
accompanied William during his Norman Conquest.
The name Stanley was first bestowed on the family by King William as an honorary title in memory of
his beloved pet. The first mention of the game is found in historical accounts of the Ferrers family
in 1137. The Stanley family apparently learned the game when they assumed the Earl of Derby title from
the Ferrers in 1485. From this time, they actively promoted SR Chess, hosting annual tournaments for
the Stanley Cup. In 1892, the Stanley Cup was sadly donated by the rebel Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley,
from which time it was used as a trophy for amateur hockey in Canada. Frederick T. Stanley, who in
1843 founded The Stanley Works, at that time a bolt and door hardware manufacturing company located in
New Britain, was responsible for popularizing SR Chess in America. Directors of his company (now
renowned for making fine hand tools and industrial tools) are still known to play SR Chess in board
meetings today. It is entirely coincidental that Stanley is also the first name of one of the actors
that made up the legendary Laurel and Hardy, although it is conceivable that his parents named him in
honour of SR Chess.
Popularity
In recent years SR Chess has not enjoyed the recognition it deserves, for several reasons. Firstly,
the complex regulations governing the move patterns and sequences have been a well-kept secret limited
to the circle of active players, and have largely been communicated by oral tradition. Secondly, SR
Chess literature is highly specialized, and not easily available to the general public. Thirdly, the
game can seem perplexing to novices, and the general ignorance about the well-established regulations
that define play has led to its strategy being incorrectly perceived by the uninformed as
random. Fourthly, the Simplified SR (Common) Chess community has long resisted the notion
that SR Chess is a predecessor that predates the more common and corrupted form of the game. Fifthly,
SR Chess enjoyed its hey-day in private clubs and societies (like the Masons) that did not encourage
public disclosure and advertising of their recreational activities. Sixthly, the members of the High
Board of the ISRCA have stubbornly maintained traditions which discouraged the active promotion of the
game.
Thankfully, recent times have seen a softening of attitudes among the High Board, and there is every
reason to expect the continued growth and popularity of SR Chess. It has a growing presence on the
internet, and over 950 local clubs are registered with the ISRCA, primarily in Asian countries, and
parts of Eastern Europe. Both the Asian, American, African and European quadrants of the ISRCA host
annual week-long conventions in conjunction with their SR Chess Quadrant Championship Knock-Out, with
the winners travelling to Poland for a round robin competition for the title of SR Chess World
Champion. Poland also hosts the International SC Chess Olympiad every four years. The International SR
Chess Monthly continues to provide a forum for the analysis of games by grandmasters, and several
other periods devoted to SR Chess are published by local clubs, particularly in Asia and Eastern
Europe.
Hall of Fame
One of the greatest SR Chess players in history is
GM Lord Edward Humberton-Snapf (1874-1916), whose
wife Ivy Rose was a descendent of the original Stanleys. Humberton-Snapf is regarded as one of the
greatest players of the Victorian era, and his writings on SR Chess are still highly respected. He was
preceded by
GM Antonio Pancris of Baden-Baden, who first entered the global spotlight with a superb
performance in the 1822 European Championship, in which he defeated an Albanian GM with a local
offside trap using the penny formation with both his knights. Lesser known is Russian
GM Victor Seignovich (1909-1931), winner of the national Russian Championship in 1929. Seignovich was renowned
for his blindfolded simultaneous exhibitions, and was probably the most brilliant player that the SR
Chess world has ever seen, but sadly succumbed to a mental illness while at the peak of his career.
Asian players dominated the game in middle of the twentieth century. GM Gregory Topov has been the
world number #1 ranked player since the early 1980s, but his recent retirement has seen the emergence
of some excellent young British players since the turn of the 21st century.
Etiquette
Ever since the Stanley family promoted the game among the English upper class, SR Chess has
traditionally been a gentleman's game. Play is open to people of every race, religion, culture and
gender, provided they agree to maintain the International Code of Conduct that must be strictly
observed. SR Chess tournaments are generally characterized by the utmost spirit of courtesy, decorum,
and respect. At the discretion of the senior adjudicator, anything deemed contrary to the spirit of
decency and politeness results in immediate player expulsion, or the forfeit of VH conditions for all
subsequent tournament games. Gambling on the outcome of games is strictly forbidden. In some local
clubs, the International Code of Conduct has been amended to include local requirements for prescribed
dress standards and acceptable language. In some countries, players are required to dress in colours
that reflect their current international ranking and a coloured belt that corresponds to their present
pattern sequence status.
