Bag Method
Draw the white pieces out of a bag (by a 3rd person?) and begin placing them on the 1st rank, left to right. If the second bishop would fall on the same color as the first, drop it back into the bag. If the king is not between the rooks, switch with the closest rook.
Die Method
- Place all White Pawns on their usual squares.
- Throw a six-sided die and note the number of pips that turn up.
- Use this ‘pip number’ to determine piece placements according to the following table.
- Repeat for subsequent tables.
- Complete the array according to instructions following the last table.
Roll the die and place a white Bishop according to the following table:
| PIPS | PIECE PLACEMENT |
| 1 | White Bishop on a1 |
| 2 | White Bishop on c1 |
| 3 | White Bishop on e1 |
| 4 | White Bishop on g1 |
| 5 | Throw again using this table. |
| 6 | Throw again using this table. |
Roll the die and place the remaining white Bishop according to the following table:
| PIPS | PIECE PLACEMENT |
| 1 | White Bishop on b1 |
| 2 | White Bishop on d1 |
| 3 | White Bishop on f1 |
| 4 | White Bishop on h1 |
| 5 | Throw again using this table. |
| 6 | Throw again using this table. |
Roll the die and place the white Queen according to the following table:
| PIPS | PIECE PLACEMENT |
| 1 | White Queen on 1st empty square of 1st rank. |
| 2 | White Queen on 2nd empty square of 1st rank. |
| 3 | White Queen on 3rd empty square of 1st rank. |
| 4 | White Queen on 4th empty square of 1st rank. |
| 5 | White Queen on 5th empty square of 1st rank. |
| 6 | White Queen on 6th empty square of 1st rank. |
Roll the die and place a white Knight according to the following table:
| PIPS | PIECE PLACEMENT |
| 1 | White Knight on 1st empty square of 1st rank. |
| 2 | White Knight on 2nd empty square of 1st rank. |
| 3 | White Knight on 3rd empty square of 1st rank. |
| 4 | White Knight on 4th empty square of 1st rank. |
| 5 | White Knight on 5th empty square of 1st rank. |
| 6 | Throw again using this table. |
Roll the die and place the remaining white Knight according to the following table:
| PIPS | PIECE PLACEMENT |
| 1 | White Knight on 1st empty square of 1st rank. |
| 2 | White Knight on 2nd empty square of 1st rank. |
| 3 | White Knight on 3rd empty square of 1st rank. |
| 4 | White Knight on 4th empty square of 1st rank. |
| 5 | Throw again using this table. |
| 6 | Throw again using this table. |
Complete the array as follows:
- Place a White Rook on the 1st empty square of the 1st rank
- Place the White King on the 2nd empty square of the 1st rank
- Place the remaining White Rook on the 3rd empty square of the 1st rank.
- Place all black pieces equal-and-opposite the white pieces.