Баварский Шафкопф: История и особенности игры

Schafkopf (, lit. 'sheep's head'), also called Bavarian Schafkopf, is a popular German trick taking card game of the ace–ten family for four players that evolved, towards the end of the 19th century, from German Schafkopf. It is still very popular in Bavaria, where it is their national card game played by around two million people, but it also played elsewhere in Germany and in Austria. It is an official cultural asset and important part of the Old Bavarian and Franconian way of life. Schafkopf is a mentally demanding pastime that is considered "the supreme discipline of Bavarian card games" and "the mother of all trump games." Its closest relatives are Doppelkopf and Skat. These three and the North American game of Sheepshead descend from an earlier game, also called Schafkopf, with influences from Solo which, in turn, is the German version of Quadrille. The earliest written reference to the earlier form of Schafkopf – now known as German Schafkopf – dates to 1780, although it only came to notice through the polite society of Altenburg in 1811. Some kind of Schafkopf was current in Franconia (northern Bavaria) in the first half of the 19th century, but the distinct Bavarian form of the game is only positively recorded from 1879, since when it has become the dominant form, whereas German Schafkopf is only played in a number of local variants, for example, in the Palatinate as Alte Schoofkopp or Bauernstoss. Bierkopf and Mucken are simple variants which make a useful introduction to the more complex Schafkopf. The first official rules were established by the Bavarian Schafkopf Club (Bayerischer Schafkopf Verein) in 1989. To play Schafkopf is Schafkopfen and players may be called Schafkopfer.

There are various theories about the origin of the name Schafkopf, most of which come from traditional folklore. One suggestion is that Schafkopf acquired its name at a time when it was played for up to nine or twelve points which were marked with a piece of chalk as lines on a board, gradually forming the stylized appearance of a sheep's head (German: Schaf = sheep, Kopf = head). However, evidence of such notation is not found in the Bavarian context where it was invariably played for money. Until the late 1960s, the alternative spelling Schaffkopf was not uncommon in Bavaria as an alternative spelling for Schafkopf; the ensuing discussion about the supposedly only correct form and its origin was the subject of extensive debate at that time among other things in the columns of the Bavarian press before the common variant Schafkopf became widely accepted from about 1970. However, it was not a new argument. In 1862, the family monthly, Deutsches Magazin, claimed that Schaffkopf "did not bear the unaesthetic name Schafkopf ["sheep's head"], which it is frequently called today as if to imply that playing it only required the level of mental ability which wise nature bestows on a dumb animal in our pastures; on the contrary it is the game that "creates intelligence" by giving all those who have had little education the opportunity to learn about combination theory and probability." The issue was largely forgotten when author Wolfgang Peschel argued in the early 1990s for the double 'f' spelling based on the popular traditional view that, in earlier times, the game was supposed to have been played (geklopft) on the lids (Köpfen) of barrels (Upper German: Schaff, c. f. Schäffler/Scheffel). To this day, such casks are used as tables at beer stands and beer halls. Although this hypothesis is unanimously rejected by experts and there is no evidence for it in older sources, it is widespread on the Internet. Another theory, which dates to the mid 19th century, is that it comes from "Schaffen" and "Kopf", "to work one's brain".

The indirect precursors of the various games of the Schafkopf family (which includes Doppelkopf and Skat), were the Spanish national game of L'Hombre (which had reached the Holy Roman Empire through the courtly circles of France in the late 17th century), its four hand variant, Quadrille, and its simplified German derivative, German Solo. The distinction between variable and permanent trump cards as well as the selection of a contract by announcing and bidding, probably originate from these games. However, it is likely that the distinctive Bavarian game was derived from German Schafkopf, itself a game that originated in Leipzig, Saxony and spread to Franconia in northern Bavaria through what is now Thuringia. The special feature of Bavarian Schafkopf, the selection of a playing partner by 'calling' a Sow (= Deuce, but often called an Ace), was also usual in German Solo; the determination of the winning team by counting card points (Augen), instead of tricks, however, has another origin, perhaps in Bavarian Tarock or related games. A possible ancestor of Schafkopf is the game of Scharwenzel, first recorded in Leipzig in 1715, but this is known in two forms. In northern Germany, Scharwenzel is a plain trick game resembling German Solo but with the 4 Unters as permanent trumps below the Q, trump 7 and Q. In Bavaria there was a different game that was related to Färbeln and Grobhäusern in which the 4 Unters and possibly 4 Nines were wild.

