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Legler's Chess. Modest 1926 variant using an Archbishop and a Chancellor. (8x8, Cells: 64) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Michael Nelson wrote on Mon, Feb 10, 2003 09:51 PM UTC:

I've found that the BN is about halfway between the R and Q in value, 6.5
pawns for Spielmann values. (I agree with Ralph Betza that Spielmann
values are more correct than the beginner's 1-3-5-9 scale.)

Ralph methods rate it at 4 atoms = 6.5 pawns.  Note the following:

1 atom piece  (Wazir)   = 1.5  pawns
2 atom piece  (Knight)  = 3.0  pawns
3 atom piece  (Rook)    = 4.5  pawns
4 atom piece  (BN)      = 6.5  pawns*
5 atom piece  (Queen)   = 8.5  pawns
6 atom piece  (RNN)     =10.5  pawns*
7 atom piece  (Amazon)  =12.5  pawns*

* Hypothetical Spielmann values

Pieces of Rook-strenght or less obey the equivalence 1 atom = 1.5 pawns,
but stronger pieces seem to gain additional value.  I assume this is
because the strong pieces normally mask the weakesses of their components.
 So rather than giving the BN a bonus for not being colorbound, a
colorbound 4-atom piece (Bishop-Camel for example) should be penalized.

Also note the each simple piece had one major weakness:

Knight:  Short range
Bishop:  Colorbound
Rook:    only 1/4 of its moves are forward

So BN, RN and Queen all mask two major weakness.