diff --git a/packages/chess/src/starting-position.test.ts b/packages/chess/src/starting-position.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9e741a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/chess/src/starting-position.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { generateStartingPosition, STARTING_PIECES_DEF } from "./starting-position.js";
+import { Session } from "@paratype/rete";
+import { GAME_ENTITY } from "./schema.js";
+
+describe("generateStartingPosition()", () => {
+  it("inserts exactly 32 piece entities", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    const ids = generateStartingPosition(session);
+    expect(ids).toHaveLength(32);
+    expect(new Set(ids).size).toBe(32); // all unique
+  });
+
+  it("inserts 4 facts per piece (PieceType, Color, Position, HasMoved)", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+    const facts = session.allFacts();
+
+    // Count piece facts (exclude game-level facts on GAME_ENTITY)
+    const pieceFacts = facts.filter((f) => f.id !== GAME_ENTITY);
+    // 32 pieces × 4 attrs per piece
+    expect(pieceFacts).toHaveLength(128);
+  });
+
+  it("has exactly 8 white pawns on rank 2 (squares 8-15)", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+    const facts = session.allFacts();
+
+    const whitePawnPositions = facts
+      .filter((f) => f.attr === "Position" && f.id !== GAME_ENTITY)
+      .map((f) => {
+        const colorFact = facts.find(
+          (c) => c.id === f.id && c.attr === "Color"
+        );
+        const typeFact = facts.find((t) => t.id === f.id && t.attr === "PieceType");
+        return {
+          position: f.value as number,
+          color: colorFact?.value,
+          type: typeFact?.value,
+        };
+      })
+      .filter((p) => p.color === "white" && p.type === "pawn")
+      .map((p) => p.position);
+
+    expect(whitePawnPositions).toHaveLength(8);
+    expect(whitePawnPositions.every((sq) => sq >= 8 && sq <= 15)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("white king is on e1 (square 4)", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+    const facts = session.allFacts();
+
+    const kingEntity = facts.find((f) => {
+      if (f.attr !== "PieceType" || f.value !== "king" || f.id === GAME_ENTITY) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      const colorFact = facts.find((c) => c.id === f.id && c.attr === "Color");
+      return colorFact?.value === "white";
+    })?.id;
+
+    expect(kingEntity).toBeDefined();
+    const kingPos = facts.find((f) => f.id === kingEntity && f.attr === "Position")?.value;
+    expect(kingPos).toBe(4); // e1
+  });
+
+  it("game-level Turn is white initially", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+    const turnFact = session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "Turn");
+    expect(turnFact).toBe("white");
+  });
+
+  it("HasMoved is false for all pieces initially", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+    const facts = session.allFacts();
+
+    const movedFacts = facts.filter(
+      (f) => f.attr === "HasMoved" && f.id !== GAME_ENTITY
+    );
+    expect(movedFacts).toHaveLength(32);
+    expect(movedFacts.every((f) => f.value === false)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("black king is on e8 (square 60)", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+    const facts = session.allFacts();
+
+    const kingEntity = facts.find((f) => {
+      if (f.attr !== "PieceType" || f.value !== "king" || f.id === GAME_ENTITY) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      const colorFact = facts.find((c) => c.id === f.id && c.attr === "Color");
+      return colorFact?.value === "black";
+    })?.id;
+
+    expect(kingEntity).toBeDefined();
+    const kingPos = facts.find((f) => f.id === kingEntity && f.attr === "Position")?.value;
+    expect(kingPos).toBe(60); // e8
+  });
+
+  it("STARTING_PIECES_DEF has 32 entries", () => {
+    expect(STARTING_PIECES_DEF).toHaveLength(32);
+  });
+
+  it("game-level facts are correctly initialized", () => {
+    const session = new Session({ autoFire: false });
+    generateStartingPosition(session);
+
+    expect(session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "Turn")).toBe("white");
+    expect(session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "HalfmoveClock")).toBe(0);
+    expect(session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "FullmoveNumber")).toBe(1);
+    expect(session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "EnPassantTarget")).toBe(null);
+    expect(session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "GameStatus")).toBe("active");
+    expect(session.get(GAME_ENTITY, "Winner")).toBe(null);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/chess/src/starting-position.ts b/packages/chess/src/starting-position.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9ebc5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/chess/src/starting-position.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+/**
+ * FIDE starting position generator.
