Hnefatafl
An old Norse game of escape and capture, sometimes called Viking chess. The king and his defenders start in the middle, ringed by twice as many attackers. Get the king to a corner, or surround him.
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How to play Hnefatafl
How to play
The attackers (dark) move first. Every piece moves like a rook in chess: any number of empty squares in a straight line, never jumping. Tap a piece to see its moves as dots, then tap a dot, or drag the piece. Only the king may stop on the throne in the middle or on the four marked corners, though any piece may pass over the empty throne. You start as the defenders; tap Swap sides before your first move to lead the attackers instead, and the choice is remembered.
Captures
Trap an enemy piece between two of yours in a straight line, across or up and down, and it is removed. A corner, or the empty throne, can stand in for one of your pieces. The king can help capture. Moving into a gap between two enemies is safe: only the side that moves captures.
Winning
Defenders win when the king reaches a corner. Attackers win by capturing the king: on 11×11 they must surround him on all four sides, or on three sides with the throne on the fourth, and he can't be captured on the edge. On 7×7 Brandubh he is captured like any other piece unless he is on or beside the throne. A side with no legal move loses. Three repetitions of a position, or 50 moves each without a capture, is a draw.
Which rules?
This is a clean version of the modern Copenhagen rules on 11×11. It leaves out the optional shieldwall captures, edge forts and the encirclement win, so every capture is a simple two-sided trap. Brandubh 7×7 is a quick game with 8 attackers against the king and 4 defenders.
Questions
Why is hnefatafl called Viking chess?
Hnefatafl belongs to the tafl family of old Norse board games, so it is often nicknamed Viking chess, though it is not a form of chess. The sides are uneven: a small band defends the king against a force twice its size.
Which side should I play first?
Defending is the easier start: look for a moment when the king has two open lines to corners at once, because the attackers can block only one. Attacking takes patience: guard the squares near each corner, then close in.
Can the king be captured on the edge of the board?
Not on the 11×11 board in these rules: the king needs attackers on all four sides, or three plus the throne. On the 7×7 Brandubh board two attackers can trap him on the edge, unless he is on or beside the throne.
How does the hint work?
It searches the position for your side, highlights a piece and its destination, and says why: it captures, wins, opens or blocks a path to a corner, threatens the king, or is simply the search’s best move. Undo takes back your move and the computer’s reply.
Is there a daily game?
No. The computer answers your own moves, so there is no fixed puzzle to share. Every game is a fresh battle.