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tom@bkgm.com

Backgammon Variants

Doublets

This game of pure luck is very old and was still played in Iceland at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Setup: The players have twelve checkers each. The checkers are stacked in pairs on the six points in the opposite right-hand table as shown below:

To start: Each player rolls one die. The player rolling the higher number goes first and then rolls both dice again to start his first turn.

Unstacking the piles: The first goal is to unstack your checkers. To do this, you roll the dice and the numbers showing on the dice are the point numbers to be unstacked. For example, if you roll 6-3, you unstack the checkers in the 6-point and on the 3-point.

If you roll doubles, you only get to unstack one pile, but you also get to roll again. And if you roll doubles again, you play that number and roll again, etc.

The game continues with the players taking turns. If a number is rolled corresponding to a point where the checkers have already been unstacked, that part of the roll is lost.

Restacking the piles: When all of your piles have been unstacked in this way, you may begin restacking them. This works the same way, by rolling the numbers corresponding to the points to be restacked.

Bearing off: Finally, when all of your piles have been restacked, you may begin bearing off. Again, you must roll the numbers corresponding to the points to be borne off. The first player to bear off all of his checkers wins the game.

References

  • R. C. Bell: Discovering Backgammon (page 29).
  • H. J. R. Murray: A History of Board-Games other than Chess; Oxford University Press, Oxford, England; 1951 (page 121).

Backgammon Variants
Ace-Deo
Ace-Mid Switch
Acey-Deucey
American Acey-Deucey
Backgammon to Lose
Backgammon 1931 Rules
Backgammon 1969 Rules
Backgammon 1970 Rules
Blast Off
Blocking Backgammon
Chasing the Girls
Chouette
Crazy Narde
Domino Backgammon
Doublets
Duplicate Backgammon
Dutch Backgammon
Eureika
European Acey-Deucey
Fayles
Fevga
French Backgammon
Gioul
Grande Trictrac
Grasshopper
Greek Acey-Deucey
Greek Backgammon
Gul Bara
Handicap Matches
Hyper-backgammon
Irish
Jacquet
LongGammon
  Ludus Lumbardorum
Mexican Backgammon
Misere Backgammon
Moultezim
Nackgammon
Narde
Never-Finishing Game
Old English Backgammon
Pin Game
Plakoto
Plakoto Express
Poof
Portes
Propositions
Roman Backgammon
Roll-Over
Rosespring Backgammon
Russian Backgammon
Shesh Besh
Snake
Swedish Tables
Tables
Tabula
Takhteh
Tapa
Tavla
Tavli
Tawula
Tourne-case
Trictrac
Turkish Backgammon
Two Rolls versus Choice

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