Oak tafl board of 7 x 7 squares, with layout for Fitchneal
Oak tafl board of 7 x 7 squares, with layout for Brandubh

7 x 7 Tafl - Fitchneal and Brandubh - two Irish tafl games, with border (not shown)
Two tafl games with differing strategies which can be played on the 7 x 7 board
£40.00

1 in stock.

Supplied as one board, with pieces in a linen pouch, which can be used to play either game.

Fitchneal and Brandubh are two games of the tafl family known from Irish literary references, and associated with the find of a board of 7 x 7 squares recovered from Balinderry bog in 1932, now kept in the National Museum of Ireland.

Reconstructions of the rules of Fitchneal has a starting arrangement of men similar to Hnefatafl, with a king surrounded by eight of his men, and an attacking army of four base camps of four men each. This small board has little room for manouevre and men can move only one square orthogonally at each turn. Otherwise the game follows the standard tafl rules.

Brandubh is played with fewer pieces (eight attackers versus four king's men) and therefore greater room for movement.

The 7 x 7 board is best known from finds in Ireland but has been found in Western Scotland; and tafl on boards of this size is also thought to have been played in Wales.

Quarter-sawn oak board, with wooden pieces, which are supplied in a linen pouch. Comes with rules and historical notes to the full range of tafl games.