Welsh Journals

(Y) talbwrdd ychod afydd raid ichwarau abrenin yn y kanol adeyddeg1 owyr yn ylleoedd nesa eto ef a ffedwar gwyr ar higain ai disgwilioddef yw ddal, sef gosod yr hai hyny chwech ynghanol pob talken yn ychwe lie kanolig. a (d)au afydd yn ysmudaw y gwyr am ychwarau, ag asdaw urun irbyrenin rwng ydisgwilwyr marw yw ai daflu or gwarau, ag os daw yr un or disgwilwyr rwng dau ir brenin yr un modd. as y brenin i hun a ddaw rwng dau or disgwilwyr, ag odoedwch kyn ysmudo ir kyflau hwnw gwiliwch (ei)ch brenin, ag yntau heb allel ffo chwiellwch i ddal. os dowaid un gwrh(eill) (?) amynd rwng dau nidoes niwed os gall y brenin fynd ar hyd yllin(ell) enillodd y ty hwnw y chwarau. This description adds a great deal to our knowledge of tawlbwrdd, but it certainly does not enable us to establish the rules of the game. The most obvious obscurity is the reference to eight defending pieces and sixteen attacking pieces in the Ancient Laws, whilst the proportion given in the Peniarth MS. is twelve to twenty-four. The reason for this apparent discrepancy will be explained later. Secondly, it is impossible to set the pieces in exact accordance with Robert ap Ifan's specifications. One cannot place twelve men in any regular manner on the squares next to the king. Nor can an even number of squares, such as two, four, or six, be equi- distant from the two corners of a board of 11 X 11 squares. One can only devise, therefore, the most probable positions which are suggested by such vague directions. POSSIBLE DISPOSITION OF THE PIECES IN TAWLBWRDD Another question arises in connection with the five columns of shaded squares in the diagram of the board. Had these any special significance for the movement of the pieces ? There is nothing in Robert ap Ifan's description to support such an inference. Nor (as will be shown) is there usually any differentiation between the squares in the various games which can be likened to tawlbwrdd. Altogether, it seems 1 In the MS. "deyddeg" is written over the word "chwech," which Robert ap Ifan had originally set down in error.