The origin and development of the game of Schafkopf in comparison with Skat are rather poorly documented. This may be due, on the one hand, to its relatively low social reputation in the first half of the 19th century Schafkopf was regarded as a comparatively unfashionable and simple "farmer's game" when seen against the backdrop of ever more popular card games (such as German Solo or Skat), especially at the universities and, on the other hand, to changes in concept: originally the name referred to its forerunner, located more or less in the Saxon Thuringian area and now called German Schafkopf to distinguish it. In this older game, which had several variants, the declarer's team was generally determined by a combination of the two highest trump cards, in a not dissimilar manner to the way the Queens of Clubs are used in Doppelkopf today, for example. The variants played in the Palatinate and in the USA (especially in Minnesota, c. f. Sheepshead) should be understood as further developments of this German Schafkopf. The assumption often heard in Bavaria that Skat and Doppelkopf developed from the Bavarian Schafkopf is unlikely; a development of all three games from German Schafkopf is more likely. The game of Schafkopf is first recorded in the 1780s in the literature. In Hartmann's comedy, The Thankful Daughter (Die Dankbare Tochter) published in 1780, Platz tells his brother that "I thought we'd play a Schaafkopf" and they go to look for a pack of cards. It also appears in a 1782 Saxon schedule of penalties, Drinking and Gaming on Workdays and Sundays (Zechen und Spielen an Werktagen und Sonntagen), typically with the remark that, unlike Hazard for example, it was not to be considered a game of chance in the legal sense and was thus permitted. The specifically Bavarian variant of the game originated with the introduction of the Rufer or 'Call Ace' contract in the first half of the 19th century apparently in Franconia. The first clear mention of a game of Schafkopf played according to Bavarian rules (in Gräfenberg) dates to the year 1849; and while Schapfkopf playing in Franconia was already widespread in the 1840s, in the Bavarian Forest, Tarock (the Bavarian game, not the true Tarock game played in Austria) was more popular. The question about the origin of the Bavarian Schafkopf cannot be answered conclusively, but available sources suggest a migration from north to south. The earliest clear description of the game appears in a poem, Das edle Schafkopf Spiel in the Regensburger Conversations Blatt in 1876 which not only lists all 14 trumps, but also the contracts of Rufer and Solo as well as features such as the called Ace and losing Schneider. However, the
oldest actual rule set for Bavarian Schafkopf is found in Der gewandte Kartenspieler: 2. Der Schaffkopf: ein geistreiches Kartenspiel printed in Würzburg in 1884. This was followed a decade later by the Schafkopf Büchlein Detailliche Anleitung zum Lernen und Verbessern des Schafkopfspiel mit deutschen Karten, published in Amberg in 1895, in which the author explicitly explains the differences from Schafkopf variants played in northern Germany, i. e. Skat and Doppelkopf. The 1876 poem is reprinted although the author clearly did not know its origin. Schafkopf was a penny ante game, typically played for low stakes. An 1876 table of "card game tariffs" gives 3 levels of payment. In the cheapest, a single game was 3 pfennigs, winning Schneider was worth 5 pfennigs and a march (Durchmarsch) earned 7 pfennigs. These rates were paid by each loser to a different winner. The tariff for matadors was 3 pfennigs for 3 matadors, 5 pfennigs for 4, 7 pfennigs for 5 and so on. At the second level the rates were 5/8/10 and at the third level 10/15/20. The tariff for a Solo is not mentioned but was usually double and paid by each loser to the winner or vice versa. Schafkopf competitions were frequently reported in the newspapers along with unusual feats. In 1880, the Lichtenfelser Tagblatt reported that a Schafkopf player in Staffelstein had played and won a Heart Solo with no trumps. He had 2 Aces twice guarded and an Ace guarded singly, but no Tens; he led to the first trick and made 65 points to the astonishment of the other players with 14 trumps between them. In Ebermannstadt in 1881 at a private shooting club party, a gentlemen, Johann Weigel, played and won a Schafkopf without any of the 8 "matadors", which the defenders had to pay on scoring only 59, resulting in long faces and complaining. In Pasing in 1888, a similar feat was reported: in a game of "the noble Schaffkopf" a player had won a Solo without possessing a single matador. A few days later in Freyung, a player was dealt all eight matadors, a feat now known as a Sie. In 1929, it was reported that, in Türkenfeld a player won a Bell Solo by 4 points with the Ace and Nine of Leaves, but not a single Unter. And in 1931, master signwriter M. Schleicher "had the good fortune to be able to play a Solo Tout with the 8 highest cards [8 Buben]"; clearly it was not called a "Sie" at that time, nor was it won without play. In the early rule sets, there were only two contracts: a Frage (now Rufer) in which the declarer called for a non trump Ace and its holder became the declarer's partner and Hearts were always trumps; and a Solo in which the declarer entrumped any suit and played alone against three defenders. and is joined by Bettel and Schieber Solo in 1956. In 1974, Wenz, now standard, was still being described as a variation. The rules of the game were officially established by the Bavarian Schafkopf Club (Bayerischer Schafkopf Verein e. V.) at the 1st Bavarian Schafkopf Congress on 17 December 1989 in Munich's Hofbräuhaus The School of Schafkopf has established itself as an authority on questions of rule interpretation.

