Otherwise, the game is won by the team that first topples all the sticks on the opponents half of the court and then topples the King from behind the baseline. It is imperative that all Field Kubbs are toppled because otherwise, the opponents will be able to throw from a much closer point (behind the nearest Field Kubb instead of the Baseline) during their next turn.

However, within only a few years, mainland and international teams were coming to Gotland to compete, and a major Swedish manufacturer was selling Kubb sets; in the 2000s Kubb spread to several European countries, as well as the USA and Canada. If there are any sticks left over once all the Kubbs (field and baseline) on the opponents side have been toppled, then players may aim at the King.

There is however evidence that skittle games similar to kubb were played in Ancient Egypt (see image) and Greece, which leads us to conclude they migrated north, rather than the other way around.

There are tournaments organized to suit everyone’s taste, so don’t be afraid to sign up for a tournament near you. If a Kubb comes to rest completely outside the opponent's half of the court, players have one more chance to get it right - it must be retrieved and thrown again.We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Because of the description of a skittles war game open_in_new similar to kubb in the second edition of the Swedish Encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok, 1911 is often considered the year of birth for kubb. For instance, they could put the field kubb a minimum of one block length from the king or they can put them just in front of their baseline kubb blocks. Medieval Week also incorporated the playing of kubb, and this connection has likely motivated kubb's being marketed, both in the US and in Europe, with such unfounded appellations as "Viking Chess" and "Old Norse Viking outdoor game". However, for informal games, it really doesn't matter - up to 6 players can be in a team and it's even OK to have more people in one team than the other!