Rules of Copenhagen Hnefatafl 11x11

Short overview:
King armed, captured from 4 sides.
Exit fort. Shieldwall rule.

Objective
The dark pieces (attackers) lay seige, their goal, to capture the king. The light pieces (defenders) must break the seige and get their king to safety.

1. Two players, the king's side vs attackers. There are twice as many attackers as defenders.
Copenhagen Hnefatafl 11x11 board
Initial set-up.

2. The attackers' side moves first, the players then take turns.

3. All pieces move any number of vacant squares along a row or a column, like a rook in chess.
move tafl piece
Moving a piece.

4a. Capture
All pieces except the king are captured if sandwiched between two enemy pieces, or between an enemy piece and a restricted square. The two enemy pieces should be on the square above and below or on the squares left and right of the attacked piece, i.e. not diagonally.

A piece is only captured if the trap is closed by the aggressor's move, it is therefore permitted to move in between two enemy pieces. The king may take part in captures.
captured tafl piece
Capture of pieces.
tafl piece not captured
The piece is not captured.

4b. The shieldwall rule for capturing a row of pieces on the board edge: A row of two or more taflmen along the board edge may be captured together, by bracketing the whole group at both ends, as long as every member of the row has an enemy taflman directly in front of him. A corner square may stand in for one of the bracketing pieces at one end of the row.
The king may take part in the capture, either as part of the shieldwall or as a bracketing piece. If the king plus one or more defenders are attacked with a shieldwall, the attack will capture the defenders but not the king.
tafl shieldwall capture
Shieldwall captures.

5. Restricted squares
Restricted squares may only be occupied by the king. The central restricted square is called the throne. It is allowed for the king to re-enter the throne, and all pieces may pass through the throne when it is empty.

Restricted squares are hostile, which means they can replace one of the two pieces taking part in a capture. The throne is always hostile to the attackers, but only hostile to the defenders when it is empty.
The four corner squares are also restricted and hostile, just like the throne.
The board edge is NOT hostile.
restricted tafl squares
Five restricted squares.

6a. King's side win
If the king reaches any corner square, the king has escaped and his side wins.
tafl defenders win
The king's side wins.

6b. Exit forts: The defenders also win if the king has contact with the board edge, is able to move, and it is impossible for the attackers to break the fort.
tafl defenders win
Exit forts.

7a. Attackers win
The attackers win if they can capture the king.

The king is captured when the attackers surround him on all four cardinal points, except when he is next to the throne.

If on a square next to the throne, the attackers must occupy the three remaining squares around him.

The king cannot be captured on the board edge.
tafl attackers win
The king is captured.
tafl king not captured
The king is not captured.

7b. If the attackers surround the king and ALL remaining defenders, then they win, as they have prevented the king from escaping.
tafl attackers win
The attackers win by encircling all defenders.

8. Perpetual repetitions are forbidden. The player who causes the repetition must find an alternative move or else he loses the game.

9. If a player cannot move, he loses the game.

10. If it is not possible to end the game, fx. because both sides have too few pieces left, it is a draw.

Some examples of perpetual repetitions.

Perpetual repetition - the king must find another move:

White is confined and cannot avoid perpetual repetitions and lose:

The Copenhagen rules were outlined 2012 by Aage Nielsen (Denmark), Adam Bartley (Norway) and Tim Millar (UK).
The Copenhagen game pieces in the online game were sent by Gregory Binns (USA).
English text and diagrams: Adam Bartley (Norway).

Try out the game at aagenielsen.dk

Welsh Tawlbwrdd Rules 11x11 (Strong King)

Objective

The dark pieces lay seige, their goal, to capture the king. The light pieces must break the seige and get their king to safety.

1. Two players, the king's side vs attackers. There are twice as many attackers as defenders.

2. The attackers' side moves first, the players then take turns.

3. All pieces move any number of vacant squares along a row or a column, just like a rook in chess.

move tafl piece
Moving a piece.

4. Capture
All pieces are captured if sandwiched between two enemy pieces, or between an enemy piece and the throne (except the king where on or next to the throne). The two enemy pieces should be on the square above and below or on the squares left and right of the attacked piece, i.e. not diagonally.
A piece is only captured if the trap is closed by the agressor’s move, it is therefore permitted to
move in between two enemy pieces. The king may take part in captures.

