Try Fun and Exciting Tawula – A popular variation of backgammon

Are you looking for different versions of backgammon to play? Maybe you'd like a new challenge at which to really test your backgammon skills, or perhaps you'd simply like to play for fun without risking any cash? Look no further – the game of Tawula offers much of the same fun and action as backgammon with some cool rule variations.

Tawula offers backgammon fans the chance to try their hand purely for skill rather than for money. This backgammon version is played at a faster pace and has a few variations on the standard backgammon rules, which make it especially interesting for those who have been playing backgammon for some time.

When you approach a game of Tawula (also called Tavla as it’s called in Turkey) for the first time, you should remember that the setup of the board and the movement of your checkers are basically the same as in the backgammon game you're already familiar with. One subtle difference however relates to the setup of the checkers that begin a game. Instead of lining all your checkers up on the board as you would in a game of backgammon, you will keep thirteen of your checkers off the board. Only two checkers will start the game in position on the board and you must ensure that all your other checkers are on the board before you can move these toward your home board.

In Tawula, you must roll two die to move your checkers. The total count of the die must be played out by either moving one or two checkers. You can move your checker to an open point using the total number of the die, or two checkers to two open points, one for each die. If you roll doubles, for example, two five's, you must move your checkers double the total pip count.

According to the rules of Tawula, If you move one of your checkers to a point that is already home to one of your competitor's checkers, you are “hitting” him. What this means is that your opponent's checker will be removed from the point and placed on the bar that runs down the centre of the backgammon board. Your opponent has no choice but to move this checker back into the game before he can move any other checker on the board. However, barring one point, he is unable to enter this checker onto a point in your area of the board. He must roll the die to enter his checker back onto his side and play it around the board again. This makes bringing checkers back into a game far more difficult than in backgammon.

If you like to play backgammon, you'll be pleased to know that you're already equipped with what you need to win Tawula. The winner is the player who moves all of his checkers off the board first. The emphasis of the game is more on playing for fun than playing competitively for money, which is why the doubling cube is not used. If you think you can do well at this game, why not put your backgammon skills into action and try enjoyable Tawula today?

Discover more on tavla and the backgammon game. Helpful online backgammon editorials like these have been published by Gene Marshall. The author is a distinguished online backgammon specialist.