Moultezim Backgammon Variant

Moultezim is an especially loved Backgammon variant in Turkey.

Every participant begins with 15 checkers on the point that is farthest to the right. The players both make the same counterclockwise course across the board. As with all Backgammon variants, the goal in this game is to get every one of your checkers to move all the way around the Backgammon board and bear the checkers off. The sides bears off from opposite corners – one from the top left and the other from the bottom right.

To begin play, every player rolls a single die and the player with the bigger number gets to play first, then he rerolls to start his initial turn.

Players need to move their checkers in accordance with the points that correspond to the numbers that come up when they roll the dice. These are the rules of checker movement in Moultezim:

1. A checker can only be placed on a point that isn't held by any of the opponent's checkers.
2. There are 2 dice in Moultezim and the numbers on each of them signify 2 independent moves.
3. Doubles are used 2 times.
4. You have to play all of your roll whenever you can, meaning 2 numbers on a regular roll and 4 numbers on a doubles roll. If you are unable to make use of both of the numbers, play the higher number.

In Moultezim, a single checker is enough to command a point, thus, there is no hitting in this Backgammon variant.

In order to get your checkers moving, you need to have your first checker get past the other player's point of departure. In addition, the maximum number of points that you can hold in the other player's starting table is 4. This limitation prevents participants from constructing primes right in front of the opponent's starting stack.

When every one of your 15 checkers is in the finishing table, you can start to bear off. In order to bear off, you need to roll a number that matches the point that checker stands on and then take that checker off the Backgammon board. In the case that no checker stands on the point signified by the roll, you must make a move with a checker on a higher point. If the same goes for the higher points, then you have to take a checker off of the highest point with a checker.

Furthermore, if you bear off every one of your checkers before your opponent, you win the Moultezim Backgammon game and earn 1 point. If you manage to do so before your opponent has been able to bear off any of his checkers, then you gain 2 points.

David Carnegy - Managing Editor