Equipment, Preparation and Objective
Hnefatafl is played on a board consisting of an 9 x 9 grid of squares. Accompanying the board, there should be 16 dark pieces and 8 light pieces usually in the form of round counters plus an additional King piece. The King is usually taller, sometimes in the same colour as the light pieces and sometimes in a more regal hue such as gold.
Hnefatafl is a game of unequal sides and different objectives. The King is placed in the centre of the board and the light defending pieces surround him in the pattern shown. The dark pieces are placed in 4 groups in a particular formation at the middle of each edge of the board.The aim for the defending light coloured side is to get the King to a corner square of the board. The aim of the attacking side is to kill the King before he escapes to a corner. For this reason, it is usually best to play an even number of games so that both players get the same number of chances to defend.
Basic Play
The attacking side moves first. All pieces move like the rook in Chess – in a straight line for as many empty squares as the player chooses. Pieces cannot hop over other pieces and cannot move diagonally.
Capturing only happens when a piece is moved so that a single opposing piece ends up trapped between two of the players pieces. A captured piece is immediately removed from the board. It is possible to capture more than one piece at once.The King is unarmed and cannot capture.
A piece that is next to the corner square can be captured by a single opposing piece. The piece is moved so that the opposing piece is trapped between the corner and the piece moved - the corner square acts as the second capturing piece.
A piece can safely move to a square between two of the opponent's pieces without being captured.The King is harder to capture because opposing pieces must surround him on all four sides or, if the King is at the edge of the board, on the 3 sides available. Only the King is allowed into the corner squares – and, of course, such a move wins the game.
Variations
Variations of Tafl games abound. For instance some versions say the King only has to reach the edge of the board. Some versions say that the King can be captured in the same way as any other piece. A good variation is that the King's player must say 'Check' if he can get the King to the edge of the board on his next turn.There are clues from the Nordic Sagas hinting that the King cannot take part in captures but many versions have an armed King who can capture.
These rules are provided by Masters Traditional Games, an Internet shop selling quality traditional games, pub games and unusual games. For general information or for copying and copyright, see our Rules Information page.
Our rules are comprehensive instructions for friendly play. If in doubt, always abide by locally-played or house rules.
Copyright James Masters, 2024. All rights reserved.
FAQs
There are two ways to win: either the attackers (24 soldiers) capture the king, or the king (helped by his 12 soldiers) escapes to one of the corners.
Can you double capture in hnefatafl? ›
Capturing only happens when a piece is moved so that a single opposing piece ends up trapped between two of the players pieces. A captured piece is immediately removed from the board. It is possible to capture more than one piece at once. The King is unarmed and cannot capture.
How many spaces can the king move in hnefatafl? ›
In most games, pieces can move as far as they like along a rank or file, like a chess rook. Some games restrict pieces to moving only to adjacent squares. This is most often used on the smallest boards. In some games, the king has a restricted move (typically one or four squares) while the other pieces are unimpeded.
How many squares are on a hnefatafl board? ›
Modern hnefatafl games tend to have nine or eleven squares on a side, with 25 or 37 pieces, but smaller and more specialist manufacturers still make games in the more extreme sizes. Many boards of seven squares by seven have been found, particularly in Ireland, and Scotland.
Is hnefatafl balanced? ›
The king: on his throne or in his castle? People new to hnefatafl often make the same observation: "the king always seems to win!" Sometimes that's because they're playing a variant which really is unbalanced. But more often than not, nowadays, the variant is balanced.
How do you pronounce hnefatafl? ›
The term Hnefatafl (pronounced "nef-ah-tah-fel") translates to "king's board" or "fist table" in Old Norse, revealing its esteemed place in Viking society.
What does hnefatafl mean? ›
Hnefatafl literally translates to "fist table", from the Old Norse (equivalently in modern Icelandic) hnef, 'fist', and tafl, 'table'.
Who has the advantage in hnefatafl? ›
From the same website, some strategy notes: The King's forces usually possess a slight advantage, despite being outnumbered. Tactically, the defender (King's men) must arrange for the King to escape the board.
How to win the Viking game with black? ›
Winning: Black wins by moving his king to any of the 4 corner spaces (marked with a square). White wins by surrounding the king so he can't move, either with 3 pawns and the edge of the board, or with 4 pawns.
Can the king capture pieces in hnefatafl? ›
In most games, the king can help to make captures like any other piece. There are some in which he can't, however. These are usually games in which he would otherwise be too strong: games where he wins on reaching an edge, and requires four attackers to capture him.
The game probably took its origin from the Roman game, Latrones, short for Ludus Latruncolorum – the game of brigands or “l*ttle soldiers” (hence perhaps: the “game of knaves”). Adopted by Germanic mercenaries in the Roman army, the game is known to have been played in Roman Iron Age Scandinavia.
Did Vikings play chess? ›
From written sources we know that the Vikings played “hnefatafl” and “nitavl” (Nine Men's Morris) and chess also appeared at the end of the Viking period. Hnefatafl is a war game, in which the object is to capture the king piece – a large hostile army threaten and the king's men have to protect the king.
What are the rules of the game Kubb? ›
Any Kubbs which have been knocked down must be thrown from your own baseline. Kubbs may be spun in any direction. You can only attempt to knock down the King from your Baseline, not from the line level with a Field Kubb. If you knock down the King when Kubbs remain standing you lose the game.
What are the rules of the Knight's game? ›
The Knight moves to a square that is two squares away horizontally and one square vertically, or two squares vertically and one square horizontally. A square on the board can be occupied by one Knight only. A Knight cannot be captured by opponents within its own or opponent's camp.
What are the rules of screaming Viking? ›
Rules for Screaming Viking
- Players sit in a large circle with each person facing the middle.
- The person in the middle points to one person in the circle and commands an action.
- Three people (the person pointed to and the two people sitting to their left and right) must perform the action within ten seconds.