......And what's the deal with not being able to kill your own pieces?!?!
If I'm the black king in the above position, and I've got a 9mm Mauser at my hip, as all Kommisar should, then I would take one look at my own pawn on h7 and be like, "sorry dude, your number's up!!" <BLAM!> to the back of the head....
Chess would be much more complicated if you could take your own pieces when they got in the way....
Agreed. Keep the people down. The more mobile the pawns and pieces become the likelier the chances of a dead king.