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Backgammon Variants
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Takhteh
Takhteh (also
spelled "Takhte") is the Persian name for
backgammon. The rules are similar but not
exactly the same as Western backgammon. A list
of the differences appears at the bottom of
this page. The same game is called Tavla in Turkey.
Setup:
The setup and movement are the same as in
regular backgammon. Each player starts with
two checkers on the opponent's one-point,
five checkers on the opponent's
twelve-point, three checkers on their own
eight-point, and five checkers on their own
six point.
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Object:
The object of the game is to move all of
your checkers into your own home board and
then bear them off. The first player to bear
off all his checkers wins the game.
To start:
Each player rolls one die and the higher
number goes first. That player then rolls
the dice again to begin his first turn.
After the first game, the winner of the
previous game goes first.
Movement:
The roll of the dice indicates how many
points, or pips, the player is to move his
checkers. The following rules apply:
- A checker may
be moved only to an open point, one that
is not occupied by two or more opposing
checkers.
- The numbers
on the two dice constitute separate moves.
For example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he
may move one checker five spaces to an
open point and another checker three
spaces to an open point, or he may move
the one checker a total of eight spaces to
an open point, but only if the
intermediate point (either three or five
spaces from the starting point) is also
open.
- Doubles are
played twice. For example, a roll of 6-6
means the player has four sixes to use.
- You must use
both numbers of a roll if possible, or all
four numbers in the case of doubles.
Hitting:
A checker sitting alone on a point is called
a blot. If an opposing checker lands
on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the
bar.
You may not run
for cover after hitting an opposing blot in
your own home board. If you choose to hit
within your home board, you must cover the
hitting checker with another of your own
checkers or leave it exposed.
Entering from
the bar: Any time you have one or more
checkers on the bar, your first obligation
is to enter those checker(s) into the
opposing home board. You enter a checker by
moving it to an open point corresponding to
one of the numbers on the rolled dice. If
you are able to enter some but not all of
your checkers, you must enter as many as you
can then give up the remainder of your turn.
Bearing Off:
Once you have moved all fifteen of your
checkers into your home board, you may begin
bearing off. You bear off rolling a number
that corresponds to the point on which the
checker resides, and then removing that
checker from the board.
If there is no
checker on the point indicated by the roll,
then you must make a legal move using a
checker on a higher-numbered point. If there
are no checkers on higher-numbered points,
you are permitted to remove a checker from
the highest point that has one.
You may not
unnecessarily "waste pips" during bearoff.
This means you should always bear off a
checker where possible rather than use a
smaller number to move that checker forward.
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White
must use the 5 to bear off the
checker on the three-point. He may
not play the 2 first, for that would
waste pips. |
If a checker is
hit during bearoff, it must be reentered and
returned to the player's finishing table
before that player can resume bearing off
his checkers.
Scoring:
The first player to bear off all fifteen
checkers wins the game. If the losing player
has borne off at least one checker, he loses
only one point. If the losing player has not
borne off any checkers, he loses two points.
There is no
doubling in this game.
| Rule
Differences from Backgammon |
- The winner of the
opening roll rerolls for
his first turn.
- There is no
"hit-and-run" in the
player's home board.
- You may not
unnecessarily waste pips
during bearoff.
- The winner scores
one point for a normal
win and two points for a
gammon. There is no
backgammon.
- There is no
doubling cube.
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