An Honest Review of Hnefatafl Viking Chess

When Timberdoodle offered me to send me Hnefatafl Viking Chess to review, I jumped at the chance. After all, with a family tree that dates back to the 1300s in Norway, we have Viking blood coursing through our veins!

I was certain my kids would love learning to play this game, and I was right. When my son saw the new box in my bedroom, he asked if he could play it right away with his nephew.

As it turns out, he knew in advance how much he’d like the game, having already played Hnefatafl Viking Chess with a married brother who owns his own copy.

The game rules are simple and straightforward. A single king (taller than all the other pieces) starts in the center of the board, surrounded by an army of Viking warriors ready to protect him.

Opposing armies are lined up on four sides of the board. One player is charged with getting the kind safely from his central starting position to any one of the four corners of the board.

The other player’s objective is to capture the king before he reaches the corner by completely surrounding him with game pieces of the opposite color.

Pieces can move only vertically or horizontally, and there are a few other restrictions regarding how pieces can be captured and removed from the board.

To succeed at Hnefatafl Viking Chess, you’ve got to think several steps ahead. In that respect, it is very similar to standard chess.

But since the game pieces are moved in the same way, it’s much faster to learn and easier to remember.

As you can see in the photo below, most of the king’s protective guards have been captured by enemy warriors in this round, but that doesn’t matter. The king is only two steps away from winning, and there is little the opposition can do at this point to turn the game.

Do you have family members who would enjoy playing Hnefatafl Viking Chess? It is available through Timberdoodle as for individual purchase or as part of their 4th grade curriculum kit.

And while you’re on the Timberdoodle website, I’d encourage you to look around. We love everything we’ve ever ordered from this small family-owned company!

Be sure to sign up for their Doodle Dollar program to save on future purchases. And to read more of my Timberdoodle Reviews, follow this link.

PLEASE NOTE: As a member of the Timberdoodle blog team, I routinely receive free or deeply discounted products in exchange for writing honest reviews. Opinions expressed in these posts are 100% my own. I’ve been a happy and enthusiastic Timberdoodle customer for decades — long before I ever started blogging for their company.