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An asymmetric battle: the king must escape to a corner square, while attackers must capture the king by surrounding him on all four sides.
All pieces move orthogonally (like a rook in chess) any number of empty squares. Capture enemies by sandwiching them between two of your pieces.
Defenders win when the king reaches any corner. Attackers win by surrounding the king on all four sides.
FULL RULES
ReconstructionSetup
24 attackers are positioned around the edges of the 11x11 board. 12 defenders and 1 king start in the center, with the king on the throne (center square). Attackers move first.
Movement
All pieces move like the rook in chess: any number of squares orthogonally (up, down, left, right) without jumping over other pieces. Diagonal movement is not allowed.
Custodian Capture
Capture an enemy piece by sandwiching it between two of your pieces horizontally or vertically. A piece moving between two enemies is NOT captured. Multiple captures in one move are possible.
King Capture
The king must be surrounded on all four orthogonal sides by attackers to be captured. The throne and edge squares can count as hostile for this purpose when the king is adjacent to them.
The Throne
The center square (throne) is special. Only the king may occupy it. Other pieces may pass through if empty but cannot stop there. The throne is hostile to all pieces for capture purposes.
Corner Squares
The four corner squares are the escape targets. Only the king may enter these squares. Corners are hostile to all pieces for capture purposes.
Victory
Defenders win when the king reaches any corner square. Attackers win by capturing the king. If a player cannot make a legal move on their turn, they lose.
VARIANTS
DramatizationTablut
9x9 BOARD // SAMI VARIANT
The version documented by Carl Linnaeus in 1732 among the Sami people. Played on a smaller 9x9 board with 16 attackers vs 8 defenders + king. The most historically documented tafl variant.
Brandubh
7x7 BOARD // IRISH VARIANT
A compact Irish version meaning 'black raven.' Played on a 7x7 board with 8 attackers vs 4 defenders + king. Fast-paced games ideal for learning the fundamentals.
Copenhagen Rules
11x11 BOARD // TOURNAMENT STANDARD
The modern tournament standard used in world championships. Includes refinements like shieldwall captures (trapping multiple pieces against the edge) and exit forts (when the king has a guaranteed escape).
Fetlar Rules
11x11 BOARD // SHETLAND RECONSTRUCTION
Developed by the Fetlar community in Shetland. Similar to Copenhagen but with slightly different edge rules. Emphasizes historical authenticity over competitive balance.