This Clutch Chess match has a special kind of suspense - the Chess960 position reveal feels almost like a gender reveal party.
Honestly, I think that might have been the real reason Fischer created Chess960 in the first place: to keep up with the ever-increasing number of new genders.
I grew up in a generation where there was just one starting chess position and two genders. Things were simpler then. But according to the last college lecture I attended, new genders are now emerging in Japan - and apparently, new starting positions keep emerging in St. Louis.
Both Anand and Garry have arrived for the match, and I can't help but feel like I'm attending a baby shower, unsure of what gift to bring.
All we can really hope for from this position reveal is that the position is balanced and free of major defects - no tragic cases of "Knights on the rim," for example.
But just like new parents, both players must accept the position they receive and love it with all their hearts for the entire day. If they want to play well, they have to fully embrace this position - quirks and all.
The chosen position has already been selected, enveloped, and hermetically sealed. In fact, rumor has it that the envelope has been kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnalls' porch since noon. No one knows the contents of these sacred envelopes - no one except the Great Carnac.
I can't help but wish that Vishy and Garry had a bit more say in the position, like parents influencing their child's features. Maybe Garry would prefer to show off his queens, or Vishy might want to lean on his bishops. Most parents, after all, have at least some say in what their child looks like.
And honestly, I wish the position reveal ceremony had more time to breathe. Gender reveals usually involve gatherings, food, conversation, and presents. But here, the position is unveiled just 15 minutes before game time. That's barely enough time to celebrate, let alone to "get to know" the position.
I'm sure both Garry and Vishy would love to have more time to study the position - to fire up their engines, analyze its nuances, and understand its positional needs like attentive parents. But in Chess960, surprises come fast, and love must be instant.