Chebache: Very Deep Backgammon

How often have you seen a game described as an original combination of chess, checkers, go, and backgammon only to find it utterly lacking in originality? It's presumptuous to compare any new game to such a classic standard. Whenever I see such hype I am very skeptical. My response is typically: well, perhaps, but let's wait a thousand years to find out.

Along comes Chebache, which claims to be a "strategic board game combining elements of Checkers, Backgammon, and Chess and bridging the gaps between them." Is there any truth to this bold claim?

After playing Chebache virtually nonstop for two months and finding the game play consistently engaging and interesting, I can say with confidence that it's less a combination of these classic elements than an original game in its own right, best compared to a very deep backgammon. It has an elegant, extremely well conceived structure, providing the players with accessible but complex decisions. Most important, it's terrific fun, even exciting to play.

The Board and the Moves
Chebache is played on a board of 16 squares (four by four). The object is to move your pieces (either black or white) from one corner to the diagonally other corner, traversing a route comprising 18 points, corresponding to a zigzag diagonal line. The four middle squares contain tivits (^) which denote a directional change.

At the start of the game each player has a stack of four pieces in the start square and four stacks of two pieces each placed on the corresponding tivits. The black and white paths intersect alternately. Similar to backgammon, these places of intersection are vulnerable points where pieces may be attacked and returned to start. In addition, the game's geometry allows for the creation of triangular configurations that surround and threaten (check) the opponent's pieces, which is called a "chebache." Hence there are no safe zones in the game. Pieces are vulnerable either by replacement capture or by chebache. The chebache formation is an ingenious device and the heart of the game's originality.

Movement is fueled by the roll of two dice. As in backgammon, the roll can be either one or two pieces. Additionally, pieces on tivits may move backward or forward. At the end of your move, you have the option of jumping your own pieces Chinese Checkers style -- allowing for dynamic leaps through multiple zones. Each player has a king, a double piece that may move backward or forward. There are additional rules governing movement and capture, which will take a few games to get used to. Nevertheless, Chebache is relatively easy to learn; before long you'll be playing it as if you've known it forever. The rules are clear and well illustrated. The game was designed with great care and diligence and it comes with strategy hints, a respectful introduction exploring its genesis, and very helpful suggestions for learning the game's most important concepts. It's obvious that the designer cares deeply about the game and its players.

Like Backgammon Only More So
I enjoyed my first half-dozen games and thought Chebache was light and fast moving, though no more than a new spin on backgammon. But soon I began discovering the game's great depth as I learned how to visualize the various dimensions of the chebache configuration. After developing what I thought was an impregnable strategy based on a series of gradual positional maneuvers, I found that these positions revealed both strengths and weaknesses.

Chebache's magic lies in the ever-changing game flow. The die rolls yield an array of agonizing choices, constantly forcing you to choose between short-term gain and longer-term position. You can set up elaborate traps and seductions -- leaving pieces out for capture to ensnare your opponent -- or you can play cautiously.

(over)

The three black pieces in a triangular arrangement form a "chebache," attacking the white piece below them.