Hnefatafl means King's table. It is an ancient game of
the Vikings and was known in Scandinavia before 400 A. D.
and was carried by the Vikings to Greenland, Iceland,
Ireland, Britain, Wales and as far east as the Ukraine.
It was played on odd-sized boards as small as 7 x 7 and
as large as 19 x 19. Here are 2 variants implemented:
Tablut, the Finnish variant, which was played on a 9x9 board
and Hnefatafl, the Norse variant, wich was played either on
a 11x11 board or 13x13 board. Tawlbyund (Tawl Bwrdd =
'Throw Board'), the Welsh variant, was played on an 11x11
board. It dates back at least to the Xth century.
The object for the player with the black pieces (attacker)
is to prevent the opponent's king from escaping, and ultimately
to capture it. The object for the player with the white pieces
(defender) is to escape with the king to one of the corner spaces.
A piece can move horizontally or vertically any number of spaces,
like a chess rook. Only the king may land on the throne (the center)
or on the corner squares. Either player's pieces may pass over the
throne as part of a move. Pieces are captured by flanking opponent's
pieces on two opposite sides (custodial capture). Up to three pieces
can be captured in a single turn. The corner and throne count as a
piece for capturing. Pieces can safely move between two other pieces.
The king is captured like nother pieces, except when he is on the
throne or in one of the four spaces next to the throne, then he must
be surrounded on four sides to be captured, either by four enemy
pieces or by three enemy pieces and the throne itself.
• Free Version!
(requires Adobe® AIR®)

Screenshots: