Hnefatafl Tournament All Set to Go

Sunday, 11th June 2017

Preparations for Saturday's hnefatafl tournament in Hull are in their final stage. The tournament will take place at the Hull and East Riding Museum on Saturday 17th June, with registrations starting at 10am. Up to sixteen places are available, with the tournament itself to start at 11am. Those not taking part in the tournament are welcome to join in casual play, and there will be an exhibition of hnefatafl games too.

The rules of the game are those of Tablut, the best-documented historical version of hnefatafl that we have. This allows us to play a game closest to that played by the Vikings themselves. Played on a board of nine rows of nine squares, a king tries to escape to the edge of the board with the help of his eight companions. Sixteen enemies lie it wait to capture him.

Each participant will receive a signed copy of the book An Introduction to Hnefatafl, while the winner will receive a hand-made hnefatafl game.

The whole day has been set aside for the event, from 10am to 5pm, with the tournament starting at 11am and continuing, with a break for lunch, until a single winner is found. As people are travelling from beyond the city to join in, players are invited to a meal the night before, and a visit to some of the city's historic pubs after the tournament has ended.

Entry is free, and registrations will be taken on the day on a first come, first served basis, though places will be held for those who have specifically confirmed that they are coming. For further information, please contact .