Setup Positions

This page will list some common initial setups.

"Regarding the initial Setup, I really believe some suggestions will make it easy
for the begginners."
                          -- Bernardo Amorim

How are setups named?

"I think you get the honor if you keep on doing it despite what everyone else is doing."
                          -- Karl Juhnke

Many different setups have been tried once or twice by many players. However, some players will start using a particular setup so much that it starts to become known as their setup within the community.

Gold Setups

The gold player setups up first. This means that their choice may set the tempo of the game. But gold must also plan to play against any conceivable setup from silver, and as such there are many concerns to think through. Gold must not leave any weakness exposed that can be exploited during silver's setup.

99of9 setup with cats behind

Popularized by Toby Hudson (99of9)
First used by Toby Hudson (99of9)

This setup is good for playing a defensive or flexible style. It helps prevent rabbits from being pulled out. Although the rabbits on the ends can be pulled out, it requires a strong piece such as an elephant to become decentralized and committed to one side. The flexibility is ensured by the ease with which gold can shift both the elephant and camel to whichever wings they are required on.

The horse placement ensures easy access to key trap-defence squares b3 and g3, but there is minimal back up if the player decides to send the horse forward into an attack.

Common variants of this setup include switching both cats with both dogs, or one cat with one dog. Since cats and dogs usually only see serious action in the latter stages of the game, these variations only rarely affect the opening.

Silver Setups

The silver player setup after the gold player and can see what the gold players setup is. Thus, the silver player has the advantage of setting up based on the knowledge of gold's setup. If gold has set up symmetrically, silver may of course use any of the typical gold setups, but may instead choose an asymmetric setup to which gold will not have an opportunity to respond.

Usually these highly unbalanced setups are not used as gold, because it would give silver the opportunity to exploit the asymmetry during their setup.

Hippo setup

First used by Vladan Majerech (Hippo)

This setup (first used in game 139095) places both silver horses on the side furthest from the gold camel, and suggests an elephant-horse-horse attack on the c3 trap.