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Gryphon Aanca Chess. Large Variant with Gryphons, Aancas, and a few other not-so-common pieces. (12x12, Cells: 144) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

💡📝Gary Gifford wrote on Tue, May 1, 2007 11:23 PM UTC:

Charles - Thank you very much for the informative comment.  I am currently learning Espanol, and Aanca does not appear in my Spanish dictionaries, but I do see that it appeared in 1283, in the book 'Libro del Acedrex.' I used the 'Aanca' name because of the Ralph Betza write up about it (referenced in his Tripunch rules).  Of course, in Tripunch Ralph increased the power of Gryphons and Aancas. But I thought they were pretty impressive pieces, left as they were... and I had a strong desire to get them both into a game at some point.

It is nice to know that the Spanish were using them back in the 1200's.  When I stumbled across comments about  Jean-Louis Cazaux graphics, some comments of which were far from flattering, I could not resist looking them up... and, to my surprise, I found a certain charm to them, sort of a modest medieval atmosphere lingering over most of them.... and after I read over the piece movements and looked at many of the Cazaux graphics I had the 'Gryphon Aanca' game forming in my mind, with a few new pieces joining.  At any rate, I am glad you seem to like the game.  I am hoping to have a pre-set for it later this month and am anxious to play it at CV.

P.S. Your name of 'Archdeacon' for the 'Aanca' piece is indeed a good one.