Unstacked Draughts
The
game of Unstacked Draughts is a small table game, like Tourne Case
mentioned by Rabelais in Gargantua. Its rules, as written here, follow those found in a work published in Paris by Charpentier in 1699, following on from the Trictrac rules published in 1698. Although it is a game of pure chance, it requires careful attention from both players on every roll of the dice. It is very popular with children.
1. Equipment
A board with 24 points, also called
"spaces", grouped into four quadrants of 6 points.
15 dark checkers and 15 light checkers.
2 dice (the players use the same dice).
2 dice cups (one per player).
The
board is called a "tablier" in the sense that it holds the "tables"
(an old name for draughtsmen). A backgammon set will do.
2. Starting Position
Each player places their 15 checkers on the six spaces of one quadrant, on
their own side, as shown in the figure below:
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
|2W 2W 2W 3W 3W 3W || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
|2B 2B 2B 3B 3B 3B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
The dotted lines represent the points. The
checkers form a single stack on each of the points numbered 1 to 6. For example
: points "1" hold two checkers, and points "5" hold three
checkers.
The compartment on the right is used
only for rolling the dice.
3. Object of the Game
First, unstack
(bring down) your checkers on each point, then, once all 15 checkers have been brought down,
bear them off the board.
The first of the two players to bear off
all their checkers wins the game.
4. Priority
of the Dice
To
decide which player will roll the dice for the first move of the game,
each player rolls one die, and whoever scores higher takes
both dice to roll them again to begin the game.
5. Validity
of the Dice
If, on a roll of the dice, at least one of them lands off the board
or ends up on one of the borders,
the roll must be made again entirely.
If a die ends up tilted and the players
cannot agree on the value shown, the roll must be made again
entirely. If one of the players insists that the die is valid, they may carry out a
test by placing another die on top of the die being tested: if the test die slides off,
the dice must be rolled again; otherwise the roll is deemed valid. This test may only be carried out
by the player claiming the die is valid, and not by the one disputing it.
Dice that land flat on top of checkers are valid.
6. Different
Dice Rolls
Simple roll: the two dice show different
values.
Double: the two dice show the same
value.
7. Names
Given to Doubles
In the past, players used to announce doubles as follows
:
Double of
:
6 : "Sonnés"
5 : "Quines"
4 : "Carmes"
3 : "Ternes"
2 : "Double Deux"
Ace : "Bezas"
8. General
Rules
On a simple roll or a double, any die that cannot be used by one player is played by their opponent if possible.
A double allows the player who rolled it to roll the dice again but only after having played it, along with, where applicable, their opponent doing so under the general rule.
9. Bringing Down
Your Checkers
To bring down a checker means moving it down from the stack it belongs to,
placing it at the front of the checkers on the same point.
Each die allows at most one checker to be unstacked. If the value of the die corresponds
to a point on which all the checkers have already been brought down, it cannot be used
to bring down any checker.
Example
White rolls "4 and
3" for the first move of the game:
they bring down a checker from the fourth point and a checker from the third point,
as follows:
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
|2W 2W W 2W 3W 3W || | | | | | | |
| | | W W | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
|2B 2B 2B 3B 3B 3B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
Black rolls "Bezas": they bring down a checker from the first point for one ace, and being unable to bring down
another checker for the second ace, White takes advantage of it
to bring down a checker from their own first point, as follows (rule on using
a die that the opponent cannot play)
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W 2W W 2W 3W 3W || | | | | | | |
| W | W W | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| B | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| B 2B 2B 3B 3B 3B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
Black, having previously rolled a double, rolls again and gets
"5 and an ace": they
bring down a checker from the fifth point, and the ace cannot be used by either
player, since the checkers on point "1" have already
all been brought down.
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W 2W W 2W 3W 3W || | | | | | | |
| W | W W | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| B | | | B | || | | | | | | |
| B 2B 2B 3B 2B 3B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
White rolls "5 and 4": they bring down a checker
from the fifth point and the last available checker from
the fourth point.
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W 2W W W 2W 3W || | | | | | | |
| W | W W W | || | | | | | | |
| | | | W | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| B | | | B | || | | | | | | |
| B 2B 2B 3B 2B 3B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
... and so on until one of the players has brought down all their checkers. At that point, the
second phase begins for them: "bearing off the checkers."
10. Bearing Off the Checkers
After
bringing down all their checkers, a player must bear them off the board as
follows:
If the number shown by a die corresponds
to a point occupied by at least one checker, a checker is borne off from
that point. The same procedure is followed for the second
die.
Example 1
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W W W W 2W W || | | | | | | |
| W W W W W W || | | | | | | |
| | | | W | W || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | B | | || | | | | | | |
| B | B B B B || | | | | | | |
| B 2B B B 2B 2B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
White rolls "5 and 2"
: they bring down their last checker from the
fifth point and bear off a checker from the second point.
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W W W W W W || | | | | | | |
W | W | W W W W || | | | | | | |
| | | | W W W || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | B | | || | | | | | | |
| B | B B B B || | | | | | | |
| B 2B B B 2B 2B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
Example 2
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W | W W W W || | | | | | | |
W | W | W W W W || | | | | | | |
W | | | | W W W || | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | B | B || | | | | | | |
| B | B B B B || | | | | | | |
| B 2B B B 2B B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
White rolls "4 and 2": they bear off a checker from
the fourth point and cannot play the "2," since the second point
is empty. Black
seizes this opportunity (rule on using, to one's own
advantage, a die that the opponent cannot play) and brings down a checker from their
second point.
WHITE
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
| W | W W W W || | | | | | | |
W | W | W W W W || | | | | | | |
W | | | | | W W || | | | | | | |
W | | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| || |
| || |
| || |
| | | | | | | || | | | | | | |
| | | | B | B || | | | | | | |
| B B B B B B || | | | | | | |
| B B B B 2B B || | | | | | | |
+-1--2--3--4--5--6---------------------+
BLACK
|
Black rolls the dice...: had they not used
the opponent's "2" before rolling their own dice, they would have
lost the opportunity to take advantage of it; the "2" previously
rolled by White would then have become
unusable by either player.
11. Clarifications on the Rules
The
values of the two dice are never added together for play.
Reminder :
a double allows the player who rolled it to roll the dice again (see § 8). If
a player who has rolled a double is unable to use it fully,
their opponent, if able to take advantage of it, must assert that right before the player rolls the dice again. However, if the player had rolled
the dice again too hastily, their opponent, in order to assert their rights over the first roll, would be entitled to interrupt it (by covering it with their hand) before it comes to rest in the board. Once the opponent has thus exercised their rights on the previous roll, the player would then re-roll the dice that had been interrupted.
If, on the same roll of the dice, both players are able to bear off their last checker(s) from the board, then the player who rolled the dice wins the game, by precedence of play over their opponent.
12. Winning the Game
The
player who is first to bear off all their checkers wins the game. They score 1 point.
Before
playing, the players may agree on how many points the game will be played to.
Reference
:
Unstacked
Draughts, published by Charpentier, Paris, 1699
