For your first game, remember this: Black attacks and moves first. White defends the king. Soldiers are captured only when trapped between two hostile sides. White wins by moving the king onto a corner; Black wins by surrounding him. This board uses the 11×11 Fetlar rules.
Know the Two Sides
Black has 24 attackers around the four edges and takes the first turn. White has 12 defenders around the king, who starts on the throne in the exact centre of the 11×11 board. The empty corner squares are the king’s only exits.
If you play Black, watch every open row and column leading to a corner. If you play White, clear one route for the king instead of trying to save every defender.
How Pieces Move
Every piece moves like a rook in chess: any number of empty squares up, down, left, or right. Pieces never move diagonally and cannot jump over anything. A destination must be empty.
Soldiers may cross the empty throne but cannot stop on the throne or any corner. The king may occupy the throne and is the only piece allowed to enter a corner.
How Captures Work
To capture a soldier, finish your move with that soldier trapped between two hostile sides on the same row or column. Usually those sides are two of your pieces. The empty throne or a corner may replace one of them. The trapped soldier is removed immediately.
For example, if a white soldier stands between your black soldier and an empty corner, moving another black soldier against its open side captures it. Simply moving next to an enemy does nothing, and moving your own soldier between two enemies does not cause it to be captured.
The king may help sandwich an attacking soldier. Capturing the king is different: two attackers are not enough. Black must surround him as described below.
How Each Side Wins
White wins as soon as the king lands on any corner. Reaching an edge is not enough: the king must occupy the corner square itself.
Black wins by blocking all four squares directly beside the king with attackers. If the king stands next to the empty throne, the throne counts as one hostile side, so attackers need to fill the other three. Diagonal pieces do not count toward the surround.
The game is recorded as a draw after roughly 100 half-moves without a capture. Players in an online room may also agree to a draw.
Make Your First Move
Check the turn indicator, then select one of that side’s pieces. The board highlights every legal destination. Select a highlighted square to complete the move. If no squares appear, that piece is blocked; choose another one.
As Black, a useful first question is “Which line to a corner is easiest for the king to use?” As White, ask “Which defender can move without opening a direct attack on the king?” You do not need to chase a capture on every turn.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Moving diagonally: every piece moves only along a row or column.
- Jumping a blocker: no piece may pass through another piece.
- Landing a soldier on a special square: only the king may stop on the throne or a corner.
- Expecting contact to capture: a soldier must be trapped on two opposite sides.
- Counting a diagonal attacker around the king: only the four adjacent orthogonal squares matter.
- Stopping the king on an edge: White wins only when the king reaches a corner.
This board does not use shieldwall captures, exit forts, or the variant in which two pieces can sandwich the king.
How the Modes Differ
The board rules stay the same in every mode. Play vs AI includes hints, undo, and replay. Same-device play includes undo and replay but no hints. Online rooms allow resignation and draw offers, but one player cannot undo a shared move alone.
Once the movement and capture rules feel clear, use the Hnefatafl strategy guide to practise sealing corners and opening escape routes.
Hnefatafl Rules FAQ
Which side moves first in Hnefatafl?
The black attackers always move first. Their larger force must cover four possible escape corners, while White needs only one open route for the king.
Can two attackers sandwich and capture the king?
No. Under these Fetlar rules, Black must surround the king on four sides, or on three sides when the empty throne fills the fourth side.
Can a soldier move onto the throne or a corner?
No. A soldier may pass through the empty throne but cannot stop there, and it can never enter a corner. The king may occupy both types of square.
Can a piece be captured by moving between two enemies?
No. A capture happens only when the opponent completes the sandwich with a move. A soldier may safely move into a gap between two enemies, although that position may be dangerous on the next turn.
Does the king win by reaching any edge?
No. On this Fetlar board, the king must land on one of the four corner squares. Reaching any other edge square does not end the game.
