Sometimes, randomness is a good thing.

When you hit the random shuffle option on your CD changer, you might hear a song you like that you hadn’t thought about playing in years. Sometimes a random stop on a road trip reveals a great diner, or some really cool scenic spot.

So it is too, apparently, with chess. There seems to be a faction of chess players out there who think the grand old game can be even more interesting and challenging if just a hint of randomness is added.

The result is a variation called transcendental chess, and it comes to Portland in a public way on Saturday at Space. The event is billed as “The Transcendental Chess Round-Up,” and is basically a gathering for like-minded chess players to try out this more mystical and fate-driven version of the game they love.

“Within only a few minutes of playing (transcendental chess), it was so clear to me that this was a far superior way of playing,” said Rob Lieber, an art teacher at Southern Maine Community College and an organizer of the event. “The board opens up much quicker, every game is so different, and everybody is on equal footing.”

Everybody is on equal footing? If they already know how to play chess, Lieber adds. That’s a key here: You have to already know how to play chess.

The main difference between this and regular chess is that the pieces in the back row are shuffled and placed on squares in random order, instead of where they’re usually placed. Sounds simple, but Lieber says it makes the game so much less predictable.

Lieber says that people who play a lot of chess and read a lot of chess books know a lot of the moves they’ll make beforehand. And when they’re presented with certain scenarios, they know exactly what moves will work.

But by adding some randomness, the books go out the window.

Even the great chess champ Bobby Fischer promoted “random variants” of chess late in his life, saying that chess had become too much about memorization and not enough about ability and understanding the game.

And keeping with the random theme, the transcendental chess event is being held on St. Patrick’s Day, serving as an alternative to the drinking and merriment that will be happening in most other public spaces. Tea will be served for free, but the bar will be open at Space for those who want a different drink.

Lieber is also asking that people who have chess sets bring them, as he doesn’t know how many players might show up.

“We just want people to come out and explore this type of chess,” he said.

And you don’t have to make a reservation or let anyone know you’re coming. Just show up if you can.

It’s more random that way.

Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at:

rrouthier@pressherald.com

Twitter: @RayRouthier

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