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Hnefatafl print-and-play file with an elaborate 19x19 layout for 73 pieces. The board and pieces can be printed onto six sheets of A4 paper. A seventh sheet contains the assembly instructions and game rules. The rules are for the only known hnefatafl game on the 19x19 board, alea evangelii.
The Standard Rules of Hnefatafl. In the standard version of Hnefatafl, there are only two types of pieces: The King; The Pawns (Vikings) That’s all there is to know. Easy enough right? How the pieces are allowed to move. The king and the pawns move in exactly the same way. For the chess players out there: they move like the rook in chess.
HNEFATAFL RULES. Set up the board as shown above, the counter in the centre is the king and the counters surrounding him are his protectors. The darker counters are the attackers. The game is won by the attackers if they capture the king. The attackers always make the first move.
These leaflets each have the rules for a particular variant of hnefatafl, along with a bit of history. The rules for most of the variants are available as web pages, but these aren't always handy when on the move, or when you want to try out a new rule set with your own hnefatafl board.
Moves: All pieces move in straight vertical or horizontal lines (along the lines of the board) like the rook in chess. All moves begin and end on a space, marked with a dot on the board. Pieces may move any number of spaces along the line, but pieces are blocked by another piece on that line.
If you click on the "Rules Leaflets" link on the "Related Pages" sidebar of this page (to the right on desktop screens, or at the foot of the page on Mobiles), you'll see a range of downloadable PDF leaflets for different versions of the game.
What is Hnefatafl? Some history. How do you play? What is Hnefatafl? Viking chess game. History of Hnefatafl. “Tafl” was the generic name for games played on tables, Old Norse word for table. By the end of the Viking Age, it was called “Hnefatafl” to distinguish from other games. “Hnefi” referred to the king pieces.
