What would be a good way to equalize White and Black's winning chances from the starting position?
I think a rule like this might work: for the first four turns, White can't move a pawn two squares on the same turn. Is this too much? Too little?
Well, I don't think you need too. Chess is already a draw with best play, so if we did that, well then the game would go stale
Obviously too much.
After 1 e3 e5 2 e4, Black and White have effectively swapped roles already (the position is mirroring 1 e4 e5). No need to handicap White for two additional moves.
Of course you don't want to just swap roles, but equalize them, so apparently even a 2-move penalty is too much.
1 move however, would be completely ineffective. White simpy starts 1 Nf3 and then plays 2 d4 , 2 e4 or 2 c4 depening on Black's answer.
I agree with the Dr! This would also arise a whole new era of theory, ushering in things like the ponziani and Macleod attack more and more. But although the computer says white is better, often in drawn endgames, say bishop v pawn, the computer will say +.1 or -.1. Such a small advantage Is not tangible. I can only think of one reason why white is better, and thats 1 a3, basically playing black, but with the advantage of a3. Any further balancing will kill the game!
MC taught us that Black‘s better!
ProfDrHack, I think two moves can't be too much because, after both 1. Nf3 Nf6 and 1. Nf3 d5, the move 2. g3 is one of the most frequent responses in the Lichess database. It's the second choice after 1. ... Nf6 and the top choice after 1. ... d5, with White scoring better in both cases.
It looks like three moves wouldn't be too much, either. After all, with g3 on the board, 3. Bg2 is only natural, right?
For blitz and bullet at lichess, both sides have almost equal chances already. :)
There was discussion in another thread that suggested giving Black a slight time (~5% I think was the suggestion) advantage would be a way to help equalize. That seems to me to be a better way rather than actually restricting available moves to either side.
For me, I think the answer is simpler: play opening systems that lead to unbalanced positions where the better player wins. That's why, I think, so many people like openings like the Sicilian which pretty much declares that Black's playing for a win out of the gate. Not sure that clocks make that much difference... maybe in Bullet, I guess.
