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This was probably the most common of board games played and was almost certainly a Germanic
development of the Roman Game “LATRUNCULI” (Soldiers)
The game can be played on a board with 7x7, 9x9.11x11,13x13, 15x15 or 19x19 squares. The center often
has special markings.
A beautiful carved board with 13x13 squares was found at Gokstad in Norway. This is a double sided board
with a Nine Men’s Morris layout carved on the reverse side as with other less impressive examples. Many
other wooden “tafi” boards have also been found throughout the Viking and Anglo-Saxon world, but some of
the boards were much simpler affairs being only marked with charcoal or scratches onto the surface of slices
of rock.
Although by the later Middle Ages chess had taken over, “ HNEFATAFL” still survived in Wales and is
described in a manuscript of 1587. It was then called “tawlbwrdd” and was played on an 11x11 board.
THE RULES: The King moves first. He has half the number of pieces his opponent has. He wins the game if
he can manage to get his “King” piece out into one of the corner squares (the large 19x19 version often
allows the King to win if he can reach the edge of the board.). His opponent can win by trapping the King
All the pieces move in straight lines like the rock or castle in chess, and a piece may be moved any number
of squares providing no other piece is standing in the way. It may not pass over another piece. A piece is
taken by making a move which traps it between two of your pieces but not on any diagonal, i.e. the north and
the south or the east and west positions around an enemy piece. It is possible to take two opposing pieces at
the same time. A player is also permitted to move between two opposing pieces without being taken.
The king can normally only be trapped if he is surrounded by four pieces unless he is on the edge of the
board where only three would be needed to “surround”, or two at a corner. The four corner squares may
only be occupied by the king, but if the king is under attack the corner square is regarded as being occupied
by an opposing piece. The same goes for the center square, so here the king can again be trapped by just
three pieces.