German packs have four suits: Acorns (Eichel), Leaves (Gras), Hearts (Herz) and Bells (Schellen).

There are eight cards in each suit: Ace, King, Ober, Unter, 10, 9, 8 and 7. The cards in any one suit have a collective value of 30 points; thus there are 120 points to be played for in the pack. The values in card points are: Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Ober 3, Unter 2, remainder 0. The Obers and Unters were collectively known historically as matadors, but nowadays as lords (Herren) or bowers (Bauern).

For historical reasons the Ace is known in Bavaria as a Sau ("Sow") and, despite having "A" as a corner index, displays two suit symbols at each end. This is because the Ace was dropped from German packs very early on and later replaced by the Deuce. The Deuces used to bear illustrations of a wild boar, hence the nickname "sow". Today, only the Ace of Bells retains a wild boar image. The King, normally König in German, is often nicknamed the Kini and many of the cards, individually or collectively have nicknames. Among the more important are the Unters which are called Wenzels, hence the name of the Wenz contract. The Nines, Eights and Sevens, which have no point value and are only of use as guard cards, are variously known as "sparrows" (Spatzen), "nothings" or "nixers" (Nichtser(le)) or "blanks" (Leere or Luschen).

Standard or pure (reiner) Schafkopf comprises three basic contracts – Rufer, Wenz and Solo – which are universally known and the only ones permitted at most tournaments. The following description takes account of the official rules published by the Schafkopf School in Munich. Pfd (Mörtel or Ramsch Tout): played as a Bettel but Obers, Unters and hearts are trumps as in a Rufer and ace–ten ranking is used.

Sometimes special games rounds with different rules are played after certain events (for example, Kreuzbock rounds, Doppler or Bock rounds and Ramsch rounds).

Bock games or rounds are those for which there is double tariff. Players may agree beforehand that they will occur, for example, after the cards are thrown in, after a lost solo or doubled game, after a game ends 60 all and/or after Schwarz or Re games. In the case of a Bock round, the next four deals are played at double the usual tariff.

Ramsch is a contract often played if no one has bid (often the 'last man' has the option of announcing Ramsch if the players bidding before him have all passed). There is no declarer and each player plays individually against everyone else. The same trump cards apply as for a Rufer, but this time the aim is to score as few card points as possible. The player with the most points loses and pays the others. If two or more players score the same number of points, the one with the most tricks loses. If the number of tricks is also equal, the player with the most trumps in the tricks loses; if that number is also equal, the player with the higher trump loses. Special rules adapted from Skat are the Durchmarsch or Mord, which correspond to a "sweep" or "slam", i. e. one player takes all the tricks to wins the game, and Jungfrau ("maiden") (i. e. one or two players do not make a trick, the loser pays twice or four times). There are no fixed rules for settling a Ramsch contract: either the loser pays the basic rate or a specially agreed rate to all players or the two players with the most points pay to the other two. A variation is Schieberamsch, a local variant, where the tricks are passed on clockwise at the end of the game, and where the player who has the fewest points at the end also wins.

