📜 Overview
Fidchell (or Brandubh in Old Irish) is a Celtic board game dating back to the 6th century, played in Ireland and the British Isles. It belongs to the family of
Tafl games (such as Scandinavian Hnefatafl) — asymmetric games in which two unequal sides face each other with different objectives.
This version is Brandubh: the Irish variant played on a 7×7 board.
♟ The pieces
♟
The Attackers · ⚔
16 warriors (black)
Placed around the edges of the board. Their objective: surround and capture the King.
♙
The Defenders · 🛡
8 soldiers (white)
Protect the King. Their objective: capture the attackers and clear a path toward the corners.
♛
The King · ♛
1 unique piece (bright red)
Placed in the center of the board. His objective is to reach the 4 corners of the board to win.
🎲 The Board
The board is a 7×7 grid with two types of special squares:
— The Throne (center square, red): the King's starting square. It is hostile to attackers — a piece trapped against the empty throne can be captured.
— The 4 Corners (green squares): the King's objectives. Only the King may occupy them. They are also hostile and can be used for captures.
INITIAL SETUP
↔ Movement
All pieces move like a rook in chess: :
✦ In a straight line, horizontally or vertically, , across as many squares as desired.
✦ They cannot jump over another piece.
✦ They cannot finish on an occupied square.
Restrictions :
— The Throne (center) and the 4 Corners may only be occupied by the King.
— Attackers and defenders cannot stop on these squares, but may move through them.
⚔ Tip: plan long-range moves to create simultaneous threats against several opposing pieces.
⚔ Capturing Pieces
Capturing is done by surrounding — also known as a sandwich capture :
A piece is captured when it is trapped between two enemy pieces (or between an enemy piece and a hostile square : an empty corner or throne), horizontally or vertically..
Capture is active: the player who just moved creates the sandwich. A piece may move between two opponents without being captured.
CAPTURE EXAMPLES
Simple sandwich — the green defender is captured
Board edge as an ally — capture against the edge
Capturing the King — all 4 sides must be blocked
The King is surrounded — Attackers win
♛ The King is a special piece: to capture him, the attackers must block his 4 sides simultaneously (or 3 sides + the empty throne / a corner).
🏆 Victory Conditions
♛
Defenders' Victory
The King visits all 4 corners of the board in any order.
— or —
All attackers are captured..
⚔
Attackers' Victory
The King is surrounded on all 4 sides (by attackers, the empty throne, or the corners).
He can no longer move anywhere.
✦ This version follows the Brandubh rule: the King does not win by reaching a single corner; he must conquer all four..
⏳ How to Play
1. The Attackers play first.
2. Players alternate turns — one move per turn.
3. On each turn, the player must move exactly one piece..
4. Captures are automatic : as soon as a sandwich is created, the captured piece is removed from the board.
5. The King plays with the Defenders — the Defender side moves either one defender or the King on each turn.
⚙ In computer mode, the AI plays the side you did not choose. Three difficulty levels are available: Filid, Ovate, and Druid.
🌿 Strategic Tips
For the Defenders:
— Send the King toward a corner from the beginning, without hesitation.
— Use your defenders to capture attackers blocking the path.
— The corners and empty throne are your allies: use them to create sandwich captures.
— Don't waste time defending passively — the best defense is a good offense.
For the Attackers :
— Gradually surround the King, side by side.
— Block the routes to the corners before the King reaches them.
— Eliminate the defenders escorting the King.
— Coordinate two attackers to create a sandwich around defenders.