Moderate amount. It's probably the most-played Chess variant in the SCA, although it's one of those slightly fringy games. That is, it's definitely period, but it's a little weird -- it's from a Spanish source describing how Chess is played in the Byzantine empire, on the other side of the world. So I take it with a modest grain of salt.
Overall, it's not a bad game, although I wouldn't say it's one of my favorite period variants: the bishop is ridiculously weak even by period standards, the pawns less useful than usual, and the rook is insanely powerful. A nice change of pace, but not as deep as some games.
I'm fonder of some other variations, including the four-player Chess of the Four Seasons and The Forced Game, also from the same book. (The Forced Game is my favorite way to foul up modern chess experts. It's straight period chess, with one difference: if you *can* make a capture on your turn, you *must* make a capture. Totally messes up every chess strategy...)
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Overall, it's not a bad game, although I wouldn't say it's one of my favorite period variants: the bishop is ridiculously weak even by period standards, the pawns less useful than usual, and the rook is insanely powerful. A nice change of pace, but not as deep as some games.
I'm fonder of some other variations, including the four-player Chess of the Four Seasons and The Forced Game, also from the same book. (The Forced Game is my favorite way to foul up modern chess experts. It's straight period chess, with one difference: if you *can* make a capture on your turn, you *must* make a capture. Totally messes up every chess strategy...)