Instructions Tavli

Objective of the Game

The objective of Tavli is to move all one's pieces around and ultimately off the board faster than the opponent. Tavli is usually played as a series of games, where the player who first wins a predetermined number of individual games emerges as the overall winner.

Number of Players

The game is played with two players.

Game Components

Tavli is played on a special board consisting of 24 triangles (points) divided into four quadrants. Each player has 15 pieces, which they move around the board. Two dice are used to determine the players' moves.

Setup

1. Place the board so that each player has their home quadrant on the right in front of them.
2. Each player takes 15 pieces of one color. These are initially placed on the board according to a described setup in the game record.
3. Determine who goes first by rolling the dice. The player with the higher number begins.

Gameplay

1. Rolling: At the beginning of their turn, a player rolls both dice. The numbers indicate how many points a player may move their pieces.
2. Moving the Pieces:
3. Each number on the dice can be used independently (e.g., with a roll of 3 and 4, one piece can be moved three spaces and another or the same piece four spaces).
4. A player can move a piece to an unoccupied point, to a point occupied by two or more of their own pieces, or hit an opponent's piece by moving it to a point with only one opponent's piece.
5. Removing the Pieces: Once all pieces are in a player's home quadrant, they may begin removing their pieces from the board. The first player to remove all their pieces wins the game.

Strategic Considerations

• Blocking: It is advantageous to have two or more pieces on a point to block the opponent.
• Safety: Avoid leaving single pieces exposed to avoid being hit by an opponent.
• Timing: The right timing for starting to remove your pieces can be crucial.

Peculiarities

• When a player rolls a double (same number on both dice, e.g., two 6s), they may use the rolled number twice for both dice.
• When playing a series of games, a player can score more points in a single game by achieving "Backgammon" or "Gammon", which means winning significantly over the opponent.