Rasmus Holbroe vikings
Artist: Copyright © Rasmus Holbroe (Jan. 2016).

Measured tafl game balances.

Tafl variant Game balance
All players Strong players Very strong players Ultra strong players Average
Copenhagen T cross 11x11 +1.53    (124 / 19) +1.42    (92 / 13) +1.57*    (18 / 6) +2.00*    (6 / 3) +1.50
Historical Hnefatafl 7x7 (Irish Brandubh 2) +1.46    (1812 / 64) +1.48    (1602 / 38) +1.53    (428 / 20) +1.15    (28 / 6) +1.47
Fetlar Hnefatafl 11x11 +1.43    (1334 / 91) +1.36    (580 / 44) +1.34    (222 / 21) +1.81    (38 / 8) +1.41
Historical Hnefatafl-w 13x13 (Dimetr 2) +1.29    (80 / 14) +1.37    (64 / 11) +1.42    (46 / 8) +2.00*    (12 / 3) +1.38
Copenhagen Hnefatafl Bell 11x11 +1.46    (330 / 42) +1.37    (242 / 30) +1.11    (80 / 18) +1.29    (48 / 7) +1.37
Alea Berserk 19x19 (Bartley) +1.39    (154 / 22) +1.36    (104 / 12) +1.40*    (12 / 4) +1.00*    (4 / 2) +1.37
Copenhagen Hnefatafl 11x11 +1.37    (11252 / 206) +1.34    (7252 / 88) +1.23    (3488 / 45) +1.10    (1142 / 18) +1.33
Sea battle T circle 11x11 +1.31    (118 / 27) +1.29    (78 / 16) 1.00*    (18 / 7) -    (0 / 0) +1.28
Simple Tafl rhombus-w 9x9
(Nielsen setup)
+1.25    (302 / 25) +1.25    (234 / 17) +2.17    (38 / 9) 1.00*    (12 / 4) +1.29
Saami Cuhkka 5x5 +1.30    (216/ 24) +1.20    (112 / 15) +1.40*    (18 / 7) -    (0 / 0) +1.27
Copenhagen Lewis cross 11x11 +1.29    (48 / 11) +1.24    (38 / 8) +1.50*    (10 / 4) 1.00*    (4 / 2) +1.27
Sea battle-1571 9x9 +1.25    (72 / 14) +1.40    (60 / 11) -1.40*    (12 / 6) -    (0 / 0) +1.25
Historical Hnefatafl 7x7 (Scottish Ard Ri)
Ard Ri-39 throneless 7x7
+1.23    (176 / 26) +1.22    (160 / 21) +1.32    (86 / 11) +1.67*    (8 / 2) +1.25
Frisian Dablo0 11x9 +1.15    (56 / 11) +1.25*    (18 / 8) +inf.    (2 / 2) -    (0 / 0) +1.24
Sea battle tafl 13x13 (Nielsen) +1.17    (152 / 28) +1.25    (108 / 19) +1.21    (64 / 10) 1.00*    (10 / 4) +1.20
Thor-w 11x11 +1.07    (60 / 10) +1.10    (44 / 8) +2.50*    (14 / 6) - (0 / 0) +1.19
Copenhagen Hnefatafl 13x13 +1.18    (96 / 20) +1.25    (72 / 16) -2.00*    (6 / 4) 1.00*    (2 / 2) +1.17
Chess (roughly 52% - 56% white wins)
(balance +1.08 to +1.27)
+1.17
Brandubh 7x7 (Walker) +1.19    (414 / 33) +1.17    (350 / 21) 1.00    (54 / 8) -    (0 / 0) +1.17
Berserk Hnefatafl 11x11
(Nielsen setup)
+1.23    (1250 / 65) +1.10    (654 / 36) +1.10    (210 / 19) -1.31    (30 / 8) +1.17
Saami Daabloe 11x9 +1.11    (340 / 29) +1.25    (200 / 20) +1.29    (32 / 9) -    (0 / 0) +1.17
Sea battle circle 9x9 +1.19    (70 / 15) +1.21    (42 / 9) -1.33*    (14 / 6) -    (0 / 0) +1.14
Total Hnefatafl 11x11
(Draganov setup)
+1.16    (308 / 25) +1.08    (208 / 16) +1.11    (38 / 9) +1.22*    (10 / 5) +1.13
Daldos 3x16 +1.08    (1642 / 21) +1.12    (1116) / 17) +1.37    (298 / 11) +1.50*    (10 / 4) +1.12
Daldos 3x12 +1.08    (1926 / 25) +1.12    (1362 / 19) 1.00    (362 / 12) 1.00*    (12 / 5) +1.09
Historical Hnefatafl 9x9 (Saami Tablut-w) +1.04    (804 / 55) +1.04    (674 / 32) +1.17    (238 / 16) +1.32    (44 / 5) +1.06
Odin 15x15 (Alea Berserk Martens 1) +1.13    (96 / 15) -1.27    (50 / 9) +1.67*    (8 / 4) +inf*    (2 / 2) +1.05
Frisian Dablo 11x9 +1.03    (250 / 16) -1.02    (168 / 14) +1.40    (24 / 7) +uend.    (2 / 2) +1.04
Daldos 3x14 +1.02    (2252 / 28) 1.00    (1620 / 22) +1.08    (486 / 15) 1.00    (22 / 4) +1.02
Tyr 11x11
(Luk Martens setup)
+1.01    (380 / 27) 1.00    (340 / 20) +1.12    (72 / 13) -1.22*    (20 / 6) +1.01
Odin 17x17 (Alea Berserk Martens 1) +1.04    (112 / 17) +1.05    (76 / 11) 1.00*    (2 / 2) -    (0 / 0) +1.04
Historical Hnefatafl 11x11 (Welsh Tawlbwrdd-w)
Hist. Hnef. Bell 11x11
-1.02    (256 / 37) -1.02    (176 / 20) +1.10    (84 / 13) 1.00    (28 / 5) 1.00
Sea battle-aleks 11x11 1.00*    (14 / 7) 1.00*    (8 / 4) 1.00*    (8 / 4) -    (0 / 0) 1.00
Sea battle-2526 9x9
(Nielsen setup)
+1.04    (340 / 40) +1.04    (226 / 26) -1.18    (120 / 18) -1.57*    (18 / 3) -1.01
Hist. Hnef. Lewis cross-w 11x11 -1.03    (254 / 25) -1.04    (230 / 18) +1.09    (98 / 10) 1.00    (20 / 4) -1.01
Market Hnefatafl-w 9x9
(Simple Tafl T cross-w 9x9)
-1.02    (174 / 16) -1.05    (166 / 13) -1.20    (44 / 8) -1.29*    (16 / 4) -1.06
Historical Hnefatafl-w 13x13 (Dimetr 1) 1.00    (34 / 8) 1.00*    (14 / 4) -2.00*    (6 / 3) 1.00*    (2 / 2) -1.07
Sea battle tafl 15x15
(Damian Walker setup)
-1.08    (102 / 26) -1.22    (60 / 17) +1.29*    (16 / 6) -    (0 / 0) -1.09
Sea battle tafl 13x13 (modif. Parlett) -1.02    (338 / 40) -1.04    (248 / 29) -1.39    (86 / 21) -2.33*    (10 / 5) -1.08
Old Hnefatafl 11x11 1.00    (830 / 82) -1.18    (408 / 39) -1.38    (76 / 18) -2.50*    (14 / 4) -1.08
Tyr 15x15
(Luk Martens setup)
-1.02    (242 / 17) -1.03    (234 / 15) -1.62    (34 / 10) -3.00*    (8 / 3) -1.07
Hex 11x11 -1.17    (288 / 23) -1.18    (214 / 18) 1.00    (84 / 11) 1.00*    (6 / 2) -1.14
Saami Sáhkku 3x15 (Kåfjord) -1.14    (2044 / 25) -1.14    (1406 / 21) -1.07    (502 / 14) -1.38    (38 / 6) -1.13
Thor 15x15 -1.16    (80 / 11) -1.21    (62 / 9) -1.50*    (10 / 5) 1.00*    (2 / 2) -1.20
Sea battle-204577-w 11x11
(Nielsen setup)
-1.10    (88 / 21) -1.25    (54 / 12) -1.36    (26 / 9) -1.67*    (8 / 4) -1.20
Fetlar 13x13 (Viking Siege) -1.21    (42 / 12) -1.07    (28 / 9) -3.00*    (4 / 4) -    (0 / 0) -1.21
Simple Tafl-w 11x11
Hist. Hnef. throneless Lewis cross 11x11
-1.21    (84 / 27) -1.20    (44 / 11) -3.00*    (4 / 3) -    (0 / 0) -1.24
Historical Hnefatafl 13x13 (Nielsen) -1.19    (46 / 12) -1.32    (44 / 11) -2.00*    (6 / 3) -    (0 / 0) -1.29
Historical Hnefatafl 13x13 (Nielsen 2) -1.40    (60 / 13) -1.45    (54 / 12) +2.00*    (6 / 4) -    (0 / 0) -1.35
Sea battle tafl-w 11x11
Sea battle T cross 11x11 (Dardell setup)
-1.21    (86 / 16) -1.36    (66 / 12) -1.43    (34 / 8) -3.00*    (12 / 3) -1.36
Simple Tafl-w 5x5
(Draganov setup)
-1.64    (222 / 31) -1.59    (150 / 19) -1.14    (60 / 9) 1.00*    (6 / 3) -1.53
Skalk Hnefatafl 9x9 (ExpoMedia) -1.78    (114 / 11) -1.69    (86 / 8) -2.24    (68 / 5) -    (0 / 0) -1.85
Skalk Hnefatafl 11x11 -3.31    (110 / 16) -4.85    (76 / 12) -11.00*    (36 / 7) -inf*    (2 / 2) -4.40
Ashton Tablut 9x9 -4.55    (86 / 10) -6.33*    (44 / 7) -5.80*    (34 / 6) -inf*    (2 / 2) -5.26