Literature
Regrettably, reliable SR Chess literature is not readily available, and the ISRCA has traditionally
frowned on mass publications. Most books published on the subject had a very limited print run, and
were distributed only in SR Chess circles, leading to a very high demand for many titles. The best
introductory work is by Ronald Herbert & Christopher Morley, Stanley Random Chess Revisited: A
Singular Course in Elementary and Standard Play, with Critical Observations and Annotations,
first published in 1889. This excellent work was recently reprinted in America, and is available
directly from Gavin Brend, president of the New York SR Chess Club. For the advanced player, the fifth
edition of Kenneth Abrams' The Modern Expert's Companion to Stanley Random Chess (Tokyo,
1979) is essential, although Nikolai Dementiev's Stanley Random Chess: Exercises for Experts
Illustrated by Grandmasters also deserves mention, but is available in only in Russian and
inaccessible to most players. Although it has been out of print for some time (despite going into
sixteen editions), The Life and Games of Antonio Pancris: An Annotated Exhibition in Playing SR
Chess with Force and Farce by Pancris himself is still widely regarded as the best collection of
annotated games. Since most literature on SR Chess is so specialized, new players are best advised to
visit a local club and try to obtain published materials directly from the ISRCA.
Software
To my knowledge there is no computer program that can play SR Chess competently, even at the novice
level. While the limited number of moves in Simplified SR (Common) Chess has enabled the rapid
advancement of highly developed chess-playing software, the same cannot be said for SR Chess. Although
SR chess has less legal moves, the countless rules governing multi-level sequences, patterns and
variations give much more room for creative thinking and imaginative play, and result in a virtually
infinite flexibility that is beyond the scope of current computer technology. Software developers have
experienced a similar problem with the classic strategy game of Go, although much effort has resulted
in Go software that can play competently at the average level. But the difficulties in creating
satisfactory SR Chess software are presently insurmountable, because merely determining whether a move
is legal can require the consideration of previous sequences and move patterns (up to eight moves),
potential board patterns, and comparing them with the Legal SR Chess Code adopted in Venice 1893.
Discovering the best move is more elusive yet, and although good moves can be produced by human
intuition and imagination, they are outside the scope of pure calculation. Furthermore, given the huge
body of tradition and regulations for local variations, computer software that is not interfaced
directly with the ISRCA database will always prove inadequate. As part of the IBM Stanley Software
Solution Quest, IBM is offering a US$35,000 reward for the first software program that can post a
winning score in a four game series against a current grandmaster. But computer technology is not
expected to advance rapidly enough in the next two decades to make SR Chess software a realistic
possibility. Although it is regrettable that no satisfactory software for SR Chess exists, it
underlines the uniqueness and beauty of SR Chess. SR Chess will remain a game of creativity and
imagination that is played exclusively by humans.
Playing Online
As the result of innovative technology, SR Chess has witnessed an exciting development following its
appearance on the excellent chess server at www.schemingmind.com. This development was possible only
because the ISRCA came to a contractual agreement with the webmaster that made provisions for a
XML SRC rule parser to control the games. Without this facility, an array of several hundred servers
would be required to host games on the site. The schemingmind.com server is also equipped with an
automated database filter which can identify the patterns in which a Forced IMR is allowed once VH
conditions come into effect following move 30. The server is also interfaced directly to the database
at the ISRCA to ensure that only legal moves are entered. The processing time required for this
calculation can take significant time, and this is one of the reasons SR Chess is played on an email
chess server, since real time SR Chess is not possible with present computer technology.
