Foreword

The rules that follow are a compilation of those given by Euverte Jollyvet (L'Excellent Jeu du Trique-Trac, 1656), Charles Cotton (The Complete Gamester, 1674) and Francis Willughby (The Volume of Plaies, mid-17th century). Where the mention (Trictrac) appears, it indicates a borrowing from Jollyvet; likewise for (Cotton).

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 (both players use the same dice) ;

1 die identical to the others, for the doubles ;

2 dice cups (one per player).

The board is called a tablier in the sense that it holds the tables (an old name for checkers).A Backgammon board will do.

2. Starting Position

Each player places their checkers on their side as follows:

The object of the game is to be the first player to score one or more points.

Bearing the checkers off the board, extremely rare, is not the aim.

The various ways of scoring points are described further on.

As soon as a player scores, the game is over, but if a target number of points has been fixed as the objective – generally 2, 4, 6 or 8, wrote Euverte Jollyvet –, the checkers are returned to the talons and play resumes until one of the two players has totalled a number of points equal to or greater than that objective. That player is the overall winner.

6. Priority for the Dice (Trictrac)

To determine which player will throw the dice for the first move of a game :

Each player throws one die ;

Whoever scores higher throws both dice to begin the game.

7. Validity of the Dice (Trictrac)

If on a throw of the dice, at least one of them falls off the board or lands on one of the borders, the throw must be made over completely.

If a die ends up tilted and the players cannot agree on the value shown, the throw must be made over completely. If one of the players maintains that the die is good, they may perform a test consisting of placing another die on top of the die being tested: if the test die slips off, the dice must be thrown again, otherwise the throw is deemed good. This test may only be performed by the player claiming that the die is good, and not by whoever disputes it.

Dice that land flat on top of checkers are good.

8. Moving the Checkers

a) On a simple throw (the 2 dice show different numbers) one may:

Either move one checker by the value of one die and a second checker by the value of the other die ;

Or move a single checker by the value of one of the two dice, then from that resting position move the same checker again by the value of the second die. It is good practice to pause briefly on the intermediate point.

b) On a double (the value of each of the two dice is the same)

A double is played exactly like a simple throw.

c) « Checker touched: checker played »

A player who, after throwing the dice, takes it upon themselves to touch at least one of their checkers may be forced by their opponent to play it if it can be played in a legal way.

One may, on the other hand, touch one of one's checkers without being obliged to play it if one has first announced « j'adoube ! » ("I adjust!"). One may, however, only adjust to arrange one's checkers and in no way to carry out a move.

9. False Space (Trictrac)

Since Tic-Tac is played with only a pair of dice, the following rules determine at what point a player has finished playing their checkers :

Once a checker has been moved a number of points equal to or greater than the sum of the numbers thrown by the two dice, the move is complete and the player cannot go back on it.

Likewise, once two checkers have each been moved a number of points equal to or less than the higher of the two dice, the move is complete and the player cannot go back on it.

The outcome of this move, or these moves, is correct if it complies with the numbers thrown by the dice and with the rules governing the movement of checkers.

 Otherwise, the outcome is incorrect for one or both checkers. The player is said to have made a « false space ».

 In the event of a false space, the opposing player may, before throwing their dice, either reposition the misplayed checker or checkers correctly or leave them as they are, as suits them.

10. Names Given to the Doubles (Trictrac)

Old-time players used to announce doubles as follows :
Double of :

6 : « Sonnés » ("Rung")
5 : « Quines »
4 : « Carmes »
3 : « Ternes »
2 : « Double deux » ("Double two")
Ace : « Bezas »

11. Obligation to Play the Higher Die (Trictrac)

If one can play either one of the two dice but not both, one is required, if possible, to play the higher one. This is why, after the dice are thrown, one must announce the dice starting with the higher one (for example « 4 and 2 » and not « 2 and 4 »). Note in passing that « 1 » is not called « one » but « ace ».

12. Restriction on Moving the Checkers

Over the whole circuit, a checker may neither stop nor even rest on a point occupied by at least one of the opponent's checkers. It may, however, do so on a point that is empty or occupied by one or more checkers of its own colour.

13. How to Score Points

Points always go to the player who threw the dice, without their having to play their checkers. If, before scoring their points, the player has touched one of their checkers, they fall under the penalizing case No. 9.

The following 10 ways of scoring, along with the doubles, are cited by Willughby. Cotton, for his part, mentions only what is flagged by the notation (Cotton).

13.1 Hitting an Opponent's Checker (1 point) (Cotton)

This is when, on a throw of the dice, a checker is able to reach exactly an isolated checker of the opponent's.

If, to reach the isolated checker, one must play a single checker using the sum of the two dice, the intermediate point, in the case of a double, or at least one point in the case of a simple throw, must not be occupied by any opposing checker.

If, on a throw of the dice, one is able to hit several opposing checkers, only one point is scored.

13.2 Filling the Second Quadrant (2 points)

This is placing at least two checkers on each of the 6 points of the second quadrant, i.e. the one containing the player's corner. Note that 2 points are likewise scored if one fills the third or the fourth quadrant, but this is very unlikely.

13.3 Filling the First Quadrant (2 points) (Cotton, optional)

This is placing at least two checkers on each of the 6 points of the first quadrant, the one containing the player's talon, but no checker must have left it.

13.4 Jan of the Two Corners (2 points) (Cotton, optional)

This is, using only two checkers played out of the talon, bringing one into one's own corner and the other into the opponent's corner.

13.5. Making Both Corners (2 points) (Cotton)
This is succeeding in having at least two of one's checkers in each of the two corners, one's own and the opponent's.

13.6. Making Both Talons (2 points)
Making both talons is succeeding in having at least two of one's checkers on each of the two talons.

13.7. The Volant (2 points) (Cotton, optional)
This is bringing a checker into the opponent's first quadrant while the opponent still has all their checkers there.

13.8. Bearing Off the Checkers (2 points)
This is being the first to bear all one's checkers off the board. This case is so improbable that it will not be developed further on this page.

13.9. School (Cotton)

When a player touches one of their checkers before having scored their point or points, their opponent, if they have not yet thrown the dice, may send the player to school by scoring their point or points for themself instead.

13.10. Combining Points on a Single Throw of the Dice (personal interpretation)

There is no stacking of points. Only one of the successful cases is scored, so a maximum of 2 points and a minimum of 1 point.

14. Doubling

Before throwing the dice a player may offer to double. To do so they say « I double » and their opponent may accept or refuse. If the opponent refuses they lose the game and the doubler wins 1 point, but if they accept, play continues and the points for this game will be doubled (2 points instead of 1; 4 points instead of 2).

Once the double has been accepted, it is not possible to double again until both players have thrown the dice.

From that point on, if one of the two players offers to double again before throwing the dice they say « I triple ». If the opponent refuses they lose the game and the doubler wins 2 points but if they accept, play continues and the points for this game will be tripled (3 points instead of 1, 6 points instead of 2).

Doubling can thus continue, quadrupling, and so on...

To keep track of successive doubles one can use an extra die which, placed between the two players, will show the face corresponding to the current multiplier; at the start of the game it will show the ace, then the two, then the three, and so on... (personal suggestion)

15. A Suggested Way to Play Tic-Tac

One may use the 10 ways of scoring points, and for doubling, the method of modern Backgammon but with an ordinary die instead of the doubling cube. The whole game will be played to 12 points.