5. Restricted squares
Restricted squares may only be occupied by the king. The central restricted square is called the throne.
It is allowed for the king to re-enter the throne, and all pieces may pass through the throne when it is
empty. In this version we have only one restricted square - the throne. It is hostile, which means it can replace one of the two pieces taking part in a capture. The throne is always hostile to the attackers, but only hostile to the defenders when it is empty.
The board edge is NOT hostile.

6. King's side win:
If the king reaches the edge the king has escaped and his side wins.

tafl defenders win
The king's side wins.

7a. Attackers win:
The attackers win if they can capture the king.
The king is captured like all other pieces, except when he is on or next to the throne.
On the throne, the attackers must surround him on all four cardinal points.
If on a square next to the throne, the attackers must occupy the three remaining squares around him.

7b. If the attackers surround the king and ALL remaining defenders, then they win, as they have prevented the king from escaping.

8. Perpetual repetitions are forbidden. A player who agressively maintains a board repetition must find another move to break the repetition, or lose the game.
e.g. A player attacks by continually side stepping with a piece in order to find an open path to break through. The opponent continually brings his piece in line with the aggressive piece to block the open path. The “aggressive player" is the one who has some choice in whether to repeat the pattern or not.
If a board position is repeated for the third time, "the aggressive player" loses the game.

9. If a player cannot move, he loses the game.

Rules of Saami Tablut 9x9 (Strong King)

Saami Tablut 9x9 board
Saami Tablut 9x9 (Linné)

Objective
The dark pieces (attackers) lay seige, their goal, to capture the king. The light pieces (defenders) must break the seige and get their king to safety.

1. Two players, the king's side vs attackers. There are twice as many attackers as defenders.

2. The attackers' side moves first, the players then take turns.

3. All pieces move any number of vacant squares along a row or a column, like a rook in chess.
move tafl piece
Moving a piece.

4. Capture
All pieces are captured if sandwiched between two enemy pieces. The two enemy pieces should be on the square above and below or on the squares left and right of the attacked piece, i.e. not diagonally.

A piece is only captured if the trap is closed by the aggressor's move, it is therefore permitted to move in between two enemy pieces. The king ship may take part in captures.

tafl piece captured
Capture of pieces.
tafl piece not captured

The piece is not captured.

5. King's side win
If the king reaches the edge, he has escaped and his side wins.
tafl defenders win
The king's side wins.

6a. Attackers win
The attackers win if they can capture the king.
The king is captured like all other pieces, except when he is on or next to the throne.
On the throne, the attackers must surround him on all four cardinal points.
If on a square next to the throne, the attackers must occupy the three remaining squares around him.

6b. If the attackers surround the king and ALL remaining defenders, then they win, as they have prevented the king from escaping.

7. Perpetual repetitions are forbidden. The player who causes the repetition must find an alternative move or else he loses the game.

8. If a player cannot move, he loses the game.

9. If it is not possible to end the game, fx. because both sides have too few pieces left, it is a draw.

Rules of Sea battle tafl 9x9 (Weak King)

Objective
The dark pieces (attackers) lay seige, their goal, to capture the cargo ship. The light pieces (defenders) must break the seige and get their cargo ship to safety.

1. Two players, the cargo ship's side vs attackers. There are twice as many attackers as defenders.
Sea battle tafl 9x9 board

2. The attackers' side moves first, the players then take turns.

3. All pieces move any number of vacant squares along a row or a column, like a rook in chess.
move tafl piece
Moving a piece.

4. Capture
All pieces except the cargo ship are captured if sandwiched between two enemy pieces. The two enemy pieces should be on the square above and below or on the squares left and right of the attacked piece, i.e. not diagonally.

A piece is only captured if the trap is closed by the aggressor's move, it is therefore permitted to move in between two enemy pieces. The cargo ship may not take part in captures.
tafl piece captured
Capture of pieces.
tafl piece not captured
The piece is not captured.

5. Cargo ship's side win
If the cargo ship reaches the edge the cargo ship has escaped and its side wins.
tafl defenders win
The cargo ship's side wins.

6a. Attackers win
The attackers win if they can capture the cargo ship.

The cargo ship is captured when the attackers surround it on all four cardinal points.
tafl attackers win
The cargo ship is captured.

6b. If the attackers surround the cargo ship and ALL remaining defenders, then they win, as they have prevented the cargo ship from escaping.

7. Perpetual repetitions are forbidden. The player who causes the repetition must find an alternative move or else he loses the game.

8. If a player cannot move, he loses the game.

9. If it is not possible to end the game, fx. because both sides have too few pieces left, it is a draw.

All images and rules taken from http://aagenielsen.dk

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