Viking Chess

2023 Author: Hannah Pearcy | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 03:36

With our illustrated building instructions - including drawing, tool and material list - you can build from residual wood in just half a day. Tool checklist

• (Column) drilling machine
• Cordless drill driver
• file
• Forstner bit
• Hand saw
• Chop saw
• Wood chisel
• Jigsaw
• To force

Viking chess trains a sense of proportion and, with the right throwing technique, also skill and strategy: two teams try to knock the opponents' sticks systematically. There are numerous rules and game variants. We not only show you how to build the kubbs yourself, we also explain all the important Viking chess rules.

Build Kubb, König and Co. yourself

Viking chess is traditionally built itself. Since all elements consist only of wooden blocks of different sizes, this is an ideal project for DIY beginners. For a game you need the following figures:

• 1 king: 90 x 90 x 300 mm
• 10 Kubbs: 70 x 70 x 150 mm
• 6 throwing sticks: 40 x 40 x 300 mm
• 4 corner bars: 40 x 40 x 340 mm

You only need a saw and a file for the characters. The characters are sawn and then filed down so that no one gets a splinter while playing. The special shape of the king is first painted on the wooden block in pencil and then sawn out accordingly

Build a transport box: all parts immediately at hand

A nice day at the lake, vacation in a holiday home or coffee and cake with grandma - with the right transport box, the Viking chess is always with you. Boredom never arises with young and old. The basic dimensions of the transport box (250 x 235 mm) are selected so that all the characters can be accommodated. However, if you did not work exactly when cutting the blocks, place them close together on a wooden plate and mark the outlines so that the game pieces definitely fit into the transport box.

Viking chess rules

Viking chess is an ancient game that is played in numerous game variants. Here we present the basic rules, which you can of course adjust depending on the skill of the players. The aim of the game is to knock down the opposing Kubbs and finally the King with the throwing sticks. One to six people can play per team, so that a total of up to twelve people can participate. Each player receives the same number of throwing sticks, if possible. Each team has six throws per round.

Wooden

garden chess toys: build chess pieces

Our chess pieces for garden chess are made of timber: simple and inexpensive

1. Set up the playing field

Traditionally, the playing field is 5 by 8 meters. However, it can be reduced or enlarged depending on the age and skill of the players. At the four corners, the corner bars are set up that limit the playing field. On the two baselines, five kubbs are placed at equal distances from each other; the king comes exactly in the middle of the field.

2. The throwing technique

The throwing sticks are held at the end and thrown lengthways from below. The back of the hand must point in the direction of the throw. The stick must not be thrown horizontally, nor can it rotate when thrown.

3. The course of the game

The game begins with Team A trying to knock Team B's kubbs over until all six throws have been thrown.

Team B collects his overturned Kubbs and throws them into Team A's playing field (between the baseline and the center line). Team A places the Kubbs where they landed. If a kubb lands outside the field, team A may place the kubb wherever they want in their half of the game. However, the Kubb must be set up at least one piece length away from the king and the field boundaries.

Practical tip: To shorten the game, the Kubbs hit can be removed from the game immediately.

Team B must now first try to knock over the Kubbs standing in the field, then the Kubbs on the opposing baseline.

Practical tip: Already when inserting the Kubbs you should pay attention to their position. The closer to the center line, the easier they are to hit, BUT if the Kubbs in the field are not all knocked over, the opposing team's throw line shifts to the Kubb that is closest to the King in their field.

Team A then throws all the overturned Kubbs into Team B's field and now tries to knock over the Kubbs in the field and then at the baseline.

The game continues until one team has knocked over all the kubbs and finally the king.

Simple 1 - 25 € under 1 day 1

Photos: sidm / DW; CK

Source: Special issue 3/2016