Shesh Besh Backgammon Variant

Shesh Besh is a Turkish Backgammon variant that is much like regular Backgammon.

How does Shesh Besh differ from Backgammon?

1. The player that wins the opening roll rolls again for his initial turn.
2. In Shesh Besh, a gammon is worth 2 points, while a backgammon is worth 3 points. Just remember that backgammons are only admissible in cases where a checker of the soon to be defeated player remains on the bar.
3. Doubling cubes do not exist in Shesh Besh.

As with all Backgammon variants, the object of the game is to get every one of your checkers to move all the way around the board and bear the checkers off.

In order to begin playing Shesh Besh, 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.

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 Shesh Besh:

1. A checker can only be placed on a point that isn't held by at least 2 of the opponent's checkers.
2. There are 2 dice in Shesh Besh 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.

A blot is a single checker that occupies a point. If your opponent's checker winds up on your blot, your blot gets hit and is put on the bar. In this Backgammon variant, whenever you have at least 1 checker on the bar, your number 1 priority should be to get those checkers in your opponent's home board. The way to do this includes moving a checker to an available point that matches 1 of the numbers you've rolled. In the case that you succeed in bringing some, but not every one of your checkers, then you have to bring in as many as you possibly can and forsake the rest of your turn.

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.

Furthermore, if you bear off every one of your checkers before your opponent, you win the Shesh Besh Backgammon game. If you manage to do so before your opponent has been able to bear off any of his checkers, then he drops 2 points, which is called Mars. Alternatively, in this Backgammon variant, if your opponent has a checker remaining on the bar, he drops 3 points, which is called Turkish Mars.

David Carnegy - Managing Editor