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Wazir. (Updated!) Moves one square orthogonally.[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
H. G. Muller wrote on Mon, Jan 26, 2009 03:59 PM UTC:
True, the Ferz is more valuable than the Wazir. Not that either of them is worth a lot anyway: embedded in a FIDE-Chess context the Ferz is a about 1.5 Pawn. (A pair of Ferzes in the opening slightly lose to an opponent that started with a Knight in setad.) Wazir might be 1.25-1.4.

The reason is that forward moves in practice are about twice as valuable as backward or sideway moves. And moderate color-boundedness is hardly a handicap.

Note that in Shatranj or Courier Ferz and Wazir are worth a lot more in terms of Pawns, as the Shatranj Pawn is worth a lot less than a FIDE Pawn. This because it promotes tot he worthless Ferz, in stead of the decisive Queen. So in Shatranj, the Ferz is worth about 2 Pawns.