Hnefatafl
The Viking king's table. Sixteen hunters, one king, one way out.
๐ฅ 1-2 playersEverything slides like a rook. Trap a piece between two of yours to take it. The king wins by reaching a corner; the attackers win by surrounding him.
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About Hnefatafl
Free online Hnefatafl, the Viking king's table. An uneven fight: sixteen attackers against a king and eight defenders. Play either side against the computer or a live opponent.
Hnefatafl was the board game of the Viking world, played from Ireland to Ukraine for centuries until chess arrived and pushed it aside. Nobody wrote the rules down while it was still alive, so every modern version is a reconstruction, and this one says which: the 9x9 Tablut layout that Linnaeus recorded among the Sami in 1732, with the king escaping to a corner rather than to any edge, because edge escape is famously lopsided in the king's favour. What makes tafl worth playing is that the two sides are not mirror images. The attackers have twice the numbers but must actually trap the king; the defenders are outnumbered but only need to open one clear road to a corner. Playing both sides is really playing two different games.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the real historical version?๏ผ
It is an honest reconstruction, not a discovery. The rules were never recorded while tafl was played, so this uses the 9x9 Tablut layout written down by Linnaeus in 1732, with corner escape for balance. Other versions use bigger boards and different escapes.
Which side is easier?๏ผ
Beginners usually find the attackers easier, because they can shove pieces around without much of a plan. The king's side needs a real idea about which corner to aim for and when to break the ring.
How is the king captured?๏ผ
Not by an ordinary trap. Every square beside him has to be an attacker or a hostile square, which means four in the open board and three when he is against the edge.
Can I be captured by moving between two enemies?๏ผ
No. Capture only happens because of the move that closes the trap, so stepping into a gap yourself is always safe.
What do the marked squares do?๏ผ
The throne and the four corners are restricted: only the king may stand on them. They also act as one side of a trap, so a piece pinned against a corner is captured.
How long does a game take?๏ผ
Usually ten to twenty minutes. Games end sharply, because once the king has a clear run at a corner there is often nothing to be done about it.
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