Philos ASBFMXZBBQ Exciting Board Game Instructions
- June 5, 2024
- Philos
Table of Contents
Philos ASBFMXZBBQ Exciting Board Game
Equipment needed for the game
Board, 15 white coloured pieces (in the form of a disc) and 15 black ones, dice
Terminology:
Each player has an outfield and an infield on the board. The infield is also
called the home field. Bar: Separation of the playing fields, the halfway
line. Point: The (acute) point of a triangle on the board pointing toward the
bar.
Aim of the game:
This is to bring home and remove one’s own pieces from the board. The first
player to take all his pieces off the board is the winner.
Basic set-up
Since there are different ways to play Backgammon only the most well-known basic rules are explained here. Pieces are shown in the following illustration in their starting position. White plays here from above right to left, then dowln the left and from there to the right into his home field i.e. anti- clockwise. Black moves in the other direction, clockwise. The given direction must be observed, moves in the opposite direction are not permitted.
outfield white infield white
Start:
To start the game; each player throws one dice to determine who makes the
first move. The player with the higher number begins. If both players throw
the same number the procedure is repeated, until one has a higher score. For
the first move, the combined two scores of the dice thrown is used.
Throwing the dice:
After the start two dice are used for each throw. Both players take turns to
throw and move. The dice must be thrown into each respective right-hand half
of the board.
Move:
The pieces can be moved by the number shown on the dice thrown. One of two
possibilities of move can be selected: One single move with the indicated
numbers of both cubes added moving only one piece. In this case it must be
noted that the numbers may not be simply added, the move must be split
into two parts, one for each die, and an intermediate sltop on a POINT must be
possible. If the intermediate stop should be occupied by an opposing
piece, then this move is illegal. It is up to the player however to select the
order of the chosen die. In the other case the player moves with two different
pieces.
Example: Thrown dice give a 2 and a 5. It is up to the player now to move a
piece either 2 and 5 or 5 and 2 or to move with two different stones in each
case 2 and 5 points.
To consider when moving
All POINTS may be occupied, with exception of those on which two or more opposing pieces are standing. In principle the player is obliged to move thus both thrown dice be played. If it is only possible to move the one piece, then the higher of the two die numbers must be moved. The lower number is forfeited. If no piece can be moved, the move is completely forfeited and it is the opponent’s turn.
Illegal moves:
If one player lays a piece wrongly, then the other player may require the
correction of the move. The correction may take place only if the next throw
has not already been taken.
Capturing pieces:
If a single piece is on a POINT, then this can be knocked onto the bar by the
opponent by landing on this POINT or on making an intermediate stop. The
captured piece is physically put on the bar.
Return of a piece into play:
A player who has one or more pieces on the bar is not allowed to make moves in
the playing field until all his pieces have been brought back into play,
this being into the opponent’s home field. Rules of return: Only if the piece
on the bar can land on the unoccupied POINT in the opponent’s home field
determined by the number on the dice thrown. If a single opponent’s piece
occupies a POINT, it can be captured and so carried off to the bar during this
move. If the player on the bar cannot make a legal move then this move is
forfeited and it is the opponent’s turn.
Double:
If a double is thrown the player moves twice as many points as shown on the
dice.
Example: If a player throws a two on each die then he has the option of different combinations. He can move 2 points along, four times with only one piece; or three times 2 points with one and with another piece once 2 points; or with two pieces two times 2 points and with another piece also twice 2 points.
“Bearing off”:
The bearing off may only be started if all 15 stones are in one’s own home
field. Bearing off is done by each player clearing his own pieces from the
board by throwing the necessary numbers on the dice. A piece is moved off the
board if the score on the dice is high enough to carry the piece over the edge
of the board. One may use a part of the throw or the whole throw also to move
other pieces into the home field instead of bearing off. This can be an astute
move if the opponent still has a piece on the bar which could capture pieces
and ban them to the bar. If a piece is knocked onto the bar while a player is
bearing off, then he must bring this piece back into play and into his own
home field again before he can continue with bearing off.
End of the game and profiting
Simple victory:
The winner is whoever bears off all his pieces before the opponent can clear
his last piece from the board. Hereby the opponent could have cleared away
several pieces.
Gammon profit:
The winner is the player who is first to bear off all his pieces whereby the
opponent could not clear away any of his pieces.
Backgammon profit:
The winner is the player who is first to bear off all his pieces, hereby the
opponent could not clear away any of his pieces and he still has one or more
pieces on the bar or in the winner’s home field.
Note:
With some Backgammon versions a doubling cube is also used. The stake can be
doubled during the game using this special die. This variant of the game and
also the different tournament rules cannot be dealt with here.
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Read User Manual Online (PDF format) >>