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Of course the real Viking Chess has nothing to do with Xiangqi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafl_games.
How would Semedo have done in 40-square contest, http://www.chessvariants.org/40.dir/winners.html, won by Philosopher's in 2000? Rocket, R, is first use of a bomb, now popular, done first here at least the 1600s. Imaginative for the period, Pawns are ''not straight line,'' Frolov quotes his recent Russian reviewer. Since gunpowder is taken to be 10th Century invention/(or obscenity in light of what it leads to), I disagree this game could be so early, unless they changed the names on way.  ''...Early stages of transformation of ancient Indian chess by Chinese people'' is not likely. Maybe someone will locate Hide's book, as only Frolov's reviewer of Hide has. If Hide says, ''Kings don't attack,'' that must mean 'capture'. Does Hide call this Viking Chess? That is strange in itself out of east Asia. Here is another Viking Chess of 37 with unclear rules -- how would this Viking chess have done in a 37-square contest, though the first contest appears to have been 38 in 1998?:... http://www.chessvariants.org/small.dir/vikingchess.html.