+ * Inserts 32 piece entities + game-level facts into a Session.
+ * Per SPEC.md §ID Authority, pieces get incremental EntityIds; game uses GAME_ENTITY (0).
+ */
+import type { EntityId } from "@paratype/rete";
+import type { Session } from "@paratype/rete";
+import {
+  GAME_ENTITY,
+  type PieceType,
+  type PieceColor,
+  type Square,
+} from "./schema.js";
+
+interface PieceDef {
+  type: PieceType;
+  color: PieceColor;
+  square: Square;
+}
+
+const WHITE_BACK_RANK: PieceType[] = [
+  "rook",
+  "knight",
+  "bishop",
+  "queen",
+  "king",
+  "bishop",
+  "knight",
+  "rook",
+];
+const BLACK_BACK_RANK: PieceType[] = [
+  "rook",
+  "knight",
+  "bishop",
+  "queen",
+  "king",
+  "bishop",
+  "knight",
+  "rook",
+];
+
+function buildStartingPieces(): PieceDef[] {
+  const pieces: PieceDef[] = [];
+
+  // White back rank (rank 1 = squares 0-7)
+  for (let file = 0; file < 8; file++) {
+    pieces.push({
+      type: WHITE_BACK_RANK[file]!,
+      color: "white",
+      square: file,
+    });
+  }
+
+  // White pawns (rank 2 = squares 8-15)
+  for (let file = 0; file < 8; file++) {
+    pieces.push({
+      type: "pawn",
+      color: "white",
+      square: 8 + file,
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Black pawns (rank 7 = squares 48-55)
+  for (let file = 0; file < 8; file++) {
+    pieces.push({
+      type: "pawn",
+      color: "black",
+      square: 48 + file,
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Black back rank (rank 8 = squares 56-63)
+  for (let file = 0; file < 8; file++) {
+    pieces.push({
+      type: BLACK_BACK_RANK[file]!,
+      color: "black",
+      square: 56 + file,
+    });
+  }
+
+  return pieces;
+}
+
+const STARTING_PIECES = buildStartingPieces();
+
+/**
+ * Insert all 32 FIDE starting pieces + game-level facts into a Session.
+ * Each piece gets 4 facts: PieceType, Color, Position, HasMoved.
+ * Game level gets: Turn, HalfmoveClock, FullmoveNumber, EnPassantTarget, GameStatus, Winner.
+ * Returns the array of EntityIds assigned to pieces (in STARTING_PIECES order).
+ */
+export function generateStartingPosition(session: Session): EntityId[] {
+  const pieceIds: EntityId[] = [];
+
+  // Insert all 32 pieces with their attributes
+  for (const piece of STARTING_PIECES) {
+    const id = session.nextId();
+    session.insert(id, "PieceType", piece.type);
+    session.insert(id, "Color", piece.color);
+    session.insert(id, "Position", piece.square);
+    session.insert(id, "HasMoved", false);
+    pieceIds.push(id);
+  }
+
+  // Game-level facts
+  session.insert(GAME_ENTITY, "Turn", "white");
+  session.insert(GAME_ENTITY, "HalfmoveClock", 0);
+  session.insert(GAME_ENTITY, "FullmoveNumber", 1);
+  session.insert(GAME_ENTITY, "EnPassantTarget", null);
+  session.insert(GAME_ENTITY, "GameStatus", "active");
+  session.insert(GAME_ENTITY, "Winner", null);
+
+  return pieceIds;
+}
+
+/** The canonical FIDE starting piece definitions (for testing and reference). */
+export const STARTING_PIECES_DEF: ReadonlyArray<Readonly<PieceDef>> =
+  STARTING_PIECES;