Tavla — Backgammon, the Turkish Way
Tavla (sometimes spelled tavlah) is what backgammon is called in Turkey, and the tavla game is played in every Turkish café and on most family balconies. Here's how tavla compares with backgammon and Greek tavli, and how to play it online.
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What tavla is
Tavla is the Turkish name for backgammon. The game itself is the one you know: two players, 15 checkers each (pul), 24 points, two dice, hitting a lone checker (kırma) and taking your checkers off at the end (toplama). The word goes back to the Latin tabula, "board", the name of the Roman game that was an ancestor of backgammon. Older Ottoman sources also call it nerd — the same root as the Persian nard and the Russian nardy.
Tavla vs backgammon
| Turkish tavla (most tables) | International backgammon | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and moves | Same | Same |
| Doubling cube | Not used | Used in most clubs and tournaments |
| Mars (gammon) | 2 points | 2 points (times the cube) |
| Loser still in the winner's home | Usually still just a mars | Backgammon, 3 points |
| Match length | Usually to 5 | Any agreed length |
NARDEON follows the international scoring without a cube: 1 for a win, 2 for a mars, 3 if the loser still has a checker on the bar or in your home board. Matches go to 1, 3, 5 or 7 — pick 5 for the café feel. The full rules are on the backgammon rules page, and the Turkish version on tavla kuralları.
Tavla vs tavli
Greek tavli shares the name but usually means three games played one after another: portes, which is backgammon; plakoto, where you trap an opposing checker by landing on it instead of hitting it; and fevga, a no-hitting race related to long nardy. Turkish tavla on its own is the first of these. More on the family in backgammon variants.
The Turkish dice names
Turkish players call out rolls by names built from Persian numbers. The doubles:
| Roll | Name |
|---|---|
| 1-1 | hep yek |
| 2-2 | dubara |
| 3-3 | dü se |
| 4-4 | dört cihar |
| 5-5 | dü beş |
| 6-6 | dü şeş |
The most famous name isn't a double: şeş beş is 6-5, and it became the name of the game in Israel and one of its names in Russia. Düşeş has even entered everyday Turkish as a word for a lucky break. The full list is on tavla zar isimleri (in Turkish).
How to play tavla in five lines
- Set up: 2 checkers on your 24-point, 5 on 13, 3 on 8, 5 on 6 — diagram here.
- Each player rolls one die; the higher starts and plays both numbers.
- Move forward by the dice; doubles count four times; you can't land on two or more opposing checkers.
- Land on a lone opposing checker to hit it; it must re-enter from the bar before its owner moves anything else.
- Bring all 15 home, take them off, and be first to finish.
Play tavla online
On NARDEON tavla is simply backgammon: play a random opponent, a friend by link, the person next to you on one screen, or the computer at three levels. No download, no sign-up. The interface can be switched to Turkish in the settings, and Turkish speakers can start at tavla or online tavla.
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FAQ
Is tavla the same as backgammon?
Yes, as a game. Turkish tavla uses the same board, setup, hitting and bearing off as backgammon. The differences are in habits: no doubling cube, matches usually to 5, and no separate 3-point backgammon at most tables.
What does tavla mean?
The word comes from the Latin tabula, "board" — the same root as the Greek tavli. The Roman game tabula was an ancestor of backgammon.
What is the difference between tavla and tavli?
Tavla is the Turkish word, tavli the Greek one. Greek tavli usually means a set of three games played in turn: portes (backgammon), plakoto and fevga.
Can I play tavla online here?
Yes. Backgammon on NARDEON is the same game as tavla, and the interface is available in Turkish. Our Turkish pages start at /tr/tavla/.
How many points is a mars in tavla?
2 points. Most Turkish tables count it as 2 even when the loser still has a checker in the winner's home; NARDEON counts that case as 3, like international backgammon.
Updated: October 23, 2026