Greek Backgammon
Igor Sheyn
: Does anyone know the rules of a popular backgammon variant played in Greece?
: --
: The message is posted via Newswatcher from a computer in the University of Chicago's Ryerson Maclab
Yes, I do.
To be precise, I know how it's played in X-USSR. While Greak rules may
differ in small details, overall it's pretty much the same.
Igor
MacLab User
I to am interested in the rules for Greek backgammon. Can someone please
post the rules?
MacLab User
MacLab User
> MacLab User (us...@ryerson.uchicago.edu) wrote:
> : Does anyone know the rules of a popular backgammon variant played in Greece?
>
> OK, here's the attempt to put down a complete set of rule for the game
> called feuga in Greek.
>
> Equipment: Backgammon board, 15 checkers for each player, 2 pairs of
> dice ( we play it with 1 pair, but let's keep it to bg as close to
> possible )
>
> Initial checkers setup: Each player has all of his checker on the same
> point.
> 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13
> X
> X
> X
> X
> 15
>
> 15
> O
> O
> O
> O
> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
>
> Direction: Both players move counter clock-wise. Using numeration
> above, O moves from 1 to 19-24 quater, which is his home. X moves
> from 13 to 24 and then continues 1 to 7-12 quater, which is his home.
>
> Goal: Bring your men home and bear them off as in backgammon.
>
> Main difference from backgammon: Hitting is not a part of a game,
> hence the point is considered made when there's only 1 checker on it (
> no blots and slotting in this game ).
>
> Various aspects: the initial point for each player ( 13 for X, 1 for O
> in the setup above ) is called "head". A player is allowed to move
> only 1 checker from his head per roll. If he can't obey this rule on
> any given roll, he can't play his roll fully. Exception: if your 1st
> roll of the game is 6-6 or 4-4, you're allowed to play 2 checkers off
> your head, 1/7(2) with 6-6 and 1/9(2) with 4-4.
>
> Priming: there's one restriction on building a 6prime. You can build a
> 6prime only provided there's at least one opposing checker ahead of
> your prime. E.g., if you want to build your prime from 1 to 6 as O, X
> has to have at least 1 checker anywhere from 7 to 12. This rule is to
> prevent trivial strategy of building 6prime right in the beginning and
> then just rolling it home.
>
> Gammon: Gammon is counted in same way as in BG. Backgammons do not
> count ( as far as I know ).
>
> Cube: No cube is used ( this can be easily fixed though ).
>
>
>
>
>
> If u have any questions or if u think I left smth out, please let me
> know.
> Igor
Isn't there another variant that starts out with all men on points 1 and
24 respectively and the opponents move in opposite directions?
Igor Sheyn
Ed Cynwrig Dengler
In article <user-03059...@csmaclab-mac35.uchicago.edu>,
MacLab User <us...@ryerson.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>Does anyone know the rules of a popular backgammon variant played in Greece?
>
>--
>The message is posted via Newswatcher from a computer in the University of Chicago's Ryerson Maclab
As taught to me by my uncle (who is a Greek):
Setup: All 15 of your men start on your 24 point (farthest point from
your bearoff).
Initially: Each player rolls 1 die, whoever rolls the highest uses both
dice to move. Play alternates with each player rolling two
dice.
Movement and bearing off is the same as standard backgammon. The big
difference in Greek backgammon is that you never 'hit' an opponent's
checker and send it to the bar. Instead, you 'trap' the checker under
your own. Your opponent is not allowed to move his checker until you
uncover it. In addition, the trapped checker acts as one of your own
to form a blot (ie. equivalent to two checkers of your own colour on a
point).
Because of the trapping rule, if you manage to trap an opponent's
checker in your bearoff quadrant, you can pretty much force a gammon,
unless you get trapped yourself and are forced to break the trap first.
Also, backgammons are much more common than in regular backgammon.
Have fun!
Ed
Igor Sheyn
not known in XUSSR. I highly recommend the variant I described.
Igor
Dean Jameson
variant (known as moultezim), although I don't doubt it's played in Greece,
too (as feuga).
Ed describes what is usually called Greek backgammon (plakoto). An
interesting discussion of both games, with lengthy strategic analyses, can be
found in "Backgammon Games and Strategies" by Nicolaos and Basil Tzannes (A.S.
Barnes & Co., 1977) (probably out of print). A third of this book is devoted
to regular backgammon, called "hit" or "portes" ("doors" in Greek) by the
authors. Unfortunately, their understanding of standard BG is fairly
primitive, somewhat tarnishing the credibility of their strategies for the
other two games, but I'm not at all qualified to judge the latter. Of the
two, I think moultezim is more interesting, as do the authors, who call it
"the purest of backgammon games." As they put it, "Maturity, they [Middle
Eastern BG players] say, starts with plakoto and reaches its peak with
moultezim."
Of course, they grossly underrate the complexity of the regular game,
considering it "not challenging enough for the mature player." Not
surprisingly, their advice on how to play it well is extremely weak.
Nevertheless, both variants discussed are worth looking into. Although quite
different in structure, they share the common characteristic of having all men
start on the point farthest from home, and so take two or three times as long
to play as the regular game. They require a fair amount of long-term
strategic thinking (and a fair amount of patience) in order to play well.
Plakoto, IMHO, tends to be boring, because if one player can trap one of his
opponent's pieces in its starting table, the game is essentially over unless
the trapped player can equalize with a similarly far-from-home pin. Usually,
he can't. BTW, a computer version of this game is included in the backgammon
module of Software Toolworks' "Games People Play."
Moultezim is usually more interesting, I think, and it's fun to see every
point on the board occupied by a piece (one man is a point--there are no
blots). Many games devolve into prime v. prime battles, with the prime
closest to home obviously having the advantage. Games where both players
have managed to scatter their pieces in all four quadrants can be fascinating,
as it's not always easy to tell who's winning (except, perhaps, to a very
experienced player).
The Tzanneses are certainly right in lamenting that these variants aren't
better known outside the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dean Jameson