The Piececlopedia: Sylph

Description

This piece is from the chess variant, DragonChess, invented in 1985 by Gary Gygax (inventor of (Advanced) Dungeons & Dragons)

The Sylph is a kind of fairy/pixie/air nymph character, which flies in the sky. Being approximately four feet high, the Sylph is not generally a powerful attacker, but has the freedom to fly.

See: rules and links for DragonChess

Movement rules

Normally, the Sylph resides on the top (sky) board. Whilst on the top board, it makes non-capturing moves diagonally forwards. However, it may capture directly forwards, or directly downwards to the earth board.

If on the earth (middle) board, the only moves it may make (non-capturing) are to the square directly above, or to any of the six squares that the Sylphs begin on, which are unoccupied. Sylphs do not promote.

Movement diagram

The Sylph's non-capturing moves are in green, capturing moves in red.