🕸Fergus Duniho wrote on Wed, Apr 15, 2020 03:54 PM UTC:
In the same place was described a piece called the Unicorn, moving as Knight then Bishop. Supposedly the Unicorn couldn't make a capture using its Knight move, but I'll ignore that silly rule.
Not described there is a piece which makes a one step Rook move and then continues outwards as a Bishop. For lack of a name, I'll call it the Aanca (13th century Spanish for "Gryphon"). Although the Aanca is not described, one can suppose that the same mind who conceived the Gryphon and the Unicorn probably also considered the Aanca.
I don't know if Betza ever visualized movement diagrams for these pieces. Assuming non-overlapping paths of movement, the Unicorn covers most of the same spaces as what he calls an Aanca. One of the main differences between them is that the Unicorn cannot attack any of the same spaces as a Gryphon, whereas the Aanca and the Gryphon can both attack the same spaces as a Knight. This would have been an intelligent design choice, and not a silly rule, for the following reasons:
It makes the Gryphon and the Unicorn complementary like the Rook and Bishop are.
It gives the Unicorn greater mobility in tight spots, which could increase it's usefulness in the midgame.
It leaves the piece vulnerable to the Knight and keeps it from forking pieces like a Knight.
So, it seems likely that the designer did consider the "Aanca" and for the reasons I gave, rejected it in favor of the Unicorn.
Likewise, the Gryphon and what might be called the Hippogriff cover nearly the same spaces under the assumption of no overlapping paths. So that paths don't overlap, its orthogonal move could continue only in the direction of the longer part of the Knight leap. Like the Unicorn, the Hippogriff would have more mobility in tight spots, and its short-range attacking power would be crippled. If it were allowed overlapping paths, it would be a monster piece that could force checkmate against a long King, because it could attack adjacent ranks or files.
I don't know if Betza ever visualized movement diagrams for these pieces. Assuming non-overlapping paths of movement, the Unicorn covers most of the same spaces as what he calls an Aanca. One of the main differences between them is that the Unicorn cannot attack any of the same spaces as a Gryphon, whereas the Aanca and the Gryphon can both attack the same spaces as a Knight. This would have been an intelligent design choice, and not a silly rule, for the following reasons:
So, it seems likely that the designer did consider the "Aanca" and for the reasons I gave, rejected it in favor of the Unicorn.
Likewise, the Gryphon and what might be called the Hippogriff cover nearly the same spaces under the assumption of no overlapping paths. So that paths don't overlap, its orthogonal move could continue only in the direction of the longer part of the Knight leap. Like the Unicorn, the Hippogriff would have more mobility in tight spots, and its short-range attacking power would be crippled. If it were allowed overlapping paths, it would be a monster piece that could force checkmate against a long King, because it could attack adjacent ranks or files.