Hnefatafl (Viking Chess)

What is Hnefatafl?

Hnefatafl (pronounced roughly "neff-ah-tah-fl") is the best-known of the tafl games, a family of board games played across Northern Europe from before the Viking Age until about the 12th century. The name is Old Norse: tafl means "board" or "board game", and hnefi (fist) was the king piece, so it is often read as "the king's board game" or "Viking chess". The game was gradually replaced by chess, and its exact rules were lost. The only tafl game whose rules were written down in a fairly clear form is Tablut, recorded by Carl Linnaeus among the Sámi in 1732; modern Hnefatafl rules are largely reconstructed from it. This page uses the Copenhagen rules on the 11×11 board, the most common rules for online play, and Brandubh, the small Irish 7×7 version.

How to play Hnefatafl

• Two unequal sides. The attackers (dark, 24 pieces) move first. The defenders (light, 12 pieces) have a king (the piece with the crown) who starts on the central throne. You play the defenders unless you switch sides.
• Goal. The defenders win if the king reaches any of the four corners (marked with a cross). The attackers win if they capture the king.
• Moving. Every piece moves like a chess rook: any number of empty squares in a straight line. No jumping. Only the king may stop on the throne or a corner; any piece may pass over the empty throne.
• Capturing. You capture an enemy piece by moving so that it is sandwiched between two of your pieces, horizontally or vertically. The king can help capture. A piece that moves between two enemies by itself is safe. The four corners count as a hostile piece for both sides; the throne counts as hostile to attackers always, and to defenders when it is empty.
• Capturing the king. The king must be surrounded on all four sides by attackers. Next to the throne, three attackers and the throne are enough. The king cannot be captured while standing on the edge of the board.
• Shield wall. A row of two or more pieces along the edge can be captured all at once if enemy pieces stand in front of each of them and at both ends (a corner can serve as an end). A king in the row is not captured.
• Surrounding. If the attackers form an unbroken ring around the king and all remaining defenders so that none can reach the edge, the attackers win.
• Edge fort. If the king stands on the edge, can still move, and is enclosed by defenders that cannot be captured, the defenders win. This page awards the edge fort only in clear cases it can verify; otherwise play simply continues.
• Other endings. A player who cannot move loses. If the same position occurs three times, the defenders lose (perpetual repetition is forbidden, and the king's side must vary). On this page, 100 moves without a capture is a draw.
• On this page tap a piece to see where it can move (green dots), then tap a dot. When the king has a clear line to a corner he is marked in red, like "check". "Undo" takes back your move (and the computer's reply). You can leave and come back later; the game is saved on your device.
• Play a friend online. Choose "Online", pick your side and board, and create a link. Send it to a friend; when they open it, you play each other from your own phones or computers. No sign-up or download needed. After each game, "Rematch" starts a new one with sides switched.

Brandubh (7×7)

Brandubh is the Irish tafl game, played with 8 attackers against 4 defenders and a king. A game takes only a few minutes, which makes it a good first game and a good fit for phones. This page follows the World Tafl Federation rules: the king is captured like any other piece, by two attackers, except on the throne where all four sides are needed. There is no shield wall or edge fort rule. As on the 11×11 board, this page counts a third repetition of the same position as a loss for the defenders (the WTF rules give the loss to the side that chose to repeat, which is almost always the defenders).

Strategy tips

• Defenders: get the king out of the crowded centre early, then aim for a square from which he has two open lines to corners at once. The attackers can only block one of them.
• Defenders: don't lose pieces for nothing early on. Every defender that survives is a wall you can use later.
• Attackers: occupy the squares diagonally next to the corners first. They make the corners hard to reach and cannot be captured there easily.
• Attackers: think of your pieces as a net. Close the ring from a distance and tighten it slowly; attackers that rush in next to the king tend to be captured.

FAQ

Is Hnefatafl solved?

Not as far as we know. No complete solution has been published for the 11×11 game or for Brandubh; only a small 7×7 variant called Ard Rí, in which the king escapes to any edge square, is reported to be a forced win for the king. Modern rules such as Copenhagen were adjusted through tournament play to keep both sides close to even.

Which side has the advantage?

Under the Copenhagen rules the sides are considered roughly balanced for experienced players. For beginners the defenders are usually easier, because the king only needs one unguarded line to a corner, while capturing him takes four coordinated attackers. That is why this page starts you on the defenders' side; try the attackers once you know the game.

Can I play Hnefatafl online with friends?

Yes. Choose "Online", create a link and send it to your friend (by message, email or any chat app). When they open it, you play each other in real time, each on your own device, with no account needed. You switch sides after every game. You can also play the computer at three levels, or take turns on one phone or computer with "2 players".

Is it the same as Tafl or Tablut?

Tafl is the family name; Hnefatafl, Tablut, Brandubh and Ard Rí are members of it, differing in board size and some rules. Tablut is the 9×9 Sámi version whose rules Linnaeus wrote down in 1732.

Why is it called Viking chess?

Because it was a popular strategy board game of the Viking Age, played on a grid with pieces that move like rooks. It is not derived from chess, but the nickname makes it easy to describe.