As in other tables games, the playing pieces are moved around a board according to rolls of dice.

It uses a standard tables board, but has a different opening layout and rules of play from that of backgammon.

The game has been historically popular in Persia, Muslim countries, and among Babylonian Jews.

A common legend associates the game with the founder of the Sassanian Dynasty, Ardashir.

Another early reference is to be found in the Middle Persian romance Chatrang-namak (written between the 7th and 9th centuries) which attributes the invention of the game to Bozorgmehr.

Once all 15 men have reached the 4th, or home, quadrant, the player may begin to bear them off the board and the first to do so is the winner.

[3] In Alfonso X's 13th century book of games, El Libro de los Juegos, is a game called Todas Tablas, which many scholars equate to modern Backgammon although the description and opening layout are not the same.

Robet suggests that this version could be closer to the original game than Todas Tablas.

Each player stacks 15 men on the space at the top right in the opponent's home table and rolls a die to decide who will start.

[6] Players takes turns to roll the dice and move their pieces as before.

If this is achieved before the opponent bears any pieces off, the game scores double.