Burmese Chess

Interesting bit from the first volume of Anthony Reid's Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce:

"The Burmese game had the same number of men and squares but much greater freedom of arrangement...In commencing, the players could place their major pieces anywhere behind the pawns, which were lined up half in the third row of squares and half in the fourth.  The general or minister and the elephant had different moves than the queen and bishop respectively, the elephant moving somewhat like his real-life equivalent - one square either ahead or to any of the four adjacent diagonals."