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...
There is no evidence that the Shield Wall Rule was ever a part of the historical game of Hnefatafl. Yet, in modern times it has gained popularity as part of the Copenhagen Ruleset, and other variations. The shield wall capture, as...
Today, while researching another bit of the history of Hnefatafl, I stumbled on an interesting runestone which depicts two people playing a game of Hnefatafl. It’s the Runestone of Ockelbo. It is located, as you may guess, in the Swedish town...
In this post I’m going to cover the rules of Hnefatafl for you. Within minutes of reading this post, you’ll be able to start playing Hnefatafl the right way. Keep in mind that there are many variations to the rules. But...
In a certain scene in Vikings (that fantastic television series that can be watched on Netflix), King Harald plays a board game that looks a little bit like chess, together with the children of Ragnar Lothbrok. As a medieval historian, I...
