02-02/09:34 Draganov: Here are some variants that seem to be promising:
Tablut 19x19 (bal. 0)
Alea Evangelii 19x19 (tablut corner) (bal. 1)
Alea Evangelii Berserk 19x19 (bal. 0)
These variants on 19x19 seems to be very complex and deep. We need more games to evaluate their balance properly.
I also would like to play 
Tyr 9x9 (bal. 2.09) and Old Hnefatafl 9x9 (bal. 2.29). We tested these variants last year and although the balance still looks bad, the games were very deep. In Tyr 9x9 I managed to beat really strong players with both colors and lost with both colors too. It is a proof that the variant is deep and in my opinion it is the deepest variant on 9x9 board.

02-02/09:12 Hagbard: New in gallery: photo series from the Board Games Festival Larix in Moscow last Saturday.

02-02/09:01 Draganov: I also think it is good to keep alive different tafl concepts. For example the concept of different board size. Now we have playable tafl variants on 7x7 (Brandubh), 9x9 (Tablut), 11x11 (many variants), 13x13 (Copenhagen 13x13), 15x15 (Simple Tyr 15x15) and even on 5x5 (my experimental and funny proposal for Simple Tafl 5x5). However, we don't have the chance to play on 17x17 and 19x19 boards. We also have the concept of different king types. We have playable variants for strong king, weak king and unarmed king. However, we don't have variants for king as hammer and king as anvil. I do believe, these different types of king (anvil and hammer) could have potential.

02-02/08:53 Draganov: I think the issue with the balance is more complicated than just a number. For example, if 10 games are played in a variant and all of them were won by the whites but after really creative moves and hard fighting, it means that the variant is playable. If the whites didn't manage to find such creative moves, then they would have lost and the statistics would be different. On the other hand, there are variants that seems to be balanced based on the evaluation. However, all strong players will agree that they are imbalanced. For example, Old Hnefatatl seems to be the best-balanced variant for strong king on 11x11 board. However, it is obvious that we will never use it to determine the next world champion. When, I proposed to unlock the Copenhagen Bell, I was sure that the variant is deeper than it seemed based on the balance evaluation. If a variant is deep, both sides have a lot of resources to win the game, the moves are not obvious, then it seems to be a good and playable variant. I found out some variants in the archive that in my opinion are complex and might improve their balance. I would like to test them in tournaments. I will give you the list of them and would be glad to see them in practice since they have not been tested for many years and the strength of the players changed during the years.

02-02/00:07 Hagbard: Yes that's a strange case. Experience shows, and other board game people came to this conclusion also, that the balance should be 1.50 or better.

02-02/00:04 Hagbard: Current list of tourn. creators:
Casshern, Jilles, Chaolaibhne, Cacreal, Dimetr, Garun19, Holidayinnes, Colophonius, Jrton80, Mihkkal, Xerxes, Masterluke, Brave-frog, Floki, Paul7

02-02/00:03 Draganov: Copenhagen Bell was measured +2.21 1 year ago. However, now it is better balanced than the standard Copenhagen variant. I think there might be other locked variants that are worthy to be tested again

02-01/23:47 Hagbard: the locked variants are usually very unbalanced

02-01/23:46 Draganov: @Hagbard, it is really great to be able to start a tournament. Can you also unlock all of the variants including 17x17 and 19x19 boards? I think it will be a chance for the revival of some forgotten variants.

02-01/23:43 Hagbard: @Paul7, please try again -