Tapa

The word "tapa" means "bottle cap" in Bulgarian and this game of strategy is still quite popular in Bulgaria. In this variation of backgammon the move direction and game objective are identical, save for one important difference: blots are not taken out when hit. Instead, the opponent's man is placed atop the blot to form a point. Points are also formed in the traditional way, by the player placing two or more of his men at the same slot.

If the player leaves a blot at their home slot (1 or 24) and it gets covered, the player loses backgammon, unless the other player has done the same, in which case it's a tie. A long doublet (5 and 5 or 6 and 6) in the early stage of the game is helpful because it should allow the player to cover blots in the enemy’s home quadrant. The closer to the enemy’s home slot a player can cover the better, because later the player will free the blot during bearing off.

Even if the player gets caught close to his home row, he may be able to force his opponent to free it by blocking enough of his men until he has no other move. It is better to move slower rather than faster in Tapa. Primes are not necessarily useful, especially when your opponent has enough space for short moves behind the prime.
Should no one get caught in the early part of the game, the two players will then try to advance their men in "almost primed" formations, resulting in a dramatic clash of the two armies.