Backgammon Variants

There are a number backgammon variants. Most apply the same standardised backgammon rules which have been discussed in the general backgammon rules section; however others apply different backgammon rules. There are countless variants out there such as ‘Old English Rules’, Gul Bara, Runte Rule etc… We will briefly analyse a couple of simple variants which use standard backgammon rules.

Chouettes

This is a group based variant of backgammon. It is played using teams with each player having an assigned role within the group. The backgammon rules which apply differ slightly, for example the Stakes are agreed upon prior to the beginning of play, plus it is played like a money game, there is however no score kept and once a game is finished a new one starts automatically.

One player plays as the ‘box’, this player plays alone against a team.

The team is led by a ‘captain’ who makes the final decision regarding the move; he/she may confer with his/her team mates for advice. The only aspect of the game that the rest of the team is allowed to take part in is the rolling of the doubling cube. This is where the game begins to get entertaining.

A player can double regardless of the actions of his team mates and can accept or decline a double if chosen. If the ‘box’ player is victorious he/she may remain the ‘box’, however if a ‘captain’ wins he/she then becomes the new ‘box’. When a box loses he/she then becomes a regular team player.

LongGammon

This is a variant which is played using the standardised backgammon rules. The only difference is that all the players’ checkers start on the opponents 1 point. This game is considered to be a lot more amusing, and takes more time to finish as a result of starting on the 1 point mark.