(Once again, I have failed to post this feature on Sunday as planned. This time, however, I have an excuse in the form of David Anthony Huntington, who was born on October 25, 2018 and had deprived me of much sleep. But it’s okay. He’s adorable.)

This week’s game features two grandmasters fighting it out in something called “pre-chess.” This is similar to Chess960 or FischerRandom except that it’s not random. The players begin with an empty back rank and the first eight moves are spent with each player putting a piece down on a back-rank square each move (bishops must be placed on opposite colored squares). So, unlike the other variants, the positions are not symmetrical (usually). Then regular play begins on move 9.

In this game, Benko outmaneuvers Bisguier to reach a superior endgame, only to hang a piece and have to resign.

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