Comments/Ratings for a Single Item
I wouldn't switch courier and knight. The charm is to respect the historical setup of Courier chess. That position for the knight, next to the rook is not unusual to my eyes.
I now agree with the given set-up.
Should play well, it's nice to see you didn't 'overpower' it.
I hope this game will be coded to be played on Game Courier with enforced rules in next future
It already is: https://www.chessvariants.com/play/enhanced-courier-chess
Thank you. I couldn't see it.
I added a link to play in the notes. It's good to see some interest in this!
Great idea to replace the Ferz with the Gryphon! This piece rarely gets a chance to dominate an "old fashioned game". The "Griffon" is actually one of the weaker pieces in Mark Hedden's Ganymede Chess . I offer some piece values for the 12x8 board, chosen primarily for simplicity:
Pawn = 1, Woody Rook (WD) = 3, Knight = 3, Elephant (FA) = 3.25, Courier = 3.50, Man (FW) = 3.50, Rook = 5.50 and Gryphon = 8 points.
Incidentally I value the Queen at ten points, the same as R+B+P. Ralph Betza once calculated the Gryphon's worth by multiplying the value of a Rook by 1.46 in Bent Riders circa 2002.
Pawn = 1, Woody Rook (WD) = 3, Knight = 3, Elephant (FA) = 3.25, Courier = 3.50, Man (FW) = 3.50, Rook = 5.50 and Gryphon = 8 points
I think this is a reasonable valuation. The biggest difference I'd have is that I'd put the Gryphon at at least 9, and with an endgame value of 10. His mobility goes up significantly as the board clears out becuase the "choke points" that block the double paths are more likely to be empty. But even more importantly, in true endgame, the ability to two full ranks or files is deadly. The threat is always there.
Knight and Modern Elephant (FA) may be a touch high (quarter pawn maybe) but wtihin the margin of uncertainty at this point. I think the WD would go up in endgame due to his king interdiction ability. The FA may go down in late endgame if the colorbinding becomes a problem. And the Man at 3.5 is almost certainly at least a little high. I'd say 3 and maybe 3.25 in endgame. Queen of 10 seems right on. Rook of 5.5 is also what I use, but with an endgame value of 6. (When the board truly clears out, the Rooks & Gryphins will dominate.)
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Interesting! Creative! Insightful! I do have one small thought: would you consider transposing the courier and the knight? The knight would then be in its usual position, where expert players use it to contest the center and protect the king and queen. The bishop, a long-distance runner, would probably do just as well near the edge.