Imagination seizes power

To be sure, Fischerandom chess (chess960) is less costly than classical chess. Indeed, the student need not subscribe to any theoretical newsletters on the globe, nor turn on the computer and stay stuck to the screen like a zombie every afternoon. The answer — and life itself — are to be found elsewhere, as always: in history and in books, for instance. Speaking of chess960, it is perhaps advisable to start (or start over) with I Fondamenti degli Scacchi (Chess Fundamentals) by Josè Raul Capablanca (Aldo Martello Editore, Milan, 1971, p. 1): “The first thing a student should do, is to familiarise himself with the power of the pieces”. In short: be careful and stay ready for surprises, as only “culture” can provide the antidote to the “big shuffle”... Here is how, for example, in the online preliminaries for the summer kermesse in Mainz, an underdog whose nickname said it all: “Dinamit”, i.e. Dynamite — mocked a big warewolf:

Artur Vladimirovich Gabrielian (Dinamit) – Hikaru Nakamura (Smallville)
Internet Chess Club (ICC), June 28, 2009
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Position 63

“As the pieces are set on the board both sides have the same position and the same amount of material. White, however, has the move, and the move in this case means the initiative, and the initiative, other things being equal, is an advantage. Now this advantage must be kept as long as possible, and should only be given up if some other advantage, material or positional, is obtained in its place”, comments Capablanca, op. cit., p. 69. In Fischerandom chess, the initiative is arguably even more decisive, since in many starting positions not all Pawns are defended — unlike in classical chess.
1. g3 Nc6 2. Nb3 f5 3. Nc3 Nb6 4. f4 g6 5. Nc5. Attacks the undefended b7-Pawn.
5. ... Rb8. 5. ... d6!? is interesting, so as to reply to 6. Nxb7 with 6. ... Qd7.
6. d4 Nc4. 6. ... d6 was still a viable option, always to reply to 7. Nxb7 with 7. ... Qd7.
7. b3 Na3 8. Qd2 b6. After this White gains the advantage with the greatest ease. However, if 8. ... d6 then 9. Na6! Rc8 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Na4! with a powerful initiative.
9. Na6 Rc8 10. d5 Nb8 11. Nxb8 Rxb8 12. Bd4± Bf6. Or 12. ... Bxd4 13. Qxd4 e6 14. 0-0-0 with a clear advantage for White.

13. e4! “The four squares, e4, e5, d4, and d5, are the centre squares, and control of these squares is called control of the centre. The control of the centre is of great importance. No violent attack can succeed without controlling at least two of these squares, and possibly three”. (Capablanca, op. cit., p. 26).
13. ... fxe4. Forced.
14. Nxe4 Bxd4 15. Qxd4 Nb5 16. Qg7. “Dynamite” dominates the board!
16. ... Nd6. After 16. ... Bxd5? 17. 0-0-0!! Black is in dire straits.
17. Nxd6+. Also after 17. 0-0-0 (or 17. 0-0) 17. ... Nf5 18. Nf6+! exf6 19. Rfe1+ Black is doomed, but Gabrielan prefers a relentless “boa constrictor” squeeze.
17. ... cxd6. The alternative was 17. ... exd6 18. Kd2 Qf6, but after 19. Rfe1+ Kd8 20. Qxf6+ Rxf6 21. Re2 the absolute control of the open file would soon prove decisive.
18. Kf2 Qc7? Tantamount to capitulation. However, after 18. ... Rc8 19. Bf3 White’s win is just a matter of time.
19. Rfe1 Bf7

20. Rxe7+! 1–0. For after 20. ... Kxe7 21. Re1+ mate in two follows.