As an added feature, a special algorithm works with the ISRCA host database to automatically replace
any illegal moves with the nearest equivalent legal move. This innovative technology is known as the
Stanley Transposed Automated Replacement or STAR move. It is the equivalent to the adjustment
that adjudicators can make in official tournament play when an illegal move is played. Such
adjustments or STAR moves are traditionally annotated with the * symbol, and are also sometime
described as Stanley moves. Novice players of SR Chess thus should be prepared to see
unexpected transpositions made to their moves after submission. While this apparent randomness may be
initially perplexing to the beginner, this is an excellent way to make SR Chess accessible to novices,
and enable them to learn the game. Without requiring a complete grasp on SR Chess rules, novices can
begin assimilating some beginning strategy, and develop some sense of the game. Several expert SR
Chess players frequent the chess server on a regular basis, and are usually more than willing to
explain why attempted moves were illegal, and offer helpful analysis on play. As a result of this
exciting development, the ISRCA is optimistic that SR Chess is poised to gain further recognition and
increased popularity.
Learning the Game
Since Simplified SR (Common) Chess is in fact a simplified version of SR Chess, it can be a
springboard for progressing to the more advanced game, and being familiar with its rudiments will
certainly enable most players to make a successful transition to SR Chess, as long as they realize
that clinging to traditional strategy will not be successful. Although a great deal of good SR Chess
relies on intuition and imagination, it is possible to learn some strategic principles by reading.
Unfortunately most good literature is not readily available, and is usually inaccessible to those who
have not yet attained the master level. The complexities of SR Chess are best learned in one of two
ways:
1. Playing the game
The advance of innovative computer technology has enabled SR Chess to become accessible for complete
beginners to play on an internet chess server. Since newcomers to SR Chess cannot possibly be expected
to be familiar with all the rules, whenever a player attempts an illegal move, the chess server
schemingmind.com automatically replaces illegal moves with the closest legal move. This is known as a
Stanley Transposed Automated Replacement (or a STAR move), and is made possible by
interfacing with the ISRCA database and using its automated correction algorithm. The STAR move
technology enables games of SR Chess to be played between complete novices who are already familiar
with the rules of Simplified SR (Common) Chess. Since the number of legal moves in SR Chess is
statistically about half that of Simplified SR (Common) Chess, novices should expect about 50% of STAR
moves while trying to master the basics the game.
2. Observing expert players
One of the best ways to learn the rules of SR Chess is to study annotated games, or to watch a regular
advanced game played by experienced players and asking them to explain their moves. Regrettably, there
is an ancient tradition that discouraged advanced players from disclosing the nuances behind expert
play, but in modern times it is generally acknowledged that this tradition needs to be abandoned in
the interests of promoting the game. But novices should be prepared to encounter expert players who
will be reluctant to explain their strategy, or whose complex answers are comprehensible only to
fellow-experts.
Recently the software developer UbiSoft released a version of their popular Chessmaster software that
included a Stanley Random personality. However, due to an apparent bug in the software and the
limitations of current computer technology, the traditional SR Chess rules are not enforced for the
human player when playing Stanley, making it possible to defeat Stanley quite rapidly by ignoring the
SR Chess conventions and playing Simplified SR (Common) Chess. This is effectively a form of cheating,
by allowing moves that are illegal in SR Chess. Grandmasters who have the knowledge and the
self-discipline to restrict themselves to moves that are legal in SR Chess have found that the
computer AI can barely play at a novice-level rating anyway. Playing against the Stanley personality
on Chessmaster is not thus not recommended to introduce novices to SR Chess, because it promotes the
development of strategies that will prove ineffective against humans, and new players will only be
frustrated to find their moves being declared illegal and replaced with STAR moves when playing
against fellow human players at schemingmind.com. Playing online, and the observation and study of
expert level games remain the best methods to learn SR Chess.
Annotated Games
Studies have proven that the close study of expert level games is one of the best ways to develop
sound SR Chess strategy. Although annotations from advanced players are usually available only to
master level players, but with the loosening of the restrictions governing the publication of
annotated games, we are pleased to present you with a rare annotated exhibition game:
The Essence of Stanley Random Chess: An Annotated Exhibition Game
(you may need to log in to see this game, if you do not already have a
SchemingMind.com account, please select the guest option to view the game).
SR Chess GM Gregory Topov