Mark Hall, curator of the Perth Museum, has recently drawn attention to the proliferation of board games in Viking burials.

One site on the island of Rousay in the Orkneys, dating back to the 9th century, contains 25 board game pieces, while a similar site at Sanday, 25 miles to the north-east, has 22 playing pieces.

Mr. Hall said (as quoted in the Times of 28 July): ‘Strategy and the skill of board games were closely linked to the warrior status of the dead. Placing the gaming kit in the grave served to remember or commemorate that status and skill and to make it available for the deceased in the afterlife.

‘Just as in life, where success on the gaming board – which needed strategic thinking as well as fighting ability – could be seen to confirm and add to the status of an accomplished warrior, in death the inclusion of a board game signalled ability and success as a warrior and by implication preparedness for the challenge ahead.’

Indeed, the oldest known complete set of chessmen dates from 1150-1200. It was found near Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides around 1831. It is carved from morse or walrus ivory, a popular material for gaming pieces of the Viking period. The bulk of the set is held in the British Museum.

Amongst modern players, the three most notable Vikings are Fridrik Olafsson who competed in the 1959 World Championship Candidates tournament, the great Dane Bent Larsen, who so often came close to a world title challenge and, of course, the Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen. This week I pay homage to these three Vikings of the chessboard.

Larsen-Petrosian: Santa Monica 1966
Diagram 1

Larsen has been pressing for some time against the then-world champion and now uncorks one of the most spectacular moves in chess history. 25 Qxg6 Nf4 25… fxg6 26 Bxe6+ makes no difference 26 Rxf4 fxg6 27 Be6+ Rf7 28 Rxf7 Kh8 29 Rg5 b5 30 Rg3 Black resigns

Carlsen-Anand: Sao Paulo/Bilbao 2012
Diagram 2

White’s next creates a severe disruption of communications in the black camp. 19 e6 fxe6 20 Nf4 Bxc3 21 Qxc3 d4 22 Qd2 c5 23 Rae1 Ng7 24 g4 Carlsen is not interested in regaining the pawn on e6. He has the black king in his sights as it is very difficult for Black to ferry pieces across to defend. 24 … Rc6 25 Nh3 Ne8 26 Qh6 Nf6 27 Ng5 Following Carlsen’s regrouping, Black is completely tied down to the vulnerable points on h7 and e6. 27 … d3 28 Re5 Kh8 29 Rd1 Qa6 30 a4 Black resigns White will simply continue Rxd3 and Rde3 with carnage.

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