Gul Bara is a Turkish backgammon variant: a fast, luck-based game played with 15 checkers each and two dice; there is no hitting and no making points. The checkers are stacked on the board, and the aim is to roll the dice to lower your checkers and bear off before your opponent does; because the games are short, a round is over in a few minutes, which makes it ideal for practice.
The setup is the most critical step of the game; a wrong arrangement breaks your pace and delays lowering the checkers. Follow the steps below in order and then check your work, because an incomplete setup ruins the game from the start.
In this setup the 6, 5 and 4 points hold three checkers each and the 3, 2 and 1 points hold two each, so all 15 checkers are distributed over six points. Both sides play with the same number; once the setup is done you're ready to roll — go over it once more before your first throw.
The rules are short; you'll pick up the flow in a few rounds. The points below sum up the basic rules, and for the details you can check the guide, quickly find whatever you're stuck on and answer the question in your head.
For anything beyond the setup and bearing off, you can look at the backgammon rules page; the dice terms are explained there, and reading the basic flow once is enough.
In classic backgammon the checkers travel across the board; in Gul Bara they're arranged on six points and lowered in place. There's no hitting, no making points and no blocking. That makes the game entirely luck-based and much faster; it's decided in a few minutes, which is why it's played in sets — matches of three or five sets are common.
In classic backgammon strategy and position matter; here, whatever the dice show, that point opens. Even so, knowing the classic backgammon rules makes it easier to follow the dice terms. For culture and history you can look at the about backgammon page, learn the game's past, see its place in the culture and understand where it came from.
The starting player is decided with the first roll; the higher die starts, and on a tie the dice are rolled again. When it's your turn you roll the two dice and lower one checker from the stack on the point that matches the number. If you roll a double you lower all the checkers on that point; if there are no checkers on that point you look at the next lower point, and if there's nothing to play the turn passes to your opponent — you can plan your move in the meantime.
Once all checkers have been lowered, you move on to bearing off. Whichever point the dice show, you take the checker there; if you roll a double you bear off every checker on that point. If you're ready, take a seat with Gul Bara; there's also backgammon against the computer for practice, and both open in your browser with no download needed.
We've gathered the most frequently asked questions about Gul Bara below. The answers are short; for the setup and the rules you can go back to the sections above and jump to whichever heading you're curious about.
The checkers are stacked on six points. Three checkers go on the 6, 5 and 4 points and two on the 3, 2 and 1 points. Each player's 15 checkers are placed facing each other or diagonally; both sides have the same arrangement, the checkers stand in stacks and the points look crowded.
Gul Bara is played with two dice; the checker on the point shown by the die is lowered from its stack. If you roll a double, every checker on that point is lowered or borne off. There's no hitting and no making points, so the game moves fast and the games are short.
In classic backgammon the checkers travel across the board; in Gul Bara they're lowered and borne off from fixed points. There's no hitting and no blocking, and the game is luck-based. So it finishes faster; it doesn't take as long as classic backgammon and it's a fast-paced game.
Gul Bara is played with two dice; three dice are not used. The number of dice is the same as in classic backgammon. Rather than the total of the two dice, the point each die shows counts separately; with two dice the moves are familiar and you don't have to learn a new dice setup.
Yes, you can play in a mobile browser. You don't need to download a separate app. You can join the table by opening the same address; a browser is enough, with no installation.
Experience traditional Turkish backgammon culture in the digital arena without interruption. A guide to move depth, dice odds, and mastery against live opponents.
Success in online backgammon depends not only on the luck of the dice, but also on the discipline of closing the door and not leaving any checkers open. Switching from a defensive setup to an offensive position at the right time strengthens the possibility of Mars by blocking the opponent's escape routes. In tournament formats, every point is valuable; Therefore, evaluate your dice with maximum strategy by establishing a balanced risk management.
With modern web standards and an optimized HTML5 engine, TavlaPlus opens instantly in your browser without requiring any plugins or installation. With the assurance of a lag-free, fair dice algorithm on your desktop or mobile device, you can immediately make your move against real players from all over the world and continue enjoying backgammon with pleasant conversations.
