THE VIKING GAME OF KINGS · DEAD FOR 800 YEARS

TAFL

· THE KING'S TABLE

BEFORE CHESS, THERE WAS TAFL.

Seven hundred years the North played this across the king's table. Then chess buried it, around 1200 AD. Tonight the board is set again, and the first grandmasters of the new age have not been crowned.

WORLDTAFL · THE KING'S TABLE, RETURNED

A SIEGE IN THE OLD NORTH · YEAR 900

THE SAGA

A king sits besieged upon his throne. His guard of twelve stands in bone. The horde, twice their number and dressed in coal, closes from all four shores. The horde strikes first.

THE FLANKING. Every piece slides like a rook, along rows and columns. Trap a foe between two of yours and he falls. Stepping into a trap yourself is safe.

THE ESCAPE. The gold towers at the four corners are sanctuary. If the king reaches any tower, the guard wins. Only the king may enter a tower or rest on the throne.

THE TAKING. The king falls only when walled on all four sides (his own throne can betray him as one wall). Take him, and the horde wins.

THREE TABLES, ONE LAW. Learn on Brandubh, the small 7×7 raid board, where the young king falls between just two spears. Prove yourself on Tablut, 9×9. Then take the full King's Table, 11×11. Your rating is kept for each table.

THE FULL LAW OF THE TABLE, FOR VETERANS

Armies: 24 attackers vs 12 defenders + king (16 vs 8 on 9×9, 8 vs 4 on 7×7); attackers move first.
Movement: rook moves, no jumping; any piece may pass over the empty throne.
Capture: custodial, against your pieces or against a tower / the empty throne; multiple captures per move possible.
King: armed (may capture); falls only to four walls, or three plus the throne; safe on the board edge. On the 7×7 raid board he falls between two, like any warrior.
Shieldwall: a row pinned flat on the edge is taken whole by bracketing both ends; a king in the row survives.
Attackers also win by encircling every defender; defenders also win by a sealed edge fort.
No stalling: endless repetition is forbidden. It counts as a defender loss.

FULL TIME

VICTORY

KING ESCAPED

THE BOT HALL

YOUR OPPONENT

THE BOARD

YOUR SIDE

PRACTICE RATINGS · THIS BOARD, VS BOTS

DEFENCE800

ATTACK800

YOUR SAGA

…

YOUR NAME · SHOWN TO OPPONENTS

TELLING

THE DAY'S RIDDLES ARE ANSWERED

STREAK 1

Post your mark where your people gather. Every mark is a door someone walks through. No answers are spoiled.

THE VIKING GAME OF KINGS · BURIED 800 YEARS

TAFL

BEFORE CHESS, THERE WAS TAFL.

One king. His last twelve shields. A horde at every shore. You can learn it in two minutes. Mastering it will take the rest of your life.

THE READING

The Skald reads your saga at war-speed…

THE LEADERBOARD

THE WARBAND

…

FOUND A WARBAND

A warband is your table of friends: one roster, one ladder, one link to invite. Warriors join only through your invite link.

ITS NAME

TAFL GOLD · COMING SOON

KEEP THE SKALD SINGING

The table is free, forever: every board, every battle, the arena, your warband. GOLD keeps the Skald at your side past his daily due:

Unlimited READINGS: every saga judged, not one a day.
Unlimited riddles: past the five he asks for free.
The deep reading: a stronger judge, longer thought on every move.
A founder's rune beside your name, for those who were here first.

ENTER THE ARENA

One name, one rating, on any device. Sign in and every online battle counts.

OR WITH EMAIL

THE CHALLENGE IS FORGED

Send this link to anyone alive. The first to open it takes the other side. Walk away whenever you like. The table holds your battle, and waits.

THE HERALD SPEAKS

THE RECORD