Tafl Games - Reconstruction

Reconstruction

No complete, unambiguous description of the rules of a tafl game exists. The best description we have from history is that given by Linnaeus of the game Tablut in the 1732 diary of his travels, Lachesis Lapponica. The following rules are based on the 1811 translation of Lachesis Lapponica into English by James Edward Smith.

• The game is played on a 9×9 board. Initial set-up is as shown in the diagram.
• The king starts on the central square or castle, called the konakis, which no other piece may ever occupy.
• The eight defenders, called Swedes, start on the eight squares adjoining the konakis, in the form of a cross.
• The sixteen attackers, called Muscovites, start in groups of four at the center of each edge of the board. (In Linnaeus' notes, these squares were embroidered to signify them as the domain of the Muscovites.)
• All remaining squares (neutral zone) may be occupied by any piece during the game.
• Any piece may move any number of vacant spaces in any straight line, but not diagonally. (Compare to the rook in Chess.)
• No piece may ever pass over another piece in its path.
• If the king should ever have an unimpeded path (through the neutral zone) to the edge of the board, unless he is immediately blocked by a Muscovite, he may escape and the game is over. (This rule suggests that the king may not escape through the domain of the Muscovites.)
• If the king should ever have a path of escape, he must call out "raichi"; if two paths of escape, then his escape is imminent and he must call out "tuichu". (Compare these to "check" and "checkmate" in Chess.)
• Any piece, save for the king, may be captured and removed from the board if it becomes surrounded on two opposite sides by enemies. (This is known as custodial capture.)
• If the king is surrounded on all four sides by enemies, he is taken prisoner. If he is surrounded on three sides, he may escape by the fourth.
• If the king is on a square adjoining the konakis and is surrounded on three sides by his enemies and the fourth by the konakis, he is captured. (This rule suggests that once the king has left the konakis, he can never return.)
• If the king is captured, the Swedes are conquered and the Muscovites victorious.

Several problems of gameplay are left woefully ambiguous or completely untouched in Linnaeus' notes, and some translations are problematic. There are also several other variations played by modern reconstructionists. More detailed information on reconstructing the rules of play can be found in this article by Sten Helmfrid.