Brandubh, is the Irish variant of hnefatafl. It is the smallest, using a board of seven rows of seven squares, with just thirteen pieces.
- Attackers: 8 red pieces.
- Defenders: 4 grey pieces, and a King.
- The King is placed at the center of the 7X7 board surrounded on 4 sides (North, East, South, West) by his defenders.
- The 8 attacking pieces are placed in pairs alongside the King's defenders.
- The attackers move first.
- The pieces can only move along the same Row or Column by as many empty cells as the player wishes but,
- Cannot, jump over other pieces.
- Pieces can only occupy empty cells.
- Only the King can occupy the center cell but cannot return to it once he has left it. He is also the only piece that can occupy the 4 corner cells.
- Pieces can pass over the center cell only if it is empty.
- Pieces are captured when surrounded either above and below OR to their left and right by enemy pieces. The corner and the center cells function as enemy pieces.
- The king is unarmed and cannot aid in capture.
- To capture the King still at the center cell he must be surrounded N, E, S and W by attackers. At a cell next to the center cell or at a boarder cell the King must be surrounded by attackers on the remaining 3 sides.
- More than 2 pieces can be captured simultaneously if surrounded (above and below or left and right) on the same row or column by enemy pieces.
- Defenders: If the King reaches one of the 4 corner cells.
- Attackers: If they capture the King.
- Inability to make a legal move. All pieces are blocked.
- Repetitive sequence of moves that do not lead to the capture of an enemy piece.
- Player agreement.
YouTube links
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.