English National Championship: the 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!