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Rise in popularity of Swedish game 'Viking chess'

Dawn Limbu
BBC News, Bristol
Alistair Goulding From left to right is Alistair Goulding, Paul McGuiness and Tom Bradley. Alistair is wearing a blue shirt and a brown cap, Paul is wearing a blue shirt and red cap and Tom is wearing a blue cap and a burgundy T-shirt They are all holding Kubb trophies in their hands.Alistair Goulding
Alistair Goulding, Paul McGuiness and Tom Bradley are part of the team "Stockholm Syndrome"

A Swedish lawn game which is steadily growing in popularity in the UK is being dominated by a team from Bristol.

The five players called "Stockholm Syndrome" were crowned UK champions in June and recently placed in the top 20 at the European Kubb Championships in Normandy, France.

Kubb, often dubbed Viking chess, involves two teams throwing wooden batons to knock over their opponents' wooden blocks, called kubbs, and ultimately trying to topple the central "king".

"If you can throw a stick, you can play Kubb. It's friendly, fun, and completely addictive," said Alistair Goulding, Stockholm Syndrome team member.

The team trains twice a week in Queen's Square and Bedminster and has been playing together since 2017.

Mr Goulding first discovered Kubb in 2017 at a family gathering, when his brother-in-law - who is part Danish - introduced the game.

"I got hooked straight away," he said.

"I asked for a set for my birthday a few days later, and we entered the UK championships that same year."

The team name is a tongue-in-cheek nod to both their obsession with the game and its Nordic roots.

"Most teams go for puns based on Kubb, but we wanted something different," said Mr Goulding.

Although still relatively unknown in the UK, Kubb is a fixture in parts of Europe, where teams regularly compete in national leagues and local tournaments.

But its UK fanbase is growing, with games now popping up at weddings, parks, and community festivals.

Dave Woodward, organiser of the UK Kubb Championships, has witnessed the sport's evolution firsthand.

"When we started the tournament in 2016, the format was very loose," he said.

"Back then, it was hard to even find a Kubb set, and hardly anyone had heard of it."

Alistair Goulding The five members of team Stockholm Syndrome pictured together at the European Championships in 2024. They are all smiling at the camera, two of them are holding pints of beer in their hands.Alistair Goulding
Stockholm Syndrome have been competing in Kubb tournaments since 2017

Since then, interest has steadily risen.

"On 28 June this year, we had nearly 90 teams and almost 300 people playing Kubb in the sun," Mr Woodward said.

"People travel from all over the UK and Europe. Every year, players come up to us saying it was their first time and that they'll be back, bringing friends."

As for Stockholm Syndrome, the team hopes the laid-back but tactical nature of the sport will continue to attract new players.

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