Kevin Pacey wrote on Sat, Oct 31, 2020 11:53 PM EDT:
Something I just don't get about Victorian Chess (or Schoolbook) is how fairly strong players might often get safely castled, say on either flank against each other. The two major pieces posted on each of the 1st+2nd/9th+10th files might somehow (often?) be used as a battery in back of a pawn storm against an enemy king castled on their flank, for example. In any case, in Victorian Chess (or Schoolbook), the queens seem too far off to one side to be used in many different ways for many moves into the opening, in typical games that might happen.
Nevertheless, Victorian Chess (and Schoolbook) has been played considerably often on Game Courier - no doubt having all the pawns protected in the setup, and keeping the usual arrangement for the minor piece positions, are optical attractions.
Something I just don't get about Victorian Chess (or Schoolbook) is how fairly strong players might often get safely castled, say on either flank against each other. The two major pieces posted on each of the 1st+2nd/9th+10th files might somehow (often?) be used as a battery in back of a pawn storm against an enemy king castled on their flank, for example. In any case, in Victorian Chess (or Schoolbook), the queens seem too far off to one side to be used in many different ways for many moves into the opening, in typical games that might happen.
Nevertheless, Victorian Chess (and Schoolbook) has been played considerably often on Game Courier - no doubt having all the pawns protected in the setup, and keeping the usual arrangement for the minor piece positions, are optical attractions.
https://www.chessvariants.com/rules/schoolbook