Single Comment

In answer to your movement questions:  

1) Think of the center square as an impassable barrier to all pieces, even
the leaping pieces (Elephant, Dabbabah).  The Knight (and Grand Vizier)
can move to any position they can occupy using two possible paths, so I do
not see the center 'dead' square as a problem for their movement. 

2) The pieces can only move on the playable squares.  A piece cannot
travel over the empty areas between the Flying Carpet squares in columns A
and K.  If, however, two or more Flying Carpet squares are adjacent to
each other (i.e. two Capret are at A3 and A4, or all four Carpets end up
in K3, K4, K5 and K6 during play) then a piece can move from one Carpet to
another according to the rules governing it's movement, just like it can
on any other squares on the board.  If a piece moves from one Carpet to
another Carpet on it's turn, all of the options for movement of the Carpet
it landed on are in effect.  

3) I do not inted to limit the Knight (or the Grand Vizier's Knight move)
by the 'dead spaces' in the center of the board or columns A and K.  The
Knight (and Grand Vizier) can be vizualized as moving two squares and then
one square at right angles or one square and then two squares at right
angles.  Therefore I cannot forsee a board position that would limit the
Knight (or Grand Vizier) other than the normal edge of the board limit
that you run into with any regular chess board.  The only exception being
that no piece may occupy the center 'dead' square...