Hnefatafl: the Game of the Vikings

English National Championship: the Final Match

English National Championship 2014 Final Match
English National Championship 2014 Final Match

Friday, 22nd August 2014

Last week Tim Millar, umpire of the English National Hnefatafl Championships, has posted on Facebook the final match for this year's Championship between Tim Bullen and Pete Jennings. This is the first time we've had the details of a final match in a face-to-face tournament, and I hope that other tournament organisers and umpires follow Tim Millar's example.

The final match had Tim Bullen playing the defenders, and Pete Jennings playing the attackers. The rules are Fetlar, in which the attacker moves first, and the king, who is armed, must reach a corner square or be captured by being surrounded on four sides by attackers. The full Fetlar rules are linked to elsewhere on this page.

The moves were as follows: 1. A8-A9 H6-H3; 2. F2-J2 G5-J5; 3. K4-J4xJ5 G6-G2; 4. B6-B2 F6-I6; 5. H1-J1 I6-I11; 6. J6-J11 I11-I3; 7. H11-I11 I3-K3; 8. J2-K2 K3-K4; 9. K2-K3 G2-K2xK3; 10. B2-J2 F4-I4xJ4; 11. A4-A3 I4-I2xJ2; 12. I11-I3xI2 K4-B4.

Pete Jennings conceded at this point, as the king would have been able to reach B1 or B11 on the next turn, and one of the corners A1 or A11 in the turn following. Congratulations to Tim Bullen on this victory!

Comments

Tim Bullen clearly outclassed me in the two games we played. I need to concentrate on my black piece moves more and study strategies other than blocking walls across corner squares. It was interesting that in my group we all triumphed as King, and had to have some decider bouts to sort out the knockout eliminations. I certainly prefer playing King.

I think that if our two Formby competitors had been in drawn into different groups then they would have probably ended up facing each other in the Finals instead of the Semi's. Still it was good fun and I think our game playing gets better when playing more experienced and better opponents. Here's to next year!

Pete Jennings - 19:04, 22/08/2014

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