Edition: Kubb under the tournament rules used at the Kubb World Championship in Sweden and at most tournaments, including in the US. Last checked October 25, 2026
Kubb Rules: How to Play Kubb (Viking Chess)
Kubb is a Swedish lawn game where two teams throw wooden batons to knock down the other team's blocks, called kubbs, and finally the king in the middle. It is easy to learn, but a few rules often spark debate. Here they are, explained.
- Players
- 2 to 12, in two teams
- Age
- 6 and up
- Playing time
- 20 to 60 minutes
How to win: Knock down every kubb on your opponent's side, then knock down the king from your own baseline.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Kubb.
Can you throw at the king before all the kubbs are down?
No.
The king may only be hit once every kubb on the opponent's side is down. If your team knocks the king over before that, with a baton or a thrown kubb, you lose on the spot.
With little kids, people often just stand the king back up and end the turn.
How many batons does the starting team throw on the first turn?
Often fewer than six.
Tournaments often limit the first turn to reduce the advantage of going first. A common rule is 2 batons for the starting team, 4 for the other team's first turn, and 6 after that. Other rule sets give 4 batons on the first turn, so check the rules for the tournament you play in.
In the backyard many just throw all 6 batons from the start.
Can you throw the baton sideways like a helicopter?
No.
The baton must be thrown underhand and spin end over end. Sideways helicopter throws are not allowed.
Young kids are often allowed to throw however they can, as long as they stay behind the line.
What happens if you knock down a baseline kubb before the field kubbs are gone?
It is stood back up.
Field kubbs must be knocked down first. A baseline kubb that falls too early is stood back up right away in its spot.
Some families leave it down to speed up the game.
How many batons do you need left to throw at the king?
One is enough.
Under tournament rules you may throw at the king with whatever batons you have left once every kubb is down, even if it is just one.
Some backyard sets require at least 2 batons left before you may throw at the king.
What you need
- 10 kubbs
- 1 king
- 6 throwing batons
- 4 corner stakes for the pitch, plus 2 stakes for the center line if you like
Setup
- 1Mark out a pitch 5 meters wide and 8 meters long, about 16 by 26 feet, with a corner stake in each corner. For kids, make it shorter.
- 2Mark the center line so the pitch is split into two halves.
- 3Stand 5 kubbs evenly spaced on each baseline.
- 4Put the king in the center of the pitch.
- 5Each team throws a baton toward the king. The team whose baton lands closest without knocking over the king goes first.
How to play
- 1Batons are thrown from the baseline, underhand and spinning end over end. A baton may not spin sideways like a helicopter.
- 2The team tries to knock down the opponent's kubbs. When all batons are thrown, the turn passes.
- 3The other team picks up its knocked-down kubbs and throws them over the center line onto the opponent's half.
- 4The kubbs are stood up where they land and are now called field kubbs.
- 5The team whose turn it is must knock down all field kubbs before it may throw at the kubbs on the baseline.
- 6If field kubbs are still standing after a turn, the opponent may throw from a line level with the field kubb closest to the center on their next turn.
- 7Knocked-down kubbs are thrown back, and play continues back and forth.
- 8When every kubb on the opponent's side is down, throw at the king from the baseline. If the king falls, your team wins.
Penalty kubbs
A kubb that is thrown out of bounds or does not cross the center line may be thrown again once. If that fails too, it becomes a penalty kubb. The opposing team then places it wherever they like on their half, but at least one baton length from the king and the corner stakes.
Good to know
- If a baseline kubb is knocked down before all field kubbs are down, it is stood back up.
- The king is always thrown at from the baseline, even if the team was allowed to move forward.
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Kubb rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is kubb also called?
Kubb is Swedish for a wooden block. In the US it is often sold as Viking chess or lawn chess, and in Denmark as kongespil, the king's game. The rules are the same.
How big is a kubb pitch?
In tournaments the pitch is 5 meters wide and 8 meters long, about 16 by 26 feet. For kids or a small lawn, feel free to make it shorter.
Who wins if the king gets knocked over by accident?
The other team. If your team knocks over the king before all of your opponent's kubbs are down, you lose.
Source: The Kubb World Championship rules and common Scandinavian lawn game tradition. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.