Hnefatafl

Sympkyn of the Moor

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Board
Period: 4th – 12th centuries

Hnefatafl (pronounced roughly NEF-uh-tah-full, Old Norse for “King’s Table”) is a member of the family of the Tafl family of ancient Germanic and Norse strategy board games, popular in northern Europe before the spread of chess. It features asymmetric gameplay, with one side defending a king attempting escape, while the other side attacks with superior numbers.

History of Hnefatafl

  • Origins: Dates back to at least the 4th century CE, likely originating in Iron Age Scandinavia or Germanic Europe.

  • Viking Spread: Widely played by the Vikings and found across Norse settlements in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, Greenland, and beyond.

  • Superseded by Chess: Largely faded in the 12th century as chess gained dominance in Europe.

  • Archaeological Finds: Game boards and pieces have been found in Norse graves, often carved from bone, wood, or stone.

Traditional Rules of Hnefatafl

Board and Pieces

  • Most common historical variant: 13x13 grid (Tablut).

  • Two sides:

    • Attackers: 24 warriors, placed around the edges.

    • Defenders: 12 bodyguards + 1 king, centred on the board.

Goal

  • King’s side: Move the king to one of the four corner squares (escape).

  • Attacker’s side: Capture the king before he escapes.

Gameplay

Setup

  • Place the king on the centre square (the throne).

  • Place defenders around him in a cross shape.

  • Attackers surround from all four edges.

Hnefatafl board setup

Movement

  • All pieces (including the king) move like a rook in chess: any number of spaces orthogonally, no jumping.

  • Pieces cannot move through or land on occupied squares or the throne (unless you’re the king).

Capture

  • To capture a piece, sandwich it between two of your own pieces on opposite sides (orthogonally).

    • Example: A row of [Attacker][Defender][Attacker] results in the defender being removed.

  • The king is captured by surrounding him on four sides (some versions require only three if adjacent to the throne or board edge).

Special Squares

  • The throne (centre square) and corner escape squares are restricted:

    • Only the king may land on the throne or corners.

    • Attackers and defenders may pass over the throne but not stop on it.

Victory Conditions

Side Victory Condition
Defenders King escapes to any of the four corner squares.
Attackers Capture the king before he escapes.

If the king is blocked on all sides with no legal moves, the attackers also win.

Optional and Variant Rules

Due to the game’s long oral tradition, rules vary widely. These are some common optional rules:

1. Shieldwall Captures

  • A line of enemy pieces adjacent to the board edge may be captured if entirely surrounded on three sides by one player.

2. Restricted King Capture

  • Require 4-sided capture of the king even near the throne, making escape slightly easier.

3. Move Limit

  • Impose a turn limit (e.g. 50 turns) to prevent stalling.

4. King Cannot Participate in Captures

  • The king cannot assist in capturing enemies, adding to the difficulty of escape.

5. Unoccupied Corners

  • Some versions require corners to be unoccupied before the king can escape to them.

Known Variants of Hnefatafl

Variant Board Size Pieces Notes
Tablut (Sámi) 9×9 16 Attacker, 8 Defenders + 1 King Most complete rules recorded by Linnaeus in 1732
Tawl Bwrdd 11x11 16 Attacker, 8 Defenders + 1 King Describe in by Robert ap Ifan in the Welsh Peniarth manuscript of 1587
Alea Evangelii 19×19 48 Attacker, 24 Defenders + 1 King Complex, possibly symbolic Christian variant
Brandubh 7×7 8 Attacker, 4 Defenders + 1 King Irish variant, fewer pieces
Fitchneal 7×7 16 Attacker, 8 Defenders + 1 King Irish variant
Ard Ri 7×7 16 Attacker, 8 Defenders + 1 King Scottish variant
Hnefatafl (Norse) 13×13 24 Attacker, 12 Defenders + 1 King Likely standard Viking version

Summary Table

Rule Area Summary
Objective King escapes to corner (defenders) / attackers capture king
Movement Orthogonal like chess rook, unlimited distance
Capture By sandwiching between two pieces
Special Squares Throne and corners restricted to the king
Victory Escape or capture; optionally stalemate equals attacker victory