Search Guide
What Is Viking Chess?
Viking chess is a common modern nickname for Hnefatafl and related Tafl games. It is not the original medieval name, but it is one of the most common English phrases people use when searching for the game online.
Hnefatafl is usually translated as King's Table. Tafl is the wider family name for these asymmetric Nordic strategy games. King's Table uses the modern phrase Viking chess to help new players find the game, then connects it back to the historical names.
Play Viking Chess Read Tafl Rules
Is Viking Chess The Same As Hnefatafl?
Usually, yes in modern conversation. When people say Viking chess, they are often talking about Hnefatafl specifically, or about Tafl games more generally. Hnefatafl is the best-known historical name. Tafl is the broader family. Viking chess is the modern search-friendly nickname.
Why Do People Call It Viking Chess?
The phrase helps new players describe the game quickly. Hnefatafl has chess-like straight-line movement, but it is not chess. It is an asymmetric escape-and-capture game in which one side tries to help the king escape while the other side tries to trap him.
How Is Viking Chess Different From Chess?
- Chess is symmetrical. Tafl games are asymmetric.
- In Hnefatafl, one side protects a king trying to escape.
- The attacking side usually has more pieces than the defenders.
- Pieces move in straight lines, but captures happen by surrounding pieces, not by landing on them.