What is Gul Bara?
Gul Bara is a running game of the backgammon family. Each player starts with all fifteen checkers on its own 24-point, in diagonally opposite corners, and both sides move the same way round the board to their own home boards. Nothing is hit: a single checker holds a point, and the opponent can't land there.
Its special rule is about doubles. In your first three rolls a double is played as usual, four times the number. From your fourth roll on, a double is followed by every higher double up to 6-6: roll 4-4 and you play four 4s, then four 5s, then four 6s. You play one number at a time, and if you can't play a number, the rest of the run is lost.
A single run of doubles can carry a whole army forward, so the lead can change hands in one roll. The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins: two points if the opponent has borne off none, one point otherwise.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Backgammon | Gul Bara |
|---|---|---|
| Starting position | Standard BackgammonFifteen checkers each: two on your 24-point, five on your 13-point, three on your 8-point and five on your 6-point. | Gul BaraAll fifteen checkers on your 24-point; the two starting points are in diagonally opposite corners. |
| Direction | Standard BackgammonThe two sides move in opposite directions, each towards its own home board. | Gul BaraBoth sides move the same way round the board, each crossing the opponent's starting quarter. |
| Hitting | Standard BackgammonLanding on a single opposing checker (a blot) hits it to the bar; two or more checkers make a point the opponent can't land on. | Gul BaraNo hitting. A single checker holds a point, and the opponent can't land there. |
| Doubles | Standard BackgammonPlay the number four times. | Gul BaraIn your first three rolls, the same. From your fourth roll, play the number four times, then each higher number four times up to 6. If a number can't be played, the rest of the run is lost. |
| Cube and scoring | Standard BackgammonOptional doubling cube; one point for a win, two for a gammon (the loser has borne off no checkers) and three for a backgammon (the loser also still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board). | Gul BaraNo doubling cube. One point for a win, two if the loser has borne off no checkers. |
History
Gul Bara is a traditional game of Turkey and the Balkans, played in Romania and known in Greece as Gioul. It belongs to the running games, with Fevga and Long Nardy, in which the two armies move the same way round the board and block rather than hit.
The rising run of doubles is what sets it apart from its relatives. The rules were passed on by tradition rather than written down, so sources differ on details such as the roll from which the runs begin and what happens when a number can't be played. This table follows a common written description, with runs from the fourth roll and the rest of the run lost at the first number that can't be played.