How to Play Tawla 31
Tawla 31 uses the same starting position as Mahbuse, but there is no pinning or hitting. You only move to empty points or points you already occupy. The match is a race to 31 cumulative points.
Setup
- White starts with all 15 checkers on point 1.
- Black starts with all 15 checkers on point 24.
- White advances toward bear-off at 25; Black toward 0.
Opening restriction
- At the start, each side moves only one checker (your “lead” piece) until that checker reaches your home board.
- White home board: points 19–24. Black home board: points 1–6.
- Once that lead checker enters your home, all of your checkers may move freely.
Movement and landing
- Roll two dice each turn and move forward, same die rules as Mahbuse (use both dice when possible; if only one applies, use the larger).
- You cannot land on a point that has any opponent checker(s). Occupied enemy points are blocked.
- You may move to an empty point or a point that already has your checkers.
Bearing off
- Bear off only when all your checkers are in your home board.
- Use exact pips when you can; otherwise you may bear off with a higher die when no checker on a lower point could use that roll (same bearing-off logic style as standard backgammon).
Scoring per game
- Win a game by bearing off all 15 checkers first.
- Your score for that game equals the number of opponent checkers still on the board (points 1–24; checkers already borne off do not count).
- So you can earn between 1 and 15 points in a single game, depending on how many opposing checkers remain when you finish.
Match to 31
Games continue until one player’s running total reaches 31. The match always uses that target in the app. After each game there is a short pause before the next starts.
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.