Dablot Prejjesne
Sámi board game with ranked pieces and no promotion.
Dablot Prejjesne, often shortened to Dablo, is a family of two-player strategy board games originating with the Sámi people. Various forms of the game have existed across different parts of Sápmi.
The name itself has a complicated history. "Dablo" is a non-Sámi rendering of the South Sámi word *daabloe* or the Lule Sámi word *dábllo*, both of which simply mean "board game" or "gameboard." In South Sámi, *daabloe* can also refer to a grid pattern. The fuller term *dablot prejjesne* (modern South Sámi: *daablodh prejjesne*) translates to "to play a board game on a board." This distinguishes it from a children's variant, *daablodh duoljjesne*, played on a reindeer hide. It is likely the Sámi had a different, specific name for the game itself, but outside researchers confused the general term for board gaming with the name of this particular game. A similar mistake occurred when researchers recorded the rules for the Sámi tafl game now called Tablut, mistaking the Lule Sámi word *dábllut* ("to play a board game") for its name. In North Sámi, the game is known as *cuhkka*, meaning "broken" or "destroyed"—the losing player is said to be *cuhkka*, analogous to checkmate.
The following description covers one version of the South Sámi variant, not all Dablo games. The game is related to draughts and Alquerque, with pieces capturing by leaping over one another. However, the similarity largely ends there. Unlike in draughts or Alquerque, where any piece can capture any enemy piece, Dablot Prejjesne restricts captures by rank. A piece can only capture an opponent of equal or lower rank. The Sami King and the landowner are the highest-ranked pieces, equal to each other, and can capture any piece. The Sami Prince and the landowner's son are the second-highest rank, also equal; they can capture each other, all lower-ranked pieces, and even soldiers or peasants, but the Prince cannot capture the landowner, nor can the landowner's son capture the Sami King. The 24 soldiers (for the Sami) and 24 peasants (for the landowners) are the lowest rank. Soldiers cannot capture the landowner or his son, and peasants cannot capture the Sami King or Prince, though they can capture each other. Notably, the King cannot be captured by soldiers. All pieces move identically, one step along any gridline to an adjacent empty intersection, and can move or capture in any direction. There is no
- Also known as
- Dablo, cuhkka
- Type
- Two-player strategy board game
- Board size
- 7x7 intersections
- Pieces per player
- 26 (1 King, 1 Prince, 24 soldiers/peasants)
- Related games
- Draughts, Alquerque, Italian Checkers, Italian Damone, Kharbaga
- Origin
- Sámi people of Sápmi
Quick Facts
- Title
- Dablo
- Italic Title
- no
- Years
- First described by outsiders in the 1800s.
- Genre
- Board game / Abstract strategy game
- Players
- 2
- Setup Time
- 1–2 minutes
- Playing Time
- 15–60 minutes
- Random Chance
- None
- Skills
- Strategy, tactics
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The name 'dablo' is a non-Sámi attempt to write the South Sámi word daabloe and the Lule Sámi word dábllo, meaning 'board game' or 'gameboard'. In South Sámi, daabloe may also mean 'grid pattern'. The term 'dablot prejjesne' (modern South Sámi: daablodh prejjesne) means 'to play a board game on a board', as opposed to a children's variant played on reindeer hide. Outside researchers confused the general term for board gaming with the name of the concrete game, a mistake also made with the Sámi tafl game Tablut.
In one South Sámi variant, the Sami side has a King, a Prince, and 28 soldiers; the landowner side has a landowner, his son, and 28 peasants. Pieces move alike in any direction along gridlines, capturing by jumping. Ranks are fixed: Kings capture all, Princes capture each other and lower ranks, soldiers capture only each other. There is no promotion. The board is 6x7 with diagonal lines, pieces placed on intersections. A player wins by capturing all opponent pieces, or by trapping them so they cannot move.
Reader's Guide
Dablot Prejjesne is significant as a distinctive Sámi contribution to the draughts family, preserving a hierarchical social structure within its rules. Unlike most draughts variants, ranks are predetermined and never change, meaning lower-ranked pieces can never capture higher-ranked ones. This creates a strategic dynamic where protecting high-value pieces is paramount. The game also illustrates how outside researchers misidentified Sámi board games, confusing generic terms for game names. Its closest relatives include Italian Checkers and Italian Damone, which also restrict captures by rank, but Dablot Prejjesne uses a larger board (6x7) and more pieces. The game's legacy lies in its reflection of Sámi culture and its unique mechanics, which offer a different tactical challenge from mainstream draughts.
Did You Know?
- The word 'dablo' is a non-Sámi attempt to write the South Sámi word daabloe and the Lule Sámi word dábllo, meaning 'board game' or 'gameboard'.
- In North Sámi, Dablo is known as cuhkka, meaning 'broken' or 'destroyed', and the losing player is said to be 'cuhkka', similar to 'checkmate'.
- The Sami King and the landowner are the highest ranked pieces and can capture each other and all other pieces.
- There is no promotion of pieces in Dablot Prejjesne; ranks are fixed throughout the game.
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