Кубб: Скандинавская игра в выбивание чубков

Lawn game featuring knocking down pins
the game

Kubb (pronounced in Swedish and Gutnish) is a lawn game where the objective is to knock over wooden blocks (kubbar) by throwing wooden batons (kastpinnar) at them. Kubb can be described as a combination of bowling and horseshoes. Play takes place on a small rectangular playing field, known as a "pitch". "Kubbs" are placed at both ends of the pitch, and the "king", a larger wooden block, is placed in the middle of the pitch. Some rules vary from country to country and from region to region, but the ultimate objective of the game is to knock over the "kubbs" on the opposing side of the pitch, and then to knock over the "king", before the opponent does. Games can last from five minutes to well over an hour. The game can be played on a variety of surfaces such as grass, sand, concrete, snow, or even ice.

The features of kubb most distinguishing it from other pin toppling games (such as bowling and skittles) are that 1) teams "own" opposite sides of the playing field, and 2) toppled pins are "recycled" back into play and may be tossed to opposite sides. Endrei & Zolnay briefly note an unnamed game,efn|"Eight persons each a side played, setting up twelve [pins] each on their own area, and bombing those of the opponent with bowls. But [pins] knocked down could in turn be used as missiles, and the team which last had one upright [pin] left won." Though differing from kubb in detail, label=none,efn|"Kaisers In this game of skittles, in which either two people or two parties take part, the nine pins are divided [between sides]. ¶ The person or party that gets only four pins by lot gets the king [pin] and the right of first toss. ¶ The pins can be placed wherever each side desires, including placement such that you can only reach them by throwing the ball and not by rolling it; but [the pins] must not be placed out of sight of the other side. ¶ If he who was awarded only four pins and the first toss hits one of the pins of the other party with his thrown or rolled ball, the latter is obliged to throw the knocked over pin to the opposing party, who must stand it up on the same place upon which it fell. ¶ If the person who threw this pin over succeeds in knocking down another of the opposing party, it is their duty to throw that hit pin to the opponent. ¶ Play continues in this way until one side has not a single pin left. ¶ Finally, we note that everyone who is to toss must stand behind their pins, and not (the more easily to reach a pin that the opponent placed rather far away) step in front of his [own pins]. Do not be misled by the error of the draftsman or engraver, who gave the game ten skittles, several with a distinct form: rather, use eight common skittles and one king [pin] for this game." The Karelian game kyykkä and the possibly Siberian game bunnock both feature team sides and (unlike the Polish game and kaisers) use versions of batons as projectiles rather than balls. Though typologically related to kubb, no definite historical connection between these games and kubb has been shown.

Sören Wallin has identified the Swedish game label=none (as described in a 1911 encyclopedia) as essentially the same as, and the forebear of, kubb. This game was known on the Swedish mainland at least as early as 1878, when it was described in Ungdomens Bok, a sort of Boys' Own Book. Kägelkrig, the Polish game, and kaisers all seem to feature felled pins being thrown to the opponent side in order themselves to fell opponent pins, which is not a feature of contemporary kubb.

Kubb was evidently unknown in Gotland in 1912, when a list of traditional Gotlandic games was drawn up, in conjunction with the Olympic Games (held in Stockholm that year). The championship rules are adapted from those of the US National Championship rules.

According to the US Championship rules and World Championship rules, kubb is played on a rectangular pitch 5 metres by 8 metres. Corner stakes are placed so that a rectangle is formed. The center stakes are placed in the middle of the sidelines (long edges of the rectangle), which divides the pitch into two halves. No other markers are required to demarcate the field's boundaries, although markings that do not interfere with game play are allowed (such as chalk lines). The king is placed upright in the center of the pitch, and the kubbs are placed on the baselines (short edges of the rectangle), five kubbs on each side equidistant from each other. Kubbs starting the game on the baseline are referred to as base kubbs. The baseline should run through the center of the kubbs. For young children, the 8 meter pitch length can be shortened.

Two official tournament rulesets available for kubb are the World Championship rules and the U. S. National Championship rules.

The Kubb World Championship is held annually on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The U. S. Championship is held annually in Eau Claire, WI. Tournaments in the U. S. have exploded since 2007, especially in the Midwest. In 2016, the U. S. tournament list includes over 40 tournaments. The majority of tournaments are located in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 2013, the U. S. Midwest Championship was re introduced. The annual tournament travels throughout the Midwest. (2013: Rockford, IL; 2014: Decorah, IA; 2015: Madison, WI; 2016: Madison, WI; 2017: Shakopee, MN; 2018: Canton, OH)

European tournaments are held in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, the UK and Italy. Most countries have their own national championship tournament.