A Schieber , Schiebersolo or Schieber Round (Schieber Runde) is played as a full round of 4 deals. The O and O (the 2 highest lords) are removed from the pack before dealing; the dealer deals as usual, but receives only 6 cards. Forehand picks up the 2 cards and must decide whether to pass them on or play a Solo. Either way, forehand passes (pushes or schiebt) any two cards face down to middlehand. If they are the two lords, middlehand has the same choice. This continues until the third player passes two cards to the dealer, who now has 8 cards. The player who has the two lords announces trumps and must play a Solo against the rest. If none wishes to play a Solo the cards are either thrown in. Schieber is also possible with 3 cards being set aside or with 4 cards, in which case all 4 Obers are removed and the Solo must be determined before the cards are dealt. Related to four card Schieber is the Devil's Round (Teufelsrunde) from Munich. Forehand is given the O, O, O and U and must announce the Solo before any cards are dealt. Hadsch or Hatsch): After a lost solo, a round played in which forehand must always play and is automatically stossed. Strixner (Solo hinterum): there is no auction and players compete individually under normal rules. Whoever wins the third trick, must announce a solo contract. Zupf Solo: the soloist is allowed to 'pluck' (zupfen) any card from another player's hand and give any card in exchange (Bavarian Swabia). ]] A popular variant in parts of eastern Bavarian (Upper Palatinate and Upper Franconia) is "short Schafkopf", also called "sharp Schafkopf", which is played with just 24 cards, the 7s and 8s being removed. This is called playing with a "short pack" (Kurze Karte) and each player only receives 6 instead of the usual 8 cards as in the "long pack". Playing short Schafkopf makes the game faster and alters playing tactics because of the changed probabilities. The cards are more frequently thrown in and partnership games are less common. Sometimes the 9s are removed to leave just 20 cards in the game and players are then dealt 5 cards each. Packs are sold by ASS Altenburger and F. X. Schmid specifically for the short game and labelled Kurze Scharfe ("Short Sharp Ones"), a pun on scharf ("sharp") and Schaf ("sheep"). Short Schafkopf is played in Upper Franconia, Upper Palatinate, as well as parts of Middle Franconia, Lower Bavaria and the Palatinate. It is also played in the county of Main Tauber Kreis. A shortened pack is also used for three hand Schafkopf, players still receiving eight cards as in standard Schafkopf. However, only soloist games (e. g. Wenz, Geier and Solo, but not Rufer) are possible.

Bierkopf ("beer head") is a very simplified form of Schafkopf that is a useful entry level game. Players play in fixed partnerships, there is no auction and trumps are fixed as Obers, Unters and Hearts, as in a Rufer. The game is highly popular in Franconia where it is often played for Masses (litres) of beer. It has been reproduced as an app by Rackoon.

Mucken is a form intermediate between Bierkopf and Schafkopf. Again, there are fixed partnerships and no soloist games, but there is an auction and range of contracts with different trump mixes. Like Bierkopf, it is popular in Franconia and has also been produced as an app by Rackoon.

Schafkopf, as a genuine leisure pursuit, is, by definition, not organized; nevertheless, many clubs in public life, such as sports or shooting clubs, but also breweries and restaurants, regularly organize Schafkopf tournaments in Bavaria, where they are also called Schafkopfrennen ("Schafkopf races"). Despite the comparatively uniform rules of these tournaments, there are still considerable regional differences.

Recently, the declining importance of the Schafkopf game as a leisure activity, especially among young people, has been discussed in Bavarian media. This has also been viewed at the municipal level as an imminent loss of part of Bavarian identity; countermeasures are therefore receiving increasingly wide support. More and more adult education centres in Bavaria offer Schafkopf courses. Schafkopf has its own language, known as Schafkopf Sprache which is not always intelligible to outsiders. The game has also entered Bavarian culture in other ways:

In a Bavarian version of the song Herz ist Trumpf (Dann rufst du an ) ("Hearts are Trumps (then call [me] )") by Trio, Max Griesser describes the course of a Hearts Solo during a game of Schafkopf. The crime thriller Schafkopf by Andreas Föhr also deals with the game. Schafkopf – a bissel was geht immer is the title of an early evening programme which was aired by German broadcaster, ZDF in 2012. It stars a female detective, Sandra (played by Marlene Morreis), who plays Schafkopf regularly with 3 companions a police officer, lawyer and priest – who routinely help her solve crime in her local Bavarian town.

In some localities, the local Schafkopf club holds an 'Eichelober Ball', electing one of their number as the 'Eichelober' (Ober of Acorns), who wears a fancy hat and presides over ceremonial activities. He may be accompanied by Queen of the Ball. The ball may be funded by the penalty money amassed during the year by playing the game.

Until 2006, the Guinness Book of Records recognized card game records only if they were based on a French deck of 52 cards. Only after the intervention of Bavarian broadcasters, Bayerischer Rundfunk, was this rule relaxed and Schafkopf was recognized in this category; since then the record for continuous playing has been held exclusively by Schafkopf groups (for medical reasons the Guinness rules allow two substitutes). The officially recognized record playing time is currently 260 hours, placed in November 2013 by one Munich group.