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FAD piece. A piece which has the has the combined movements of the Ferz, Alfil and the Dabbabah.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

AndR wrote on Tue, Jul 19, 2011 12:06 AM UTC:

I find the FAD very enjoyable to have in a game.  Its compound move is
pretty each to visualize -- it can move to any square of the same color
it's on in a 5x5 square.  My partner and I pronounce it to rhyme with
'wad' -- even though Betza says it sounds just like Enlish 'fad.'  It
sounds more 'eastern' to my ears to say it that way; it fits in with the
Wazir, Ferz, Alfil, etc.

A very simple variant we've tried just replaces the bishops with FADs.  It
feels very different.  We also enjoy a variant which replaces the bishops
with FADs and the knights with Gnu's.  The FAD is a strong piece but it
weakness it its colorboundness.  The Gnu (which moves as a knight or a
camel -- can make a [1,2] leap or a [1,3] leap) can choose to change color
or stay on the same color, so it can dance safely around the FADs if it's
careful.  But they have no attacks in common, which make them strong when
used together; and it means that the FADs can occasionally outmaneuver a
Gnu.