“He hated games they made the world look too simple. Chess, in particular, had always annoyed him. It was the dumb way the pawns went off and slaughtered their fellow pawns while the king lounged about doing nothing. If only the pawns would’ve united … the whole board could’ve been a republic in about a dozen moves.”- Thud! By Terry Pratchett.
The Viking Chess
Hnefatafl, pronounced nef-ah-ta-fel, also known as the Viking Game, The King’s Table or simply Tafl, is one of the oldest board games in the world. Dating back from around 400 AD, where it was popular in the Viking homelands of Scandinavia, it was carried over to lands conquered by the Vikings and examples have been found by archeologists in sites ranging from Ireland to the Ukraine.
It looks like Chess. Of course, the gameplay must be like Chess. It must be playable only for two persons, the pieces must be moving in straight, the strategy must be requiring logical thinking, and an unfortunate lost caused by blunder moves must be frustrating like chess. But it is not a Chess. Hnefatafl has become an inspiration to Terry Pratchett’s board game Thud.
Playing as offence
In Hnefatafl, the black pieces serve as the offensive force. They are positioned along each border in a T-shaped formation, with symbols indicating their initial placement. The black pieces can move vertically or horizontally, but diagonal movement is not permitted in this game. The objective is to encircle the King with your pieces, leaving no space for the King to move. However, if your pieces are sandwiched between the white pieces, they will be captured and lost.
So, think this game like playing Japanese go!
Playing as defense
The white pieces in Hnefatafl serve as the defensive force, responsible for surrounding the King and protecting it from being encircled by black pieces. The white pieces are positioned in the center of the board, while the King’s objective is in one of the corners. Players have the freedom to choose which corner they aim for. The corner also functions as a castle, meaning that if a black piece is trapped between the castle and another white piece, it will be captured and removed from the game.
My first Hnefatafl game
I played Hnefatafl for the first time with my sister, who introduced me to the game and explained the rules to me. To determine who would play as which color, we shuffled the pawns. My sister ended up as the black player, while I took on the role of the white player. Since it was our first time playing, neither of us had prepared any winning strategies.
As we started the game, I decided to adopt a cautious approach. My strategy involved moving my king along with the pawns, but only taking one step at a time. Although this method required patience, it provided a secure position for my king. However, during the initial moves, I lost a few pawns, which posed a threat as my king approached the goal without much protection.
As the game progressed, tensions escalated. The question loomed: would my king successfully make it to its home, or would it end up cornered by my opponent?
And the winner is…
The earlier mistakes are weakening my position as my King approaches its objective. This situation reminds me of a game of chess. Once you make blunders, it becomes increasingly challenging to survive the game. You’re faced with the choice of giving up or continuing to play for a draw, where neither player wins nor loses. Both outcomes seem equally hopeless to me, and I would feel like a sore loser either way.
However, there’s an exception: if your opponent also makes blunders, which is what happened to my sister in the later moves. She was unaware of the attack I could launch.
As a result, the tables turned, and I emerged victorious in this beginner’s match.
Who’s next?
I hadn’t attempted to play as an attacker until my sister and I returned home. Naturally, one game wasn’t enough for two curious and competitive players like us. We were eager to explore numerous experimental moves.
In search of new challenges, I looked for Hnefatafl online, hoping to find a game against a computer or a stranger where I could test the strategies I had devised. Unlike chess, Hnefatafl has a smaller online player base. I patiently waited for a few minutes to find an opponent, but the room remained empty.
So,
Do you enjoy strategy games?
Are you a strategic thinker?
Would you like to try playing Hnefatafl with me?
Chat me on the comment if you are interested.
A Cup of Think 