Trictrac

While modern backgammon reference books refer to trictrac as the French name for backgammon, true trictrac was a very different game.

Trictrac was invented in France. While several important changes were made to the rules over the years, Trictrac remained popular in France until the middle of the nineteenth century.

The equipment is the same as in backgammon. Players have fifteen checkers each which they move around the board according to rolls of the dice. However, as opposed to backgammon, racing plays a small role in Trictrac. All fifteen checkers for both players start on that player's talon and move toward his coin de repos (coin), then around the board to the player's jan de retour, where the checkers are borne off.

The object of the game is to score points for different plays or different configurations of checkers. Twelve points make one trou (hole), and twelve trous make one match.

The players roll one die with the higher roll going first. That player then rolls two dice to begin his first turn.

Movement is similar to backgammon except that doubles are played just once each and there is no hitting. Unlike backgammon, if a player touches an opposing checker in trictrac, their adversary can force them to play it.

The roll of the dice indicates how many points/pips the player can move his checkers. The following rules apply:

1) A checker can only be moved to an open point unoccupied by an opposing player's checker.
2) The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves.
3) If a player can move one but not both of the two numbers rolled, he must move the higher number.
4) Players can not move a single checker to their own coin if it is empty. To occupy the coin, the player has to move two checkers together with one roll. If the player has two checkers on their coin, they can not move one without moving the other.
5) Players can not move any checkers to their opponent's coin, but can touch down there on their way to another point.
6) If the player rolls two numbers that fill their opponent's coin, and their own coin is still empty, they can move the checkers to their own coin instead, filling it par puissance. However, if there is a choice between making the coin directly or par puissance, the player must make it directly.
7) If players have at least two checkers on each of the six points in their petit jan, grand jan, or jan de retour, they have filled that table. If a player's roll allows them to fill a table, they must do so. After filling a table, the players must preserve the table as long as possible.
8) A checker can not stop on a point in the opponent's grand jan or petit jan if the opponent can still fill it.

Once players have moved all fifteen checkers into their jan de retour, they can begin bearing off by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing it from the board.

If there is no checker on the point indicated, players must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no such checkers, players must remove a checker from the highest point that has a checker.

Scoring: At each turn, players roll the dice to see which ways their roll can be used.

Jan de trois coup: 4 points. Scored if the third roll of the game allows a player to end up with exactly one checker on each of the points two through seven. Players are not required to actually make this play to score the points.

Jan de deux table: 4 points (6 points if by doubles). Scored if only two checkers have been played off the talon and the throw allows the player to move one checker to both their own and their opponent's coin. (Players score, but cannot move there.)

Petit jan, grand jan, and jan de retour: 4 points (6 points if by doubles) for each way possible. This is scored if players pile checkers on each point of the jan. For every move which preserves the jan, the player scores again, even if the position is merely saved by the inability to play all or part of a roll.

Jan de mezeas: 4 points (6 points if by doubles). If a player has played only two checkers off their talon and they are now on the opponent's coin and they roll a 1 or a 1-1. If the opponent's coin is already filled, it is contre-jan do mezeas and the opponent takes the score.

Potential hit: While there is no actual hitting in this game, the potential to hit an opposing checker scores points. There are 4 points for each potential hit in a petit jan, 2 points for each potential hit in a grand jan (2 extra points for doubles).

False hit: A "false hit" is a potential indirect hit which is blocked because the middle point is occupied. The opponent receives 4 points for a false hit in the petit jan and 2 points for a false hit in the grand jan (2 extra points) for doubles).

Battre le coin: 4 points (6 points if by doubles). This is scored if a player has made their own coin, the opponent's coin is empty, and they roll numbers which would make his coin.

Unplayable number: 2 points each. These are scored for the player's opponent for each number they cannot play.

First off: 4 points (6 points if by doubles). Scored by the first player to bear off his checkers.

Marking the score: Scoring in Trictrac is extremely elaborate. A Trictrac board has twelve holes along the base of each side of the board that are used for scoring. For every twelve points a player scores, a peg is moved along the holes on his side of the board. When the peg reaches the hole at the base of the coin, the match is over.

Three small tokens are used to record points. The tokens start between the talons to indicate no points have been scored. As a player acquires points, he moves a token to the tip of a triangle on the board. The second triangle represents 2 points, the fourth triangle represents 4 points, the sixth triangle represents 6 points, the seventh triangle represents 8 points, and the twelfth triangle represents 10 points. When a player accumulates twelve points, the token goes back to the talon and a trou is scored by moving the peg to a new hole.

If the player scores a trou on their own roll, the player may either continue playing or reset the game. If the player scores a trou with no subsequent scoring by their opponent after the player moved his token off the talon, the player scores a trou bredouille. If a player scores first, moving his token forward, and then the opponent scores, the second player can still win a trou bredouille and use two tokens to mark his score. If the first player scores again, he will return one of the second player's tokens back to the talon to indicate that trou bredouille is no longer possible.

Ecoles: Players must mark their score before making their move. If they leave out any score or claim one wrongly, the opponent takes that score. This is called an ecole. The scoring of ecoles is not mandatory, but if a player scores an ecole they must score it totally.

After all the scores have been credited, the player makes his move and it is the opponent's turn.