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Capa36

Let’s put the following restrictions on the pieces being setup:
  • The rooks are in the corners
  • The king is in the center (in the “f” file, to be exact, although some setups put the king in the “e” file and changed the castling rules for the “mirror image” setup; those setups have been flipped left-to-right for this page)
  • The knights and bishops are symmetrical
This allows 36 different setups. Unlike the evaluations of 720 different setups, these setups have been evaluated with a depth of 25, instead of 21, plies.

Some of the setups have names, as follows:

The winning (most balanced) setup, RNABMKBQNR, has also been evaluated at 35-ply, as follows:

Best moves: h3 +27, e4 +25, d4 +23, Nc3 +18, g3 +18, g4 +18
Pie rule move: e3 0
Worst move: Ab3 -73

There is furthermore a more basic 40-ply evaluation of that setup:

Best move: h4 +22

So now, the setups....


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Setup: RNABMKBQNR
Eval: 20 (i.e. White has a 20 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 1
Setup number: 403
Best opening move: d4 (Eval: 20)
Good opening moves: e4 (Eval: 19) h4 (Eval: 19) h3 (Eval: 18) Nc3 (Eval: 17)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: f4 e3 j4 (Eval: ±0)


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Setup: RMBNQKNBAR
Eval: 26 (i.e. White has a 26 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 2
Setup number: 506
Best opening move: d4 (Eval: 26)
Good opening move: g4 (Eval: 23)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: f3 h3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNMBQKBANR
Eval: 27 (i.e. White has a 27 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 3
Setup number: 331
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 27)
Good opening move: g4 (Eval: 24)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Nh3 (Eval: ±3)

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Setup: RBNAQKMNBR
Eval: 28 (i.e. White has a 28 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 4
Setup number: 393
Best opening move: g4 (Eval: 28)
Good opening moves: Ng3 (Eval: 25) e4 (Eval: 24) Ac3 (Eval: 23) h3 (Eval: 23)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: j3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RABNQKNBMR
Eval: 31 (i.e. White has a 31 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 5
Setup number: 206
Best opening move: f4 (Eval: 31)
Good opening moves: d3 (Eval: 29) e4 (Eval: 29) c3 (Eval: 27) g3 (Eval: 27)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Ne3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBANMKNQBR
Eval: 31 (i.e. White has a 31 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 5
Setup number: 177
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 31)
Good opening moves: Nf3 (Eval: 28) h4 (Eval: 26)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: g3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBMNAKNQBR
Eval: 32 (i.e. White has a 32 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 7
Setup number: 297
Best opening move: Nf3 (Eval: 32)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: j3 f3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RQBNMKNBAR
Eval: 32 (i.e. White has a 32 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 7
Setup number: 542
Best opening move: h3 (Eval: 32)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: h4 (Eval: ±1)

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Setup: RNBQMKABNR
Eval: 33 (i.e. White has a 33 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 9
Setup number: 314
Best opening move: Nh3 (Eval: 33)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: i3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNQBMKBANR
Eval: 33 (i.e. White has a 33 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 9
Setup number: 319
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 33)
Good opening moves: Ag3 (Eval: 31) h4 (Eval: 28)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: c3 (Eval: ±1)

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Setup: RMBNAKNBQR
Eval: 34 (i.e. White has a 34 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 11
Setup number: 290
Best opening move: g3 (Eval: 34)
Good opening move: d4 (Eval: 33)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: c3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNMBAKBQNR
Eval: 35 (i.e. White has a 35 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 12
Setup number: 343
Best opening move: h4 (Eval: 35)
Good opening move: g4 (Eval: 34)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: c4 Nh3 h3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RABNMKNBQR
Eval: 35 (i.e. White has a 35 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 12
Setup number: 170
Best opening move: d4 (Eval: 35)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: h3 (Eval: ±6)

