Editing Chess960 (section)

===Van Zuylen van Nijevelt's early contributions===
The concept of random chess, also known as shuffle chess, was first proposed by the Dutch chess enthusiast [[Philip Julius van Zuylen van Nijevelt]] (1743-1826). In his renowned treatise on chess, ''La Supériorité aux Échecs'', published in 1792, Van Zuylen van Nijevelt articulated his disdain for the repetitive patterns often found in standard chess openings. He proposed the idea of randomizing the starting positions of the main pieces to create a vast array of distinct situations, eliminating the possibility of pre-game memorization or extensive opening theory. Van Zuylen van Nijevelt's book, with its full title ''La Supériorité aux Échecs mise à la portée de tout le monde, et particulièrement des dames qui aiment cet amusement'' ("Superiority in Chess brought into the reach of all, and particularly of ladies who love that amusement"), gained significant popularity and was reprinted several times. Its influence extended beyond the Dutch-speaking world, as it was subsequently translated into multiple languages, spreading the idea of randomizing the initial positions of chess pieces to a wider audience. This early conception of random chess by Van Zuylen van Nijevelt laid the foundation for Chess960.

Van Zuylen van Nijevelt's innovative approach to chess not only offered a solution to the repetitive nature of traditional openings but also paved the way for the exploration of chess variants that deviate from the conventional starting position. His quote within ''La Supériorité aux Échecs'' emphasizes the core principle behind random chess, stating, "This produces a huge number of different situations, so that no one can study them beforehand," reflecting his desire to introduce an element of unpredictability and originality into the game of chess. The legacy of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt's contributions to the evolution of chess remains significant, with his early insights serving as a cornerstone for the development of various randomized chess variants, including Chess960.<ref>Gligorić (2002), p. 36.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess2/diary_7.htm |title=Open chess diary 121-140 |work=xs4all.nl}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UBRBAAAAYAAJ&q=La+r%C3%A9gence La Régence: journal des échecs, Volume 3, La partie aux pièces déplacées] (year 1851 page 299-301)</ref>