While not being a chess junkie –yes, despite the ‘Bjorn’ connection— I nevertheless find learning various variants and cousins of chess to be interesting, from the traditional shogi to the fantastical tridimensional chess.
One variant I haven’t played in an age is Hnefatafl or “Viking Chess” which, to my mind, is very thematic for an abstract game and enjoyably asymmetrical.
So, to prepare you the next time some wandering Viking challenges you to a tabletop duel, the chaps from Dicebreaker have a rundown of the rules and then a runthrough of a game to give you a taste:
There’s probably room for a Hnefatafl set in my game collection and perhaps yours… and who knows? If you get really into it, you could join the World Tafl Federation!