Bräde

Bräde (Swedish Table) is a Backgammon relative native to Sweden. It's the last surviving member of the 17th-century Verkehren/Revertier family of games, that mainly differ from Backgammon in forbidding the closing of the first eleven points - making it possible to win by "locking out" one's opponent, called jan in the Swedish terminology. Brädspel adds to Verkehren a third objective - arranging one's pieces in one of four preset patterns - and rules for hitting a closed point under special circumstances.

A Brädspel table was brought aboard the warship Vasa on her ill-fated maiden voyage in 1628. When the ship was salvaged in 1961, that board rekindled interest in the game, helping it survive where other Verkehren games died out. Today, the game is governed by the Swedish Tables Association of the Vasa Museum, which holds annual championships right next to old Vasa.

RULES:

(Slight variants may exist. These rules are based on the (lengthier, complete) rules used in the Swedish Championships.)

The game consists of a board (similar to a backgammon board), 15 checkers (game pieces) each of two colours for a total of 30 pieces, and 2 regular dice.

A full match is usually played as best out of a predetermined odd number of games. Winning a single game gives 1-4 points as described below.

The fields are called tongues and are numbered from 1-24 for each player, starting with 1 at the top right tongue as seen from the player, and going counterclockwise around the board with 24 in the lower right corner. Tongue number 1 is called a player’s ”home” and number 12 is referred to as "huk". Fields 1-6 constitute the first quarter, 7-12 the second, 13-18 the third, and 19-24 the fourth.

Preparations: Each player choses one color and places all his/her 15 checkers on his/her home tongue in the upper, right corner. The starting order for the first game is determined by rolling one die each after which the player with the lowest result goes first. In consecutive games the loser of the previous game starts.

Gameplay:

The players take turns throwing the dice and (if possible) moving their pieces. The game pieces are moved counter-clockwise according to the dice. If a player is able to make a move it is obligatory to do so. If only one die can be used it is mandatory to do so. The player can choose to move the same piece for both dice or move a different piece for each die. If moving the same piece for both dice it is forbidden to add up the the numbers and land immediately on the field corresponding to the sum. The piece has to be moved first according to either of the dice and then according to the other. If both dice show the same number they are counted double, e.g. if two fives are thrown the player moves 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 steps and the player can distribute these four moves freely on 1-4 game pieces.