How to Play Mahbuse
Mahbuse follows Plakoto rules, a backgammon variant where you can pin opponent checkers. Two players, fifteen checkers each, standard dice.
Setup
- White starts with all 15 checkers on point 1.
- Black starts with all 15 checkers on point 24.
- White moves toward point 25; Black moves toward point 0.
- The first game begins after a short countdown once both players join.
Movement and dice
- On your turn, roll two dice and move your checkers forward.
- You must use both dice if any legal sequence exists.
- If only one die can be used, you must use the larger die.
- If no legal move exists, the turn ends.
Pinning
- If you land on a point with exactly one opponent checker, it becomes pinned.
- A pinned checker cannot move until the checker on top moves away.
- The mother checker is the last checker left on the starting point.
Blocking
- You cannot land on a point that has two or more opponent checkers.
- You cannot move to a point where your checker is pinned underneath an opponent checker.
Bearing off
- You may bear off only when all your checkers are in your home board.
- White home board: points 19-24.
- Black home board: points 1-6.
- Exact dice are used when possible; an oversized die can bear off only when allowed by the remaining checker positions.
Scoring
- Regular win (1 point): bear off all 15 while the opponent has borne off at least one.
- Gammon (2 points): bear off all 15 while the opponent has borne off none.
- Mother checker pin (2 points): pin the opponent's mother checker after clearing your own starting point.
- Tie (0 points): both players pin each other's mother checker and both have cleared their starting points.
Match play
A match is a series of games. The first player to reach the target score wins the match. After each game, the next one starts automatically after a short pause.
Turn time and forfeits
Each turn has a time limit. If you don't finish your turn in time — for example, because you got disconnected or stepped away — the bot plays that turn for you, up to twice per game. Any further timeout in the same game costs you that game. Forfeiting can award a fixed score to your opponent for that game so the match can continue fairly.
More about the game: Plakoto on Wikipedia