Tawlbwrdd and Historical Hnefatafl rules
The rules as the old sources have them · 11×11 or 13×13
Edge escape: the King wins by reaching any square on the board edge. The corners are ordinary squares anyone may use.
A weak King: two attackers sandwich him like any other piece, or three beside the Throne. There is no shieldwall.
On 11×11 this is Tawlbwrdd, the Welsh game described by Robert ap Ifan in 1587, which is why it carries both names. On 13×13 the same rules are played on the larger board.
Also known as: Tawlbwrdd, Tawl-bwrdd, Welsh tafl, Historical Hnefatafl.
At a glance
| Board | 11×11 or 13×13 |
|---|---|
| Pieces | 24 attackers against 12 defenders and a King (11×11) 32 attackers against 16 defenders and a King (13×13) |
| King | Weak: two attackers can capture him |
| King escapes to | Any edge square |
| First move | Attackers |
| Repeated position | A loss for the defenders |
Play Tawlbwrdd and Historical Hnefatafl 11×11Play Tawlbwrdd and Historical Hnefatafl 13×13
The core rules
Every tafl game builds on the rules below. Where the table above says otherwise, the table is right for Tawlbwrdd and Historical Hnefatafl.
- Two sides. The attackers surround the board and outnumber their enemy. Their goal is to capture the King. The defenders are outnumbered but guard the King and must escort him to safety.
- The board. A square grid. The centre square is the Throne, where the King begins. The four corners are escape squares. Only the King may stand on either.
- Movement. Every piece moves like a rook in chess: any number of squares in a straight line, with no diagonals and no jumping. Other pieces may pass through the empty Throne, but corners block them.
- Capture. Sandwich an enemy piece between two of your own on a straight line and it is removed. Moving into a sandwich yourself is safe; the trap only springs when you close it. An empty corner or the empty Throne can take the place of one of the two pieces.
- Capturing the King. In most variants the King must be sealed on all four sides, by attackers or by the empty Throne. In the "weak King" variants two attackers are enough.
- Winning. The defenders win when the King reaches an escape square: a corner, or any edge square in the edge-escape variants. The attackers win by capturing the King, or by encircling every defender so none can reach the edge. A side with no legal move loses, and repeating a position three times ends the game.
Similar games
More from classic (The full-size game):