Until it was replaced by Chess -- Hnefatafl (or Tafl), a family of uniregal abstract board games where all pieces move like Rooks and captured by custodian capture -- filled the social position of Chess in Scandinavia, England, Ireland and Wales. This site has an in-depth discussion of the rules and history of these games.
Hnefatafl has influenced the design of many Chess variants, including Robert Abbott's Ultima.
Hnefatafl - the Strategic Board Game of the Vikings: http://user.tninet.se/~jgd996c/hnefatafl/hnefatafl.html
Last modified: Sunday, April 1, 2012