Tablut

How to play

The 9×9 cousin of Brandub, the tafl game Linnaeus recorded among the Sámi. Sixteen attackers (they move first) ring a king and eight defenders on the central throne. Every piece moves like a chess rook — any distance in a straight line, without jumping.

The king's side wins by getting the king to any of the four corners; the attackers win by hemming the king in on all four sides (a board edge counts as a safe side, so trap it in the open — the empty throne or a corner can act as a wall).

Capture an ordinary enemy piece by sandwiching it between the piece you just moved and another of yours (or a corner / the empty throne) along a row or column — several can fall at once. Only the king may rest on the throne or a corner.

A player with no move loses.

Ways to play

• 🤖
  Against the computerPlay on one device against a computer opponent.
• 👪
  Play together, nearbyOne-on-one with someone in the same room, each on your own phone or tablet. No Wi-Fi or internet needed. In the Jambolaya app.
• 🎓
  Learn by playingA guided lesson on the real game teaches you the rules one step at a time.