Tafl games

With Hnefatafl a board game for two people is called from a Games family of Scandinavian origin.

A literal translation of the 20th century is king Zabel, since hnefi can be translated with fist or king figure. The translation of tafl is clarified clear. The Latin tabula, and not that were found from the Latin, but the Germanic tafl (or early modern word Zabel ) are translated in NHG with the word table that can refer to a table in general, and a game board in particular also in the present. Carl Linnaeus learned the still widespread rules in Lapland under the name Tablut (the same word origin ) know.

The so-called Tafl games refer to a family of northern European board games, in which a king is in the middle of the field and has to defend himself with his defenders against overwhelming odds attacker. The king's party must bring to the edge or the corners of the pitch, while the attacker must capture the king, the king figure. Variants hot Halatafl ( = fox and geese), which in the tradition of the Roman Twelve line game and modern backgammon Kvatrutafl, and the Hnefatafl closely related Fidchell whose rules are not known.

Historical structure and aim

Hnefatafl is played on a game board ( Zabel ) with 13 × 13 or 11 × 11 fields, Tablut on 9 × 9 fields. The playing field can be made of wood, playing games on the go also made ​​of soft leather. One player has twelve white figures ( eight at Tablut ) and a king, the other has 24 black checkers (16 at Tablut ), which are arranged as shown in the adjacent figure. The aim of the game is to take the king, or to keep the king from captivity by the enemy and bring about the fringe fields in safety. A party has also lost if they can not move.

The original form of the game is a hunting situation, in which the side with less figures enjoys greater freedoms and possesses the right of the opponent's pieces to capture and take off the board. The opponent's pieces are in their possibilities of movement restricted, but more in number. In Tablutspiel has one of the players 8 blonde Swedish soldiers and their king, the largest piece on the board, while the opponent is playing with 16 dark Russians. The field in the center is clearly marked as Konakis or throne. Only the Swedish king may occupy the Konakis.

General rules

Each character moves after basic installation vertically or horizontally (but not diagonally ) on any number of free squares ( like the tower in chess ). A figure is caught, when it is enclosed by two opposing sides by enemy pieces. In this way, several characters can be caught at once. However, a character can pull with impunity between two opposing figures, without being caught there.

The king alone is allowed to enter the middle ( Konakis or throne called ). He is caught as soon as it is surrounded by four opponents or three opponents plus the Konakis. If he manages to reach any square on the sidelines or a corner square, depending on the rules, he has won.

Balance

The Tafl games are asymmetric games, as both players have different objectives and thereby have different figures, figure number and starting positions.

The various Tafl games and rules differ greatly in their balance. So it is possible in some games that black or white has a great advantage. Other games and variants have, however, been found to be more balanced.

The balance also depends on the game experience of the player. It novice user often as easier to play the king side.

For these reasons, it is customary to play two games with changing pages.

Fetlar Hnefatafl

This version of the game were named after the island of Fetlar, taking place at "The World Fetlar QuickPlay Hnefatafl Championship", and is recognized as a relatively balanced.

List

• Fetlar Hnefatafl is played on a 11 × 11 field.
• White receives 12 normal characters and a king, which are situated in the middle of the field.
• Schwarz receives 24 figures, which are placed to each 6 figures on the game field margins.

The goal

• White wins if the king of one of the four corner squares enters.
• Black wins with the capture of the king.

Start of the game

• Black must first pull.

Pull

• All figures can vertically or horizontally many free fields are pulled in a direction desired ( like the tower in chess ).
• Throne and Eckfelder may only be entered by the king. However, can draw all the characters across an empty throne.

Capture

• A figure is caught, when it is actively involved from two opposite sides by enemy pieces. A captured piece is immediately removed from the board.
• However, a character can pull with impunity between two opposing figures, without being caught there.
• The king is caught as soon as he is surrounded by four opponents. When he stands next to the throne he has to be surrounded by only three opponents. On one edge of the field the king thus can not be captured.
• If the king is protected by another stone, it is possible both to capture when both the king and the other white stone are completely surrounded.
• A figure can also be captured if it is actively involved from one of the four corner squares, and an opponent's piece, or an empty throne and a generic figure on opposite sides.
• It is also possible to hit more enemy figures at a time when friendly and enemy stones are alternately positioned in a row. The last individual stone completes this turn.

Pull between two standing opponents

Easily beating the King

Beating the King on throne

Beating the King and a sheltered stone

Several stones hit simultaneously

Draw

The game is a draw:

• If both players agree to a draw,
• If a player has no legal move more,
• At three times repetition of position.

Strategy

White should try as quickly as possible to gain influence on one or more corners. This can mean either to draw their own figures in the fields ecknahen to prevent blockage of the corner of Black or restrict the movement possibilities of black. It may also be useful to rescue the king as quickly as possible, to have it ready for use and to increase the pressure. As it often happens in a premature attack of the king, that it is fixed in one or between two corners, this is not necessarily good, but it can also cause or significantly weaken the opponent to a quick victory. A common beginner's mistake is to focus too much focus on capturing enemy figures and protecting their own. This can be a victim or waiver bring to a capture important position advantages and be the king in his flight more useful.

Black

Black should primarily try to make the inaccessible corners of the playing field for white. For this purpose at least three figures each corner are required. Many players are therefore advised the King at the beginning not to attack, but merely restrict its movement until the corners are secured. It may be important to block from the edge of the third row of windows, as it represents one at the start of the game free line on which White else can move uninhibited and represent the edge of fields important key points for efficient blockade of the corner. A common beginner's mistake is also here to place undue focus on capturing enemy characters instead of the corners to secure. Once these are secured Black can circle through targeted rise to a closed number of the opponent's pieces.

Copenhagen Hnefatafl

A further developed used by the World Federation Tafl variant is the Copenhagen Hnefatafl. This draw positions are avoided. Compared to the Fetlar Hnefatafl following rules are added:

• Shildwall capture: A chain of standing on the sidelines stones, not including the king, can be defeated by being first then sealed from the other side and at both ends. The corners may here again be used.
• Edge continued: Should the King are on the sidelines, still draw, but can not be beaten, white wins.
• Ecirclement: Should all white pieces of completely black circled his (white fields can no longer reach the edge of the field ) wins black.
• Position repetitions are prohibited. Should know the position of his stones three repeat times without hitting a stone wins black.

History

Only the rules of the game are historically Tablut - handed by the continuity in Lapland. The rules of these variants can best be developed. The Abstract Games Magazine has examined whether the Tablut game with the traditional rules is unfair, because the king's party almost always win. This conjecture was refuted by the tester. The analysis of games played on the internet games is apparent that black is difficult to play for beginners. With increasing game experience, it will come to balanced results for both parties.

However, there are attempts to change the rules. Typical changes are about that the king must flee across the corners or that it is enough to surround the King of two pages to capture him. The changed rules go back to a reconstruction experiment of the 1960s at the University of Stockholm.

Basic list of different Tafl games

Alea Gospel

Tawlbwrdd

Brandubh

Tablut