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Submitted by: Gene Marshall

If you haven’t tried Tavla, you’re sure to enjoy the game commonly known as Turkish backgammon. Tavla is an exciting and fast-paced version of backgammon with some subtle differences to make it unique. It is the most popular in Turkey and is quickly gaining a fan base worldwide.

Unlike backgammon, Tavla does not start with all checkers on the board. Instead, a player begins a game with two checkers placed opposite his opponent’s at the furthermost right point. His remaining 13 checkers are kept off the board. So while the aim of the game is the same as that of a backgammon game, which is to be the first player to bear your checkers off the board, you begin Tavla (also know as Tawula in parts of the Middle East) in quite a different way.

To decide who will take the first turn, both players will begin a game by rolling one die. The player with the highest number then throws both die to take his turn. He is unable to play his two checkers already on the board until his other 13 checkers have been introduced into the game. To do this, the player must roll the die to enter the checker onto the corresponding point on the board. For example, if he rolls 4-3, he can bring one of his outside checkers onto the board and place it at either his four point or his three point. He can then use the second die to move his checker a second time, or use it to move another checker which is already on the board.

In Tavla the player is unable to move a checker onto a point already occupied by one of his own checkers. He is also unable to move to a point with two or more of his opponent’s checkers. However, if a point is occupied by just one of his opponent’s checkers, he can hit this checker and remove it from the board. His opponent’s checker will be placed on the bar area in the centre of the board. The player who has lost his checker must play it back into the game by rolling the die before any of his other checkers can be played.

Other checker movements in Tavla (also know as Tavli in Greece) follow standard backgammon rules. A player must move his checkers the total amount shown on the two die, or one checker per die. For example, if you roll a three and a two, you must move one checker three spaces and a second checker two spaces. Or you may choose to move one checker a total of five spaces. If you roll a double, you must move your checkers twice the total shown on both die the same as you do in backgammon.

At the end of a round of Tavla you’re ready to remove your checkers from the board. This also relies on the die coming up with the right numbers. All fifteen checkers must be moved to your home board before bearing off. The player who removes all of his checkers from the backgammon board first is the winner of Tavla.

About the Author: Look out for additional info on tavla and where to play backgammon. Backgammon essays like what you see here are published by Gene Marshall. The writer is a backgammon expert please visit

gammonish.com/

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