Tapa (game)
Encyclopedia
Tapa is a version of Backgammon
played in Bulgaria
and Macedonia
. It is also played in Greece
, where it is known as Plakoto. The word tapa means bottle cap.
Tapa is usually played as the third game in a Tabla
match, the first two being Tabla (similar to the common backgammon) and Gjul Bara
. These 3 games are played consecutively in a match of 5. All 3 games are played on a standard Backgammon board. (Note that there might be slight differences in the match rules and scoring; the ones described here are common for Macedonia).
Tapa is also played in Syria
where it's known as Mahbousseh ( Arabic: محبوسة ).
If a player rolls two of the same number (doubles) he must play each die twice. For example, upon rolling a 5 and a 5, he must play four checkers forward five spaces each. As before, a checker may be moved multiple times as long as the moves are distinct.
Pinning an opponent's checker in your home board gives you a great advantage. Most likely you won't have to release it until you begin bearing off. The smaller the point where you pinned the opponent's checker is, the higher your advantage. If you pin an opponent's checker on the 1-point and don't have any of your checkers on the 24-point, you automatically win the game and get 2 match points (mars).
If you have a pinned checker in your home board, you can't bear it off until it is freed. If you don't have checkers on the rolled points and have a pinned checker on a higher point that you can't move, you pass and do nothing.
Defensive strategy
This includes building anchors near the starting points and carefully progressing toward your home board, not allowing to be pinned. At the same time, you should wait for a good opportunity to pin opponent's checkers as close to your home board as possible.
Offensive strategy
At the very start, you move checkers as far as possible, even leaving single checkers in the area of 10-point to 15-point. With this you open up a possibility to pin opponent's checkers in your home board or very near it, before the opponent gets a chance to build anchors. This strategy involves a certain amount of risk, since the opponent gets higher chances to pin your checkers and make a faster progress in building anchors closer to his home board.
Some players prefer one strategy over the other, but this is a mistake. What strategy you use should be determined by the first few rolls. If you roll smaller numbers at the start, then you should use defensive strategy. But if you roll high numbers, you should try placing a checker around the middle-points. In the next few rolls you should try to either pin an opponent's checker or make an anchor with a second checker. If you fail and get pinned, switch to defensive strategy.
it is played in a match of 5 or as long as one of the players gain seven points. A common name in Macedonia and Bulgaria for all three games within a match is Tabla, the same as the first game. The first game is referred to as права (straight [Tabla]) when a need for disambiguation arises.
When starting the match, each player rolls one die, to determine who will start. If it's a tie, the players roll again. But, unlike the regular backgammon, the already-rolled dice are disregarded and the player that won the first turn rolls both dice to begin. In the next game in the match, the player that won the previous has the first turn.
Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...
played in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. It is also played in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, where it is known as Plakoto. The word tapa means bottle cap.
Tapa is usually played as the third game in a Tabla
Tables (board game)
Tables is a general name given to a class of board games similar to backgammon, played on a board with two rows of 12 vertical markings called "points". Players roll dice to determine the movement of pieces...
match, the first two being Tabla (similar to the common backgammon) and Gjul Bara
Gul bara
Gul Bara is a backgammon variant. It is also called as ‘Rosespring Backgammon’ or ‘Crazy Narde’. The motive of the game is to move all of your checkers around the board and bear them off. The first player who bears off all his checkers wins the game...
. These 3 games are played consecutively in a match of 5. All 3 games are played on a standard Backgammon board. (Note that there might be slight differences in the match rules and scoring; the ones described here are common for Macedonia).
Tapa is also played in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
where it's known as Mahbousseh ( Arabic: محبوسة ).
Rules
Each player starts with all fifteen checkers on the 24-point. It is usual, but not necessary, to place only 2 checkers at the start and add the others as the game develops. Since Tapa is not played as a single game, the user that won the previous game (Gjul Bara) in the match has the first turn.Goal
The checkers move around in opposite directions. The goal is to bring all checkers to your home board (point 1 to point 6) and then bear them off. The one who bears off all checkers first, wins the game.Movement
After rolling the dice a player must, if possible, move checkers the number of points showing on each die. The number on each die constitutes a separate move. For example, if you roll 5 and 6, you can move one checker 5 points and another 6 points. But you can also move a single checker 11 points (5+6), given that you have a free point (not blocked by the opponent) to land on in between, after moving the checker for 5 or 6 points.If a player rolls two of the same number (doubles) he must play each die twice. For example, upon rolling a 5 and a 5, he must play four checkers forward five spaces each. As before, a checker may be moved multiple times as long as the moves are distinct.
