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Evidence for Bargese
1 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.1604
Type Rules text
Location Modern Syria
Date 2002-01-01 - 2002-12-31
Rules Four 3x8 rectangles, arranged in a cross. In the outer rows of each arm, the third square from the outer corners is marked with an X. In two opposite arms, the bottom left corner is marked with "\", called bange. Four pieces per player. Six cowrie shells, used as dice. The throws are as follows: six mouths up (bara) = 12, and the player is granted another throw; five mouths up (bange) = 25 plus another throw, or 24 in addition to entering a piece on the first space of the track, or a piece can enter on the bange plus another throw; four mouths up (arba) = 4; three mouths up (t'laite) = 3; two mouths up (doi) = 2; one mouth up (dust) = 11 plus another throw, or 10 in addition to entering a piece on the first square of the track, or a piece can enter on the X in the right hand row of the player's arm and the player gets another throw; all mouths down (shaka) = 6 plus another throw. Players begin in opposite arms of the cross that do not contain the bange. Pieces entr the board on the top square of the ecntral row of their arm, proceed down that row, then continue in an anti-clockwise direction around the board, until returning to the central track in the player's arm and proceeding toward the central square of the board. To begin, players alternate throwing the cowries until one player throws a dust or bange. That player may then continue to throw until obtaining a throw that does not allow another. Then, the player moves the pieces according to the throws. A piece must move the full value of a single throw, unless one of the throws allows the entering of a piece. When a piece lands on a space occupied by an opponent's piece, the opponent's piece is removed from the board and must re-enter from the beginning. Pieces resting on squares marked with X cannot be sent back to start in this way. Two opposing pieces cannot occupy the same safe space, but two pieces belonging to the same player may. Pieces entering the central row of the player's arm are placed on their side to indicate they are moving toward the goal, rather than just starting. Pieces enter the central space (the kitchen) by throwing a dust or bange from the final space in the central row. When this is thrown, and the player has other pieces on the board, the piece waiting to enter the kitchen uses the point normally used to enter pieces to exit, and the remaining value of the throw can be used by other pieces. The first player to remove all four pieces from the board wins.
Content "Fuller information about the modern Syrian game as played in contemporary Aleppo has subsequently been provided by Anna Tajeddin, who has furnished the following details and most kindly allowed me to quote them here:1. Background
Bargese is a traditional Syrian game played only by women. However, it seems the game originates from a non Arabic-speaking country as many of the names of the throws are not Arabic (e.g. dust, which allows a player to move eleven squares). The name of the game varies according to the locality; in Aleppo it is called bargese, while in Damascus it is barcese.
The game is played on an embroidered cloth board [see Fig. 1 and 2]. In earlier times the board was made at home and embroidered by the women themselves. The pieces are today usually made of metal but they were originally made of wood. They represent horses and soldiers. The players take turns to throw the six dice (wada), which are cowrie shells. The shells comprise two distinct sides, teeth and circles. Moves are determined by the combination of circles and teeth thrown. The object of the game is to move all one’s pieces round the board and into the kitchen (mutbakh) before the opponent.
2. The scores
The dice are thrown and the player moves according to the combination of teeth and circles:
6 teeth = bara
5 teeth and 1 circle = bange
moves 12 and another throw
moves 25 and another throw
or:
moves 24 plus a piece, hal, can enter the game on the square next to the kitchen in the player’s home column and another throw,or:
a piece can enter the game on the player’s
appointed square(marked with /) and another throw moves 4
moves 3
moves 2
moves 11 and another throw
or:
moves 10 and one piece, hal, enters the game on
the square next to the kitchen and another throw or:
a piece can enter the game on the X square and another throw
moves 6 and another throw
The game is for two players. They decide which columns are to be the home columns; these must be opposing one another and not contain a bange square (i.e. that marked with an oblique line: /). Each player’s bange square will thus be in the next col- umn to the right.
To start the game each player throws three dice, and the one scoring more teeth plays first. Players then take turns to throw the dice until one player throws either a dust or bange. This player continues to throw until he throws a combination which does not entitle him to a further throw. Only then should the player commence to move. If the initial throw was dust the player will place his first piece on the right-hand X square. If the initial throw was bange the player places his piece on the / square. If the player has thrown more than one dust or bange he may, if he wishes, enter and move more than one piece. The player can have all four pieces on the board at once if he chooses.
Let us look at an example:
A player throws dust, followed by another dust, followed by shaka and finally doi. He enters the first piece on the X square; this is the first dust. He may then choose to enter a second piece near the kitchen; this is the hal. He then moves the first piece 10 squares in an anti-clockwise direction to complete the second dust. He may then move the first piece 6 to complete the shaka. He can then move doi by moving the second piece 2 down his home column. This would complete his turn.
Alternatively, the player may enter one piece on the X square as the first dust. He may then enter a second piece on the same square as the second dust. He could then move either piece 6 and then 2 to complete the shaka and doi, and so the turn.
If a piece lands on the same square as an opposing piece the player should “hammer” (kasser) the top of the opponent’s piece and knock it down. The piece must then lie at the side of the board until the player throws either dust or bange for the piece to re-enter the game. The squares marked with an X act as safe squares and a piece on such a square cannot be “hammered”. Two opposing pieces cannot land on the same safe square but two pieces from the same side can.
Each piece must travel round the whole board in an anti-clockwise direction until it reaches the home column. The piece then moves up the centre column to reach the kitchen. Once the piece enters this column it must lie on its side, indicating that it can no longer be hammered. If a piece lands on the square next to the kitchen it becomes dodo.(4) The piece must then remain lying but with its top pointing towards the kitchen. The player must throw either a dust or bange to reach the kitchen from dodo. If the play- er has other pieces still on the board, the dodo will only take the hal (the 1 which allows the player to enter the game). Another piece can move the other 10 or 24 squares.
The winner of the game is the first to get all four pieces into the kitchen.
[Anna Tajeddin loquitur]" Finkel 2002: 67-69.
Confidence 100
Genders Female
Source Finkel, I. 2002. "Pachisi in Arab Garb." Board Game Studies 5: 65-78.
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