‘Viking Chess’

Another beautiful morning! 

Bigger groups sitting together in the park today (in line with the slightly relaxed Covid restrictions here) and for once not quite as wrapped up and chilled -  looking as if they were taking part in a Scottish weather version of a 1930s dance marathon! (See extra photo.)

Came across one group playing a game on the grass that I hadn’t seen before, throwing wooden batons at carefully arranged rectangular blocks. Looked a bit like like a mixture of bowls and horseshoes.

They were just packing up when I arrived, but two of the group very kindly agreed to play on briefly and explain it to me.

Of Viking origin, and actually originating over 1000 years ago, Kubb is known colloquially as ‘Viking Chess’. 

The aim of the game is knock down a series of blocks with the batons, in order, as in chess, to knock over the ‘king’ (the photo shows the baton about to do just that!). 

Kubb is beginning to become popular in Britain, and there is now a UK Kubb Association that participates in World Kubb Championships!

Sounds like just the thing to play with the grandchildren, now that summer is coming and we are able to travel again and meet up again outdoors!