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Setup: RBNMAKQNBR
Eval: 36 (i.e. White has a 36 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 14
Setup number: 345
Best opening move: f3 (Eval: 36)
Good opening move: h4 (Eval: 34)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Me3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBNMQKANBR
Eval: 37 (i.e. White has a 37 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 15
Setup number: 333
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 37)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: e3 d3 g4 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RANBMKBNQR
Eval: 38 (i.e. White has a 38 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 16
Setup number: 175
Best opening move: d4 (Eval: 38)
Good opening move: f4 (Eval: 33)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Ni3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RANBQKBNMR
Eval: 38 (i.e. White has a 38 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 16
Setup number: 211
Best opening moves: Mh3 d4 (Eval: 38)
Good opening moves: e4 (Eval: 37) f3 (Eval: 36) f4 (Eval: 35) Ni3 (Eval: 35)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: c3 g4 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBNQAKMNBR
Eval: 38 (i.e. White has a 38 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 16
Setup number: 381
Best opening move: h4 (Eval: 38)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: Af3 Mh3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBQNAKNMBR
Eval: 39 (i.e. White has a 39 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 19
Setup number: 429
Best opening move: d4 (Eval: 39)
Good opening move: Ne3 (Eval: 37)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: e3 d3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RQBNAKNBMR
Eval: 40 (i.e. White has a 40 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 20
Setup number: 422
Best opening moves: e4 Nh3 (Eval: 40)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: h4 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBNAMKQNBR
Eval: 41 (i.e. White has a 41 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 21
Setup number: 405
Best opening move: d4 (Eval: 41)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: Nb3 j3 g4 g3 Ae3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBMNQKNABR
Eval: 41 (i.e. White has a 41 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 21
Setup number: 513
Best opening move: f4 (Eval: 41)
Good opening move: h3 (Eval: 37)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: g4 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBANQKNMBR
Eval: 44 (i.e. White has a 44 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 23
Setup number: 213
Best opening move: f4 (Eval: 44)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: c4 Mi3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNABQKBMNR
Eval: 46 (i.e. White has a 46 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 24
Setup number: 391
Best opening move: f4 (Eval: 46)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: h3 g4 f3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNBMQKABNR
Eval: 46 (i.e. White has a 46 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 24
Setup number: 326
Best opening move: Nc3 (Eval: 46)
Good opening move: d4 (Eval: 43)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: c3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RBNQMKANBR
Eval: 47 (i.e. White has a 47 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 26
Setup number: 321
Best opening move: h4 (Eval: 47)
Good opening move: Ng3 (Eval: 44)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: e3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RQNBAKBNMR
Eval: 47 (i.e. White has a 47 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 26
Setup number: 427
Best opening move: Mh3 (Eval: 47)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: g4 (Eval: ±4)

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Setup: RNQBAKBMNR
Eval: 47 (i.e. White has a 47 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 26
Setup number: 379
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 47)
Good opening moves: f4 (Eval: 46) Nc3 (Eval: 42)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: g3 f3 d4 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNBAMKQBNR
Eval: 48 (i.e. White has a 48 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 29
Setup number: 398
Best opening move: d3 (Eval: 48)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Nh3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RMNBAKBNQR
Eval: 49 (i.e. White has a 49 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 30
Setup number: 295
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 49)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Ni3 (Eval: ±8)

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Setup: RMNBQKBNAR
Eval: 51 (i.e. White has a 51 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 31
Setup number: 511
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 51)
Good opening move: Ni3 (Eval: 46)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: e3 Aj3 (Eval: ±2)

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Setup: RNBAQKMBNR
Eval: 53 (i.e. White has a 53 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 32
Setup number: 386
Best opening move: Nc3 (Eval: 53)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Nj3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNBQAKMBNR
Eval: 57 (i.e. White has a 57 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 33
Setup number: 374
Best opening move: Nh3 (Eval: 57)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: g3 (Eval: ±8)

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Setup: RBQNMKNABR
Eval: 57 (i.e. White has a 57 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 33
Setup number: 549
Best opening move: h4 (Eval: 57)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: Nf3 g3 d3 (Eval: ±0)

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Setup: RNBMAKQBNR
Eval: 66 (i.e. White has a 66 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 35
Setup number: 338
Best opening move: g4 (Eval: 66)
Pie rule (balanced) opening move: Na3 (Eval: ±5)

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Setup: RQNBMKBNAR
Eval: 84 (i.e. White has a 84 centipawn advantage)
Rank: 36
Setup number: 547
Best opening move: e4 (Eval: 84)
Good opening moves: Nd3 (Eval: 83) f4 (Eval: 79)
Pie rule (balanced) opening moves: c3 Nb3 (Eval: ±0)