How to Set Up Tavla (Turkish Backgammon)

Tavla is the Turkish name for backgammon, played as Turkey's national board game since at least the Ottoman period. In coffeehouses across Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir — and in Turkish communities around the world — tavla remains one of the most-played board games of any kind. The setup is essentially the same as international backgammon for the principal form (Uzun Tavla), with a handful of regional variants using modified rules but the same physical board arrangement.

This page covers the tavla setup in detail, the variant forms played in Turkey, and the cultural-vocabulary notes that distinguish tavla from generic English-language backgammon documentation. For the complete game rules, see the backgammon rules page. For the standard backgammon setup that Uzun Tavla mirrors, see the main setup page.

1. The Standard Tavla Setup (Uzun Tavla)

Uzun Tavla — literally "long tavla" — is the most-played form and is mechanically identical to international backgammon. Each player begins with 15 pul (checkers) distributed across four points on a 24-point board.

Reading each player's points from their own perspective (with point 1 in the corner closest to themselves and point 24 in the far corner):

Total: $2 + 5 + 3 + 5 = 15$ ✓

The opponent's setup is the mirror image. As in international backgammon, the opening pip count is 167 for both sides, and the direction of movement is opposite for the two players (each player moves their own checkers from their 24-point toward their 1-point).

2. Equipment: Tavla-Specific Vocabulary

Turkish backgammon has its own set of terms for the standard equipment:

The Turkish vocabulary is layered: traditional tavla has its own complete game-vocabulary that predates the international/English terminology, and competitive Turkish players today use both. The phrase "tavla nasıl kurulur" (literally "how is the board set up?") is among the most-searched backgammon queries in Turkey.

3. Tavla Variants and Their Setups

Tavla is not a single game. Several distinct forms are played widely in Turkey, all using the same physical 24-point board and 15-checker-per-player setup, but with different rules.

Uzun Tavla (Long Tavla)

The standard form. Identical to international backgammon in rules and setup. The doubling cube is used in serious tournament play but typically not in casual café games. Match length varies; first-to-five (5-puanlık) and first-to-seven (7-puanlık) are common.

Kırık Tavla (Broken Tavla)

A variant with modified hitting rules. The starting position is the same as Uzun Tavla, but certain hits are scored differently and the game length structure differs. Kırık means "broken" — the name refers to the way the rules deviate from standard tavla rather than to any change in physical setup.

Gül Bar

A scoring variant where specific configurations (notably catching opposing checkers in particular ways) earn bonus points. The starting setup is identical to Uzun Tavla; the differences are entirely in the scoring system.

Mahbusa

A pinning variant similar to Greek Plakoto, in which a single checker landing on an opposing single pins it rather than hitting it. Played less widely than Uzun Tavla but maintained in some regional traditions. Mahbusa starts with all 15 checkers on the 24-point of each player (similar to Greek Plakoto).

The GamesGrid platform supports Uzun Tavla as its standard tavla offering, with the other variants planned for the regional Turkish localisation.

4. Cultural Notes on Tavla

A few notes that matter for the Turkish backgammon context but rarely appear in English-language references:

• The doubles call. Each doubles roll in Turkish tavla has a traditional name. The 6-6 roll is düşeş; the 5-5 is dübeş; the 4-4 is dörtcihar; the 3-3 is seçi; the 2-2 is dübara; and the 1-1 is hepyek. These names are part of casual tavla conversation and add character that doesn't translate to English-language documentation.
• The çifte küpü (doubling cube) is a relatively modern addition to Turkish tavla and is found mostly in tournament play, not casual café games.
• The mat (mat) in Turkish tavla refers to a gammon — winning while the opponent has not yet borne off any checkers. Mars (an older term derived from "Mars" or "battle") is sometimes used for the same concept.
• Tournament structure. Annual national championships in Turkey use Uzun Tavla rules. Regional café and club tournaments are common across the country year-round.

5. After Setup: First Move and Play

Once both players have placed their 15 checkers correctly, the first move is decided by each player rolling a single die. The higher number plays first, using the combination of both dice as the opening move.

For the complete tavla play rules — checker movement, hitting (kırmak), bearing off, scoring with the doubling cube, the Crawford and Jacoby rules — see the backgammon rules page. For the strategic theory of the 15 distinct opening rolls, see opening moves.

6. Tavla on the GamesGrid Platform

The 2026 GamesGrid platform supports Uzun Tavla with the same rated, recorded, server-side competitive infrastructure as standard international backgammon. The localised Turkish version of the platform (planned launch alongside the English version) will surface tavla-specific vocabulary, match formats, and a dedicated Turkish-language community. The GG bot family — the legendary GG Weasel, GG Raccoon, GG Forever and the rest — will compete in the tavla rooms with the same skill ladder as in the international backgammon rooms.

See Also

• Backgammon Setup — the standard international setup that Uzun Tavla mirrors.
• Rules of Backgammon — full international rules including regional variant notes.
• History of Backgammon — including the broader regional tradition of tavla, tavli, and nardi.
• Glossary — including the Turkish entries (Tavla, Uzun Tavla, etc.).

Footnotes