( Skalk Hnefatafl: Identical to Hist. Hnef., except that corners are added (king wins in corner).
Ashton Tablut: Rules.
)


Only full pairs of games are counted (player A white against player B black and player B white against player A black)

The table data cells contain
game balance    ( number of games / number of players )
*    Number unreliable, too few games.

Games selection 1, "All players".
All games in the games archive.

Games selection 2, "Strong players".
Subset of games selection 1, including only strong players with max rating above 1500.

Games selection 3, "Very strong players".
Subset of games selection 2, including only very strong players with max rating above 1700.

Games selection 4, "Ultra strong players".
Subset of games selection 3, including only ultra strong players with max rating above 1900.

White = defenders. Black = attackers.

The tafl game balance is calculated as:
(number of most winning color's wins) divided by (number of least winning color's wins), the number positive if white is more winning, negative if black is more winning. Draws are counted as half wins.

Examples:
White wins 20 times and black wins 10 times. Balance = +20/10 = +2 (white has twice the chance of winning than black).
White wins 20 times and black wins 30 times. Balance = -30/20 = -1.5 (black has 1.5 times the chance of winning than white).
White wins 10 times and black wins 10 times, and 20 draws. Balance = 20/20 = 1 (perfect balance).

Average is calculated this way:
average of a/b, c/d, e/f and g/h is (a+c+e+g)/(b+d+f+h)


Updated 22.1.2025
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