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Tavli - The Greek Backgammon

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Tavli, the Greek backgammon, is a board game consisting of three other individual games. This article brings the highlight of Tavli as seen through Greek eyes.

By Iakov Florentin.

Backgammon is like a street race with many "obstacles". In the old years probably they used the game in order to learn tactics of regression. It requires a lot of observation, memory and intelligent tactic, because there are a lot of traps that someone can set up on his opponent, and many in which he is in danger to fall in by him.

The Goal of Tavli

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Each player should bring his pieces, as fast as he can in his own region of "picking up" (in his base). Winner is the player that will gather first his pieces from his base.

How Tavli is played

In backgammon many variants exist and a lots of rules, for that it is good for you to agree before the game, what precisely you will play. The board is constructed of four different parts:

• Places 1 up to 6 are the "red outer board".

• Places 24 up to 19 are the "white outer board".

The "white" player brings his pieces, beginning from the initial place, to his own region of picking up, in the "white" base that includes places from1 to 6. From there he gathers the white pieces. The red pieces should pass in the opposite side, in the places 24 until 19, which are named “red base” the “red interior board”. The pieces can’t turn behind, which means they can’t follow an opposite course from their predetermined course.

How to throw the dice

Before each movement the player throws the two dice and he announces the points of the throw. The points of the throw show how many places the pieces will advance. The players play alternately. Before the game begins, the players throw one dice each one. Lets suppose that the white player brings 5 and red 2. white begins the game with the throw 2-5, because he brought bigger dice.

Open Places

During the game, pieces "seat" only in open places. Such are:

• Free places

• Places with your own pieces, regardless their number

Places in which exists only one of the opponent’s pieces Example: the red player throws 3-5 therefore he can play:

a) with two pieces: forwards the first piece three places and the second five places or:

b) only with one piece: forwards first three places and then five places.

Generally in order for the pieces to move, there should be open places. In order to moved a piece first three places and then five (case b), the place in which the piece will seat, after the player measures three, should be free. From there it will be moved another five places. The players can’t play straight the sum of the throw. If there is not an open place for the player to leave his piece, he can’t move it and he loses the movement. If one player throws a double throw, the sum of the points is doubled. Thus, double four (two times 4, "dortia") measure for 16 and player can make the following movements:

a) with one piece (he moves it four times and each time four places)

b) with two pieces (for example: moves two times each piece and every time four places)

c) with three pieces (for example: he moves the first piece four places, the second two times four places and the third four places) d) with four pieces (he moves each one four places) Always with the condition of that the final places in which he leaves the pieces, and the intermediary, from which he passes are open.

Example 1:

The red player throws 4:4, but can’t move any of his pieces four places because all the corresponding places are closed. The player can’t play the double throw, so he loses it and the opponent continues.

Backgammon - Portes - Doors

how you make the life of your opponent difficult?
Read about Portes

Vidos - The Doubling Cube

The fanatic players of Tavli, with endless experience hours on the game play with Vidos - the doubling cube

Plakoto - How to cover your opponent

In this version of the game the players place all their pieces in the place 1 (place “red Mother”) with direction to 24 (red), and in place 24 (place “white Mother”) with direction to 1 respectively (white).
Read about Plakoto

Fevga

how to "close" most of the empty places moving fast your pieces for gathering.
Read about Fevga

Read more about Tavli
Tavla - the Turkish Backgammon.

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