hist-games: Gala

[Mats Winther]

Den 2006-08-04 06:52:21 skrev Damian Walker <damian at snigfarp.karoo.co.uk>:

> Quoting Mats Winther's message of Yesterday:
>
>> Why couldn't diagonal moves exist before 1490? Alquerque and Zamma
>> existed before 1490.
>
> Diagonal moves did exist.  But long diagonal moves, limited only by the
> bounds of the board, were rare.  However, it's not the rarity or
> otherwise of the move that makes me doubt the antiquity of the game.
> It's the fact that the long diagonal move of the modern bishop wasn't
> widely adopted until some time in the 1490s.  It is this modern move
> that gala appears to adapt.
>


Well, this game is something of a mystery. The problem is that it also has
aspects clearly reminiscent of the Hnefatafl family of games, and these would
have died out by the 1490:s.

Mats