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Kubb (pronounced (:kɵb) in Swedish or in Gutnish) is a lawn game where the object is to knock over wooden blocks, known as 'kubbs', by throwing wooden batons at them. Kubb can perhaps be described as a combination of bowling and horseshoes with significantly more strategy. Play takes place on a small rectangular 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 object 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 alleged Viking origins of the game, combined with the fact that the game can involve a certain level of strategy, has led some players and kubb fans to nickname the game "Viking Chess." == History == It is often claimed that the game dates back to the Viking Age and has survived since then on Gotland, although there is only scarce evidence of this. The ''Föreningen Gutnisk Idrott'' ("Society (of) Gotland Games"), formed in 1912, does not list kubb as one of the traditional games from Gotland. On the Swedish island of Gotland, stories of kubb being played date only from the early 20th century. Written and published in 1911, the second edition of the Swedish Encyclopedia “Nordisk familjebok” (the Nordic familybook) does describe a skittles war game that very closely resembles kubb. A detailed history of the game of kubb can be found in the 2015 volume of Kubbnation Magazine (). The game in its modern conception became popular in the 1990s when commercial kubb sets were first manufactured. The key feature of the game (opposing teams throwing) is shared by the games kyykkä and bunnock, both of which come from Karelia or neighbouring areas. The game has now gained international interest, and an annual World Championship has been held since 1995 on Gotland. Large kubb tournaments now occur throughout Europe and the United States of America. Belgium alone held over 50 tournaments in 2012. On December 13, 2011, Eau Claire, Wisconsin declared itself to be the 'Kubb Capital of North America'.〔(The Kubb Capital of North America )〕 The city has hosted the (U.S. National Kubb Championship ) since 2007, and is home to Kubbnation Magazine and many clubs and leagues. In addition, kubb sets are in the local schools, with some schools having kubb units in physical education classes and kubb clubs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Kubb」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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