The Viking Chess blog

July 5, 2026 · data

The Rebalanced Rules Behind Our AI

The historical rules are contested and often unbalanced. Here's the precise ruleset our engine actually plays — and why.

July 4, 2026 · data

We Simulated 100,500 Games of Viking Chess — Here's Who Actually Wins

Does the larger attacking force really have the edge? We ran the numbers through our engine across all three variants.

July 3, 2026 · strategy

5 Opening Moves That Win More Hnefatafl Games

Five concrete opening ideas — for defenders and attackers — that beat flailing around in the early game.

July 2, 2026 · history

How the Vikings Really Played Hnefatafl

Real boards, real graves, real sagas — and the surprising reason nobody actually knows the original rules.

July 1, 2026 · comparison

Viking Chess vs Chess: What Hnefatafl Does Differently

It looks like chess, but the goals, the symmetry, and the tension are completely different. Here's how Hnefatafl actually differs.