George Duke wrote on Mon, Sep 10, 2007 04:57 PM UTC:
Over here 20.August.07 JJoyce says, 'Think of the genius who first
invented the Knight move; and then wonder what his/her friends said the
first time that Crooked jump move was used on them. How popular was that
piece in the beginning?' Well, In the Beginning, were the Knight, Rook
and King -- to be brief and reductionist, not entirely inaccurate
metaphorically either. So, those semi-ideal 'friends' would have been
well used to the Knight, not the other way around. PAronson may know more
about appearance of Knight, or Rook, or King, in early board games Before
the Common Era. Pertinently, Shatranj, and Chaturanga before that from year 600, have only those three movers perfectly the same of the six-piece-type method. That generality was the main objection to couple of JJoyce offhand remarks. [Royal Falcons etc. being studied]
