Hnefatafl Puzzles

You may have seen chess problems in the newspapers. Here's the hnefatafl equivalent. Each puzzle has a set goal, for example, "king to move, and to escape in three moves". So it's the king's turn, and a certain combinations of three moves will have him winning.

Usually in these puzzles, the opponent's moves will be forced, or sub-optimal moves will bring about the end even more quickly. It's assumed that the opponent will therefore, given a choice, make the best move to stave off defeat as long as possible. Some puzzles may have more than one solution, or may make some of the opponent's moves irrelevant.

Please try these out, and get in touch if you think you've found the solution to one of them!

Tablut: the King Must Escape

In this puzzle, it is the king's turn, and he can be certain of escape in four moves. After his third move, though, the attackers will have no hope of blocking him and will resign.

What moves will guarantee the king's escape in four turns, and what would the attackers' responses be? Feel free to send in solutions by e-mail or to discuss the puzzle in the comments.

You can read the rules for tablut at http://tafl.cyningstan.com/page/170/rules-for-tablut.

Brandub: Escape in Three

In this brandub puzzle, it's the king's turn to move. He is guaranteed a victory on his third move. What should be the first move for him or one of his men? The king is in a strong position here, but as far as I know, only one will guarantee a win in three moves.

In brandub, all pieces move as far as desired along a row or column, with only the king able to rest on the marked squares. All pieces are captured on two sides, and the king must reach the corner to win. The corners are hostile, so a piece sat beside one is in danger.

Feel free to have a guess in the comments, on social media or by email. You can read the rules to brandub in full at http://tafl.cyningstan.com/page/171/rules-for-brandub.

Brandub: Doomed or Not?

Here is another easy brandub puzzle, this one taken from a real game. It is white's turn to move. Black is threatening to capture the king. Can the king escape the immediate threat? And if so, how?

In brandub, the king is captured on two sides like other pieces, and he is allowed to return to his central square if he wants. Pieces are captured against the marked corners but not against the central square.

Feel free to have a guess in the comments, on social media or by email. The rules for this puzzle are those from the Traditional Board Game Series of leaflets.

Tablut: In for the Kill

In this puzzle it's the turn of the attackers. They are obviously in a strong position, and are certain to capture the king sooner or later. But should their next move be for the quickest victory?

In tablut, the king is usually captured by two attackers on opposite sides of him. He can participate in making captures, and he will win the game if he reaches any square on the edge of the board. The central castle is closed to all pieces, and if the king is beside it, then it provides him protection and he must be surrounded on the remaining three sides. The full rules for tablut are at http://tafl.cyningstan.com/page/170/rules-for-tablut.

Next: The Hnefatafl Shop

Hnefatafl: the Game of the Vikings

Hnefatafl Puzzles

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