Chouette

Chouette

A Backgammon format for three or more players in which one player (the box) plays against a team of opponents. All team members consult and vote on moves, while the box plays alone. After the game, positions rotate. Chouette is the standard multiplayer format for casual and social Backgammon sessions, and the standard format at many clubs.

### Components

Player Roles

The box: One player who plays alone against the entire team. The box moves their own pieces and makes all decisions independently.

The captain: The team member at the top of the queue. The captain has final authority over team moves unless overruled by a majority (see consultation).

The team: All other players behind the captain in the queue. They advise the captain.

Setup

All players roll one die. Highest roll becomes the first box. Second highest becomes the first captain. Remaining players queue in descending roll order.

Play

The game is played as standard Backgammon between the box and the team (the team shares one set of pieces). The captain rolls for the team, moves team pieces according to team discussion, and makes final move decisions.

Consultation Rules (standard)

The team may discuss moves openly. The captain has final say on moves, but may be overruled by a majority of the team on any given move. If the team cannot agree, the captain decides.

Alternatively, many clubs use no-consultation rules: team members must advise silently (written notes or whispers to the captain only). The box may call for silence.

Doubling Cube

The box owns the initial cube. The box may double the entire team simultaneously. Each team member independently decides whether to accept or drop. Players who drop are out of the current game.

Team members who remain in the game may also redouble individually — each team member’s cube is tracked separately if the format allows. In many casual formats, a single cube is used and a team majority decides acceptance.

Rotation

When the box loses a game, they go to the bottom of the queue. The captain becomes the new box. The next player in queue becomes the new captain.

When the box wins, everyone rotates one position in the queue without the box changing: the captain goes to the bottom.

Scoring

Each player tracks their individual result against the box (wins and losses at the current cube value). A separate ledger is kept for each player pair, or a running score is tracked per player.

Attribution

Chouette. Traditional multiplayer Backgammon format. Public domain. Source: Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA); Bray, Chris — Backgammon to Win (rules sections).