Backgammon
Variations
People who play backgammon fanatically may soon find that their skills are not
challenged anymore due to the same starting position and the limited
amount of strategies. Once someone played enough backgammon all
the different moves or strategies are limited to the same set-ups
and the same combination of numbers appear on the dice. Just like
there are variations of the classic Chess, the same happened with
the classic Backgammon. There are also other versions of backgammon
that either are hybrids of the known ones or cannot be added to
the list due to their special rules. Find other rules and strategies on casinos online.It is important for a player
to fully understand the different types of games in order to move
up to the challenge and start playing with doubling strategies
and with more sophisticated point systems. Understanding the doubling
point system will allow the player to net far more points. Interestingly
enough there are many different versions and variants of the backgammon
rules. Some are different due to the traditional rules of the region,
while other varies in order to add new elements and tactics to the game. Such differences
include altering the starting point, restricting certain moves
or assigning special values to the dice numbers.
One of the most popular variations of Backgammon is Acey-Deucey.
The players begin the game with no checkers on the board. Instead
they’re target is to get them all on as fast as possible to start
playing. Rolling 1 and 2 allows the player to select any doubles
of his choice and also when the player rolls 1 and 2 or doubles
he can play for an extra turn. There are some variants of Acey-Deucey
as well: there is the American Acey-Deucey, popular amongst the
US Navy, Marine Corps since the World War I. The differentiation
from the original is that players begin playing with all their
checkers off the board. The winner of the first roll re-rolls.
When a player rolls 1 and 2, the player gets to name which double
number he wishes to play and then rolls again. The winner scores
one point for each opposing checker still left on the board.
This game does not use the doubling cube. Then there is
the European
Acey-Deucey, the only difference with the American is that the
doubles are played on both sides of the dice. There is
also the Greek Acey-Deucey variation with its unique feature,
allowing you to force your opponent to hit one of your blots.
Finally
there is the Mexican Acey-Deucey, in which you are only permitted
to
have a maximum of 5 checkers on each position.
Next are the Middle Eastern and Greek variations of Backgammon
(Tavli). Fevga, a Greek variant similar to the Turkish
Moultezim and
the Russian
Narde, forbids hitting your opponent’s checker, even if there
is only one on a position. Each player starts with fifteen
checkers on the far-right side of the board, in diagonal
corners from
each
other. Both players move in the same direction from left to
right around the board. Gul Bara very similar to the Turkish
Moultezim
has also the unique feature that one checker controls one position
but also doubles are very powerful. When someone rolls doubles,
he is permitted to play his roll in the traditional way but
then plays every succeeding doubles left, up to double
sixes. Plakoto
is the most popular of the three versions in Greece. The three
games (Fevga, Plakoto and Portes) together are called Tavli
and are usually played one after the other in matches up
to three,
five, or seven points. The distinctive feature of Plakoto is
that the opponent’s checkers are pinned down, locked
rather than hit. A similar game is played in Bulgaria, called
Tapa. Portes, the third version of Greek Backgammon (Tavli)
is similar
to the original one. The winner of the opening roll is allowed
to re-roll for his next first turn. The winner scores one point
for a normal win and two points when he wins with a gammon.
With Gioul, a game originating from Turkey, the setup and movement
are
the same as feyga or Gul Bara a single checker on one position
forms a block. The unique feature of Gioul is the way the doubles
work. When a player rolls doubles, he plays the number he rolled
and all the successive doubles up to the double sixes. If he
cannot play his entire roll, the opponent takes over and there
is no doubling
cube included in the game. Finally, there is the Never-Finishing
Game, invented by Nicholas Frantzis. It’s a combination of
Portes and Plakoto.
The Modern Games are also numerous and diverse. Hypergammon,
in which the players have only 3 checkers each, they start
off with
one checker placed on either the 24th, 23rd and 22nd position
of the board. This game is what we call a strongly-solved game.
Nackgammon
is yet another variation, invented by Nack Ballard. The only
differentiation is its primary arrangement. Each player
starts with 2 checkers
on the 24th position, 2 checkers on the 23rd position, 3 checkers
on the 8th and 4 checkers on the 13th and 6th position. Each
player has 15 checkers in total but with 2 checkers starting
off further
back from the original version, forbidding the game from quickly
developing into a chase. This version demands more strategy
and more contemplation rather than luck. The Old English
Backgammon,
allows no more than 5 checkers on each position throughout
the game, this characteristic block many moves that otherwise
would
be allowed. The player is also allowed to play only one of
the dices if he wishes. The LongGammon is
the equivalent to the original apart from that each player
starts with all his checkers on the opponent’s first position
making the
game last longer. Misere (Backgammon to Lose) is a version
of backgammon played just like the regular game, except
that the aim of the game
is to lose. The last player off, wins. All other rules same
as in backgammon. In Bradspel, a Swedish variation of backgammon,
doubling
cubes are not allowed.
There are also more variations of Backgammon based purely on
skill and technique. For example the Domino Backgammon, in
which
the players
use dominos instead of dice. Or Grasshopper, a racing game
in which no dice are used.
To conclude there are numerous other versions that are difficult
to group or to list due to their small differences or peculiar
rules. There are also different forms of competitions and different
versions of the Original Backgammon. In order for someone to
keep track of all the different variants of backgammon, the
different rules and different types of competition one must
devote a lot
of time and energy! He would be the ultimate fan!
NAMES OF BACKGAMMON AND ITS VARIATIONS IN THE WORLD
GREECE :TAVLI - PLAKOTO – DOORS - FEYGA – GIUL
TURKEY : TAVLA - MOUTLEZIM - GIOUL
ENGLAND : TABLES - BACKGAMMON -
GAMMON
USA : BACKGAMMON - ACEY DEUCEY
GERMANY: PUFF
BULGARIA : GIOUL BARA
ΙRAN : TAU - TAKHTEH NARD
SCOTLAND: GAMMON
FRANCE : TRIC TRAC
RUSSIA : NARDE
ARABIC WORLD : SHESH BESH - GIOUL
CZECH : VRHCADY
SPAIN : TABLAS REALES - CHAQUETE
ITALY : TAVOLE REALE
JAPAN : SUGOROCU
Chouette
