Modern society prefers gadgets as entertainment, forgetting about board games. But such games as checkers and backgammon do not completely disappear, fans do not think logically in a pleasant company. One of the oldest board games are considered backgammon. Further in the article we will understand how to arrange short backgammon correctly, how to use the rules, exceptions to them, and learn much more.
Backgammon is ...
Backgammon is a board game for two players, which takes place on a special playing board consisting of 24 triangles, alternating in color. The so-called bar divides the board in half, and the triangles are called points. Each player has 15 checkers (chips) in white or black. The game also uses 2 dice (dice).
There are two types of backgammon: long and short. Different countries use different names for this game, for example: trick-track, tawla, backgammon, kosh, shesh-besh. First, consider how to arrange short backgammon.
A bit of history
In ancient Egypt in 3500 BC played a game similar to backgammon in Iran in 3000 BC (a game board similar to a backgammon board was found), but there is no direct evidence for this. The oldest records of the rules of the game were made in Rome by the emperor Zeno (481 BC).
The basic rules by which players move their chips on the board remained unchanged. The goal of the game was the same as it is now - to remove enemy chips from the board. The main two differences from modern backgammon are that 3 dice were used before, and at the beginning of the game, the chips stood outside the board. The rules for arranging long backgammon appeared before our era, but how to arrange short backgammon - decided after thousands of years.
The advent of backgammon in Europe
In the 12th century, the crusaders, returning from the crusade, brought with them a new game - backgammon. In Europe it was called the “trick-truck”, and the popularity of the oriental game was growing. Centuries later, in 1743, Edmond Hoyle drew up the basic rules for playing short backgammon using the rules for long backgammon that were known in the East.
Backgammon is still considered a very popular game all over the world, and tournaments and competitions are held among fans of this game. One of the most famous backgammon competitions is the championship - Gizil Zar (in Azerbaijan). The winner receives a dice (dawn) made of gold as a prize. Short backgammon is a more modern kind of game. Let's try to understand its features.
Goal of the game of short backgammon
The following sections are on the board: the player’s house and yard and the opponent’s house and yard. The goal of the game is to transfer chips to your home and remove them from the board. Whoever first removes all his chips from the board is considered the winner. How to arrange short backgammon? To begin with, they will play the number on the dice, and then they already rearrange the chips on free points. We will consider the correct arrangement below.
How to arrange chips in short backgammon?
Let's analyze how the game of short and long backgammon is different. The most important and obvious difference is that the initial arrangement of short backgammon on the game board is completely different. Therefore, only by looking at the arrangement of the chips does the knowledgeable person already understand what kind of game the layout is made for.
The more significant differences in the rules of the game are as follows:
- Chips are placed throughout the battlefield, namely: 2 chips at the 24th point, 5 chips at the 13th, 3 chips at the 8th and 5 chips at the 6th.
- The direction of movement in short backgammon is different in that the white pieces always go clockwise, and the black ones - against.
- The numbering of points for each player is different, depending on the direction of the chips 24 points are counted.
- In long backgammon, you cannot knock down chips (checkers), but in short backgammon you can.
- Unlike short backgammon, in long there is a possibility of "locking" chips.
- In long backgammon, the segments — the player’s house and yard, the opponent’s house and yard — are located diagonally, and in short backgammon, segments are opposite to each other.
The situation of “locking” in backgammon is as follows: the construction on points of the strip, consisting of 6 chips of one player, in front of one chip of another. If at the beginning of the strip there is not at least one opponent’s token, “locking” is forbidden to build. The line of lined chips is a great obstacle to opponent's chips. In practice, everything looks simpler, and the rules are easier to remember.
In such minor features, there is the whole difference between short and long backgammon. Perhaps, for some, the differences will seem not so significant, but the fans of this game try to know all the subtleties in order to be able to completely immerse themselves in what is happening on the board.
How to play short backgammon? Rules and Exceptions
The difference between board games and any other is that knowledge of the rules does not guarantee victory. With the help of logic and the ability to think through their moves ahead, a player can make various combinations. Here are some general rules for short and long backgammon:
- A chip can only be rearranged on a free point that is not occupied by two or more chips of the opposite color.
- The drawn numbers on the dice indicate the number of moves of each chip.
The main part of the rules in short and long backgammon is the same, but there are some exceptions. Suppose a player has 6 and 3, his actions will be as follows:
- One chip moves 6 points, and the other - 3.
- At the request of the player, the dropped numbers can be summarized (6 plus 3) and move one chip by the received number of points.
The latter is possible only if the entire intermediate point is free (at a distance of 3 and 6 steps).
If a player gets a double, he has the right to play each number twice on the dice. For example, if 5-5 fell, then the player can make 4 moves of 5 points, and combinations can be any, as the player wishes. The player must use all the numbers that he got. If the player’s turn is closed, he skips a step. The rules of the game have a number of features described above, with their help you can combine your actions, thereby gaining a victory.
How to beat a chip?
A blot is a point that is occupied by only one chip. If the opponent’s chip stops at such a point, then he is considered beaten, and the blot is placed on the bar. If the player has a chip on the bar, then his direct task is to return the chip to the game through the opponent’s house. When the chip comes into play, it moves to the point that the dice showed.
For example, a player has 3 and 6 - he has the right to charge a chip in the 3rd or 6th points, provided that they are not occupied by two or more opponent chips. The player enters his chips from the bar, and must skip the rest of the turn. A player cannot but make a move just because it is not profitable for him.
After entering all the chips from the bar, the player can use the remaining dice to advance any other chips. You may find it confusing how to arrange short backgammon and how to use the chips on the board, but just a couple of workouts - and you will automatically move your chips in the right direction.