Pinning
Unlike Backgammon, there is no hitting in Tapa. Instead, if a player lands on a point occupied by a single opponent's checker, he places the checker on top of the opponent's checker and traps it. A trapped (pinned) checker can't be moved. Pinning a checker already used for pinning is not allowed. Two of your checkers on a point, or one of your checkers used for pinning an opponent's checker, create an anchor, a blocked point on which the opponent cannot land or touch down.Pinning an opponent's checker in your home board gives you a great advantage. Most likely you won't have to release it until you begin bearing off. The smaller the point where you pinned the opponent's checker is, the higher your advantage. If you pin an opponent's checker on the 1-point and don't have any of your checkers on the 24-point, you automatically win the game and get 2 match points (mars).
Bearing off
After moving all of your 15 checkers to your home board, you can begin bearing off by taking the checkers outside the board. You can bear off checkers from points that correspond to the numbers on the rolled dice. If you don't have checkers on these points, but have ones on higher points, then you must play the move. If you don't have checkers on the points indicated by the dice and don't have checkers on higher points, then you bear off from the highest point that has a checker.If you have a pinned checker in your home board, you can't bear it off until it is freed. If you don't have checkers on the rolled points and have a pinned checker on a higher point that you can't move, you pass and do nothing.
Scoring
The player that manages to bear off all checkers first wins and scores 1 point in the match. If the opponent hasn't borne off any checkers, then the player scores 2 match points; this is called mars and corresponds to gammon. There is no backgammon and doubling cubes in Tapa, so you can't win more than 2 match points with a single game.Basic strategies
Basically, there are 2 different strategies.Defensive strategy
This includes building anchors near the starting points and carefully progressing toward your home board, not allowing to be pinned. At the same time, you should wait for a good opportunity to pin opponent's checkers as close to your home board as possible.
Offensive strategy
At the very start, you move checkers as far as possible, even leaving single checkers in the area of 10-point to 15-point. With this you open up a possibility to pin opponent's checkers in your home board or very near it, before the opponent gets a chance to build anchors. This strategy involves a certain amount of risk, since the opponent gets higher chances to pin your checkers and make a faster progress in building anchors closer to his home board.
Some players prefer one strategy over the other, but this is a mistake. What strategy you use should be determined by the first few rolls. If you roll smaller numbers at the start, then you should use defensive strategy. But if you roll high numbers, you should try placing a checker around the middle-points. In the next few rolls you should try to either pin an opponent's checker or make an anchor with a second checker. If you fail and get pinned, switch to defensive strategy.
The match
Tapa is seldom played as a stand-alone game. Together with two other games, Tabla and Gjul BaraGul bara
Gul Bara is a backgammon variant. It is also called as ‘Rosespring Backgammon’ or ‘Crazy Narde’. The motive of the game is to move all of your checkers around the board and bear them off. The first player who bears off all his checkers wins the game...
it is played in a match of 5 or as long as one of the players gain seven points. A common name in Macedonia and Bulgaria for all three games within a match is Tabla, the same as the first game. The first game is referred to as права (straight [Tabla]) when a need for disambiguation arises.
When starting the match, each player rolls one die, to determine who will start. If it's a tie, the players roll again. But, unlike the regular backgammon, the already-rolled dice are disregarded and the player that won the first turn rolls both dice to begin. In the next game in the match, the player that won the previous has the first turn.
See also
- BackgammonBackgammonBackgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...
- Gul baraGul baraGul Bara is a backgammon variant. It is also called as ‘Rosespring Backgammon’ or ‘Crazy Narde’. The motive of the game is to move all of your checkers around the board and bear them off. The first player who bears off all his checkers wins the game...
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