This printable tafl game is going to be a hit at your next family game night. Print the pieces and learn how to play this Viking chess game.
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Leif Erikson Day is October 9. Celebrate by printing this paper version of a popular “Viking chess” game that was popular back in his day… and is gaining in popularity now too.
The game is pretty simple. Before we get to the free printable, I want to share a bit of history.
Who is Leif Erikson?
Leif Erikson is the son of Erik the Red, who you may remember from middle school history was an Icelandic Viking explorer and founded the first European colonies in Greenland. Leif followed in his father’s footsteps as an explorer
In one of the ancient sagas, Leif sailed west (possibly by accident or possibly on purpose) and wound up in a place he decided to call Vineland circa 1000 AD.
Then in 1963, archaeologists found ruins of a Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows in Canada. The location matched the description of the place in the saga… making it likely that Leif and the Vikings visited North America several hundred years before Christopher Columbus.
When is Leif Erikson Day?
In 1964, President LBJ signed a proclamation naming October 9 as Leif Erikson Day.
If you’re a history nerd like I am, you can read more here:
- BBC History: Leif Erikson
- National Geographic: Why do we celebrate Columbus Day and not Leif Erikson Day?
- History Channel: The Viking explorer who beat Christopher Columbus to America
- And if you’re really serious, there are a few documentaries on Netflix too.
What is tafl?
I pronounce it “taw-full” as in rhymes with awful. I’ve also heard it pronounced with a soft a, as in “taffel” like taffy.
The game is pretty simple. (Okay, technically there are a lot of versions and different rules. But this version is simple.)
There are two opposing sides of Vikings: invaders and defenders. The defenders start out in the middle, surrounded by the invaders. Either the defenders’ king makes it to a corner and is safe… or the invaders surround him on four sides and defeat him.
The game can be quick to play if you just need a busy activity for some downtime. It can also be challenging if you want to practice strategy.
How to play tafl
For my printable version, I made a full set of both sides so you can choose. You need 9 total defenders (8 regular pieces plus the king) and 16 invaders (no king).
Set them up with the defending king in the center with 8 defenders surrounding him. Put the invaders in groups of 4, with 3 centered along each side and the other in front.
To play, players take turns making a move, just like you do in chess or checkers. On your turn, move one of your pieces in any direction, but only forward/backward/left/right – not diagonal.
If you’re defending, your goal is to get the king to a corner. Be sure to protect him with your other pieces.
If you’re attacking, your goal is to get a piece on each of the 4 sides of the king. You can also beat him by surrounding him on 3 sides if the 4th side is the center of the board.
And if you run out of pieces, you also lose!
Printable tafl game
The printable Viking chess game includes a 3-page PDF file that you can print at home or your favorite copy shop.
I printed my game on cardstock, then cut out all of the circle shield pieces with scissors. I included enough of each shield so that you can play with either side defending/invading. Just set the extra pieces aside. The third page is a brief summary of how to play.
Get the printable
Prints on 8.5×11-inch paper. All printables are for personal use only.
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
Thank you! We saw this game when a local museum had an exhibit about Vikings and my boys loved it! If you ever remake it, I might suggest putting the rules as part of the pdf download. I want to save the game for when my younger boys are old enough to play but I’m worried I’ll forget the rules by then.
Thanks so much, Meredith! That’s a great idea. I’m adding it to my updates list right now. I’m not sure when I’ll get to updating this post, but keep an eye out!
Meredith, I finally got around to updating this post. There are instructions with the download now! Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks for this incredible game! I agree with putting the directions in the PDF-but I also just copied your pics and words and put them in a word DOC to go with the game.
I was watching a “how to” and a more complicated game with a larger, more spaces board, had the pieces moving as many spaces as they wanted, like a rook, as long as it was one direction. In your version, are the pieces moving one space like checkers?
Thanks!
Thanks for your feedback! A printable version of how to play is at the top of my to-do list. Yes, for this size board, each piece just moves one square for each turn.
This game is over 1000 years old and there are several variations. There’s really a ton of history if you find that interesting. If I’m remembering correctly, this version with the 7×7 grid is technically the Irish variant. The bigger the board, the more complicated the rules are. This smaller version is easier for kids to learn because it’s simpler than some of the others.
I hope you enjoy the game!