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How big is a Hnefatafl board?

How big is a Hnefatafl board?

The game is presented in a decorated cardboard box and comes with a set of multi-lingual rules based on those played in the 9th and 10th centuries and using the Hnefatafl board of 11 x 11 squares.

What does Hnefatafl mean in English?

fist table
Hnefatafl literally translates to “fist table”, from the Old Norse (equivalently in modern Icelandic) hnef, ‘fist’, and tafl, ‘table’.

How many pieces are in a Hnefatafl game?

37 playing pieces
Two player game with 37 playing pieces – 12 defenders, 24 attackers and 1 King.

How do you pronounce Viking game Hnefatafl?

If you understand the International Phonetic Alphabet, ˈne-fə-taː-f(ə)l is a closer approximation. As to how the Vikings said it, that’s a different matter. Some people point to Icelandic pronunciation and say that the ‘f’s should be pronounced more like ‘p’s.

How many squares are on a Hnefatafl board?

Modern hnefatafl games tend to have nine or eleven squares on a side, with 25 or 37 pieces, but smaller and more specialist manufacturers still make games in the more extreme sizes. Many boards of seven squares by seven have been found, particularly in Ireland, and Scotland.

How many squares are in Hnefatafl?

Can the king capture pieces in Hnefatafl?

Capturing only happens when a piece is moved so that a single opposing piece ends up trapped between two of the players pieces. A captured piece is immediately removed from the board. It is possible to capture more than one piece at once. The King is unarmed and cannot capture.

Can you double capture in Hnefatafl?

It is a legal move that allows white to only capture the two black pieces above its new position as white can only make one capture per turn, but must opt or freely chooses the larger of the two potential captures.

How do you win as attacker in Hnefatafl?

In the control of an experienced player, the king is unlikely to fall carelessly into the attacker’s hands. The attacker must therefore restrict the king’s movement, while approaching him with assassins or herding him into a prepared ambush. This is done by forming blockades.

Can the king capture in Hnefatafl?

The King is unarmed and cannot capture. A piece that is next to the corner square can be captured by a single opposing piece. The piece is moved so that the opposing piece is trapped between the corner and the piece moved – the corner square acts as the second capturing piece.