Plakoto Backgammon Variant

Plakoto is part of the Greek Backgammon variant trio, called Tavli, which also includes Fevga and Portes. Generally these Backgammon games are played in succession in 3, 5, or 7 point matches. In Bulgaria, where Plakoto is also played, it is called Tapa.

Every Plakoto (Tapa) participant begins with 15 checkers on his opponent's 1 point. Checker movement in this game takes place in opposing directions. As in regular Backgammon, the goal in this Backgammon variant is to get every one of your checkers to encircle the entire board and bear them off.

In order to begin playing Plakoto (Tapa), each of the participants roll a die and the one with the higher number gets to play first. Next, the winner of the opening roll rolls both of the dice once more to begin his initial turn. Following the first game of Plakoto (Tapa), the victor of the preceding game plays first.

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 Plakoto (Tapa):

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 Plakoto (Tapa) and the numbers on each of them signify 2 independent moves.
3. Doubles have to be played 2 times.
4. A player has to use both of the numbers that come up on a dice roll whenever it is possible, and all 4 numbers if doubles are rolled. In the case that you can only play 1 number, you have to play the higher number.
5. Doubling does not exist in Plakoto (Tapa).

Furthermore, hitting is prohibited in Plakoto (Tapa). Rather, in the case that you land on a point that is already held by one of your opponent's checkers, that checker remains stuck until you take your checker away, meaning that checker is pinned. If you have 2 checkers on a point or one of your men has a checker of your opponent's pinned down, then you have constructed a block that your opponent will not be able to land on.

The final checker left on your starting point is known as the “mother”. In the case that your opponent pins the “mother” before it has moved from the starting point, then the game ends and you have 2 points less. There is just 1 exception in this Backgammon variant – if your opponent's starting point has checkers on it, because in that case his “mother” would still be at risk. If your “mother” and your opponent's are pinned, the result is a tie.

When every one of your checkers is in your home board, 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.

The winner of a Plakoto (Tapa) game is the first one to bear off every one of his checkers. In the case that the loser bears off at least one of his checkers, he loses just 1 point. In any other case, he loses 2 points.

Plakoto Express

Plakoto Express is just like Plakoto only there is 1 more rule – In the case that you roll doubles, you can play that roll and any doubles roll that follows up to 6-6. In other words, you get to play the number that you have rolled 4 times, after which you can play the following higher double the same way, straight through to 6-6.

If you can't finish your turn in Plakoto Express, your opponent will take charge and play your unused numbers. Your opponent will begin where you ended and play the maximum amount of numbers possible in an order that is identical to the way that you were supposed to play them. Once he is done, he rolls the dice to start his own turn.

David Carnegy - Managing Editor