Alfil (chess)
The Alfil or elephant was a pawn of the Persian- Arab Shatranj and the products resulting from such European chess in the Middle Ages. For the Alfil different names were common in Europe. In addition, the representation of the figure was subject to major changes.
In modern chess the Alfil was replaced by the runner. Thus, an expansion of the possible moves was connected.
Identification and representation of the figure
The name of the character was created by the (initially in the Spanish made ) contraction of the Arabic article al - with فيل / FIL, from the Persian Pil پيل, the name for elephant. The naming was inconsistent in many European languages over the centuries. In Latin the Alfil was mostly alphinus. There is a loud similar derivation. This is also true for the spread in the medieval German names form the old man.
The elephant existed in the Indian chess game, the Chaturanga. There, the different figures formed from the armed forces. The Alfil stood for the war elephants, which were situated near the center of the army. Called for the Gaja (Elephant) figure are described in the ancient literature, various puff by puff, including the already Zweifelderzug in any diagonal direction, corresponding to the brand of Alfil. This is probably the oldest platoons dar.
The execution of the figure showed a lot of changes and deviations. During the transition of chess to Europe the figure of the elephant was saved initially. This is the example of the so-called Charlemagne figures that were produced in the late 11th century in southern Italy. Later, the Alfil was usually by two upwardly reflected " tusks " characterized. These appear in the diagrams of the European manuscripts and early printed works as a towering horns. In medieval Europe was not more common than ( Mounted ) Elephant with the exception of Russia, the original meaning of the character.
In Western chess ultimately form a reinterpretation took place. The French recognized the figure a dunce cap on (the term fou, the fool, for the runner is a distortion of Fil). In the British Isles and elsewhere in Europe appeared early the shape of a bishop's miter on, as in the case of the Lewis chessmen. The modern English name of the rotor is bishop.
Platoons and possible use
The Alfil jumped diagonally across the next field. This was regardless of whether a figure standing on the field in between or not. The platoons of elephants had thus on a parallel to that of the knight. On closer inspection, however, shows that the range of Alfil compared with the movable jumper who can reach all fields of the chessboard, was extremely limited.
In fact, the Alfil remain only eight fields on the entire chessboard that he can achieve. The Alfil of the attractant on c1 can, for example, only the fields a3, e3, g1, c5, g5, and a7 e7 to enter. His greatest flexibility it unfolds on the two fields and e3 c5. Striking is also that he has none of the other three Alfil figures on common Zugfelder, especially not with his ( in European representation of a two-color board ) " same color " counterpart to f8. Two Alfile could not be against each other abgetauscht so in the game.
Related to this is already the question of the material value of the figure and its concrete tactical or strategic applications. As a strategic motive is the blockage of an isolated farmers into account, however, could only be made on a small number of fields. The impression arises that the use Alfil was useful only with difficulty. The enemy had to pay attention primarily to the fact that not one of his stronger figures against a " lurking " Alfil was abgetauscht. Material corresponded to the maximum Alfil the equivalent of one and a half farmers.
The chess historian Tassilo von der Lasa Heydebrand and assumed the use of the weakest figure of medieval chess had " mainly consisted in breaking an enemy Bauernreihe if possible. For two farmers one ( the Alfil ) gave it to advantage through " The true facts of the game but I'm probably the remark of a medieval copyist closer, which is listed in a manuscript. :
Chess composition
However, a greater importance was the Alfil in the artificial chess problems. The utilization of the really low impact force of the elephant was popular for aesthetic reasons ( see for example the famous Matt of Dilaram ).
In the ancient Arab Mansuben the Alfil finished yet, only the fields that he can reach. Even two Alfile a party sometimes appeared in the tasks on the same color - In medieval Europe, composers increasingly then took the liberty to draw the figure on any places that could not be achieved by actually confinement by the platoons.
Replacement by the modern runners
The limitations and the low mobility of the Alfil apparently formed one of the causes of the decline of the medieval form of play and the subsequent reform of chess at the beginning of the modern era.
Already in the 13th century entered into a historic chess variant, the courier game, the later runners here courier (ie "runner" ), called the Alfil as a competitor to the side. The modern runners may have been "invented" several times. Anyway, was an extension of the inhibited possible moves of the Alfil so long on the agenda, until finally in the last quarter of the 15th century was the transition to modern chess. The location of the Alfil took a modern langschrittige runner. The second figure, whose movement options were expanded abruptly, the lady whose medieval precursor figure, originally as Fers ( Advisor) was called, could only draw one square diagonally.
In the Spanish language the term " Alfil " is transferred to the modern runners. In Italian is called the runner " Alfiere ". In Russian, the new rotor is referred to as unchanged слон ( slon = elephant). Finally, living in the English bishop, as mentioned, a reminder of the Alfil and its reinterpreted to Mitra " tusks " on.
Note to other chess variants
The elephant in Xiangqi ( " Elephant board game" ) draws similar to Alfil. However, in Chinese chess, the elephant can not jump over an intervening stone; He also must not exceed the "river " in the middle of the pitch. In Korean chess, however, there is a change in platoons of elephants, the figure moves one square horizontally / vertically and diagonally two fields in the pulling direction.
In fairy chess, the name " Elephant " or Alfil is also used for game characters that can pull or jump two squares diagonally.