Hnefatafl’s Armoured and Unarmoured King (Weak/Strong King)
There are many variations of the ‘viking chess’ game called Hnefatafl, and each variation changes the odds of the white and black player winning. One of those rules that differs throughout the variants of the Tafl game family is whether the king is armoured or unarmoured. It is also known as the strong king and the weak king rule.
What is the unarmoured king game rule?
The unarmoured or weak king can be captured exactly like any regular piece. That means that the king needs to be sandwiched by just two opposing pawns in order to be captured. The pieces need to be on two diametrically opposed sides of the king.
A prerequisite for a valid capture, though, is that the king can only be captured when it is sandwiched by two opposing pieces during the opponent’s turn. A king cannot be captured if he places himself in between two pieces during his own turn.
The unarmoured king is armed, meaning that it can partake in capturing enemy pieces.
What is the armoured king rule?
The armoured or strong king rule makes it more difficult to capture the king. In this variant, the king needs to be surrounded on all four sides in order to be captured.
There are some special cases where just three, or even two pieces are enough to capture the king, even in some armoured variant.
The king can be captured by three opposing pieces when the fourth square is the central square of the board, also called ‘the throne’.
Lastly, in some variants, the armoured king can also be captured by just two pieces, when it is squared against the wall and a corner tile, in addition to two opposing pieces. This is for example the case in the Old Hnefatafl rules.
Yet again, in some other variants the king is only armoured when he is sitting on the throne, that is, the central square.
Unless otherwise specified, the armoured king is armed, too, meaning that it too can partake in capturing enemy pieces.
Which Tafl games use an unarmoured king?
- Old Hnefatafl
Which Tafl games use an armoured king?
- Fetlar Hnefatafl
- Berserk Hnefatafl
- Alea Hnefatafl
- Unst Alea Evangelii
- Unarmed Sea Battle
- Armed Sea Battle
- Copenhagen
