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| Learning the game at the kafeneio |
Almost as much as their music, culture and cuisine, tavli is a game that is close to Greek male identity; even if it is played in other countries of the Levant just as passionately as it is played by Greeks.
Tavli brings out the strutting rooster in the winner. It is a game that suppresses modesty and self-effacement.
It was its connection to his Greek heritage that first drew Dimitri Katsambis to the game while he was studying at university. Mr Katsambis came from Greece with his family when he was nine and settled first in Melbourne and then in Adelaide. The city is the home of the Tavli Association of South Australia. It has been going for many years and Mr Katsambis is a member.
“The thing that drew me to tavli was its link to Greek heritage. During my university years, we developed a love for Greek things, including a love for dance, music, the language. We developed a pride,” Mr Katsambis told Neos Kosmos.
After graduation, he returned to Greece as part of a teacher-exchange programme, and was determined to improve his grasp of Greek writing skills, grammar and spelling.
“Tavli was one way to get close to the people. I admired the tavli players at the coffee shops in Athens,” he said and he decided to visit the kafeneia and play the game with them.
“Tavladori (tavli players) seem to know almost immediately the level of their opponents. I played an old man who after a few minutes asked: “Are you a teacher?” because I was taking so long to make my moves on the board.
Knowing how to count at speed and recognising the potential of the dice combinations is important. The speed at which proficient players move on the board can seem intimidating, if you let it be so, said Mr Katsambis. There is a psychological warfare element that is part of the Greek game.
“The tavli player will use every trick in his armoury to gain an advantage including the use of sledging for much the same reason as it is used in cricket.
“A Greek will comment on your game and ask you why you chose the move you made – and that can be also be intimidating,” said Mr Katsambis.
Unlike the Western version of the game, the Greek board is wooden, the dice are small and there is no doubling dice and no cup with which to roll the dice. The dice are shaken in a loose fist and are tossed to clatter on to the wooden board.
The Greek tavli board is not padded with cloth and the wood is strong enough to take a piece being slammed on to it for maximum effect. Drama as well as psychology are part of the game. There is no pretence at gentility or refinement in the way the Greek game is played.
Tavli is usually played to the best of three, five or sevens. There are three variants of tavli that are usually played in sequence: Portes (Doors) is the version closest to the game of backgammon as played in the west. The Greeks also play Plakoto (or Tsilliton/Tsillido as it is known in Cyprus) and Fevga (Go). Each is quite different to the other and pose their own difficulties and skill requirements.
The arguments as to whether tavli is a game of skill or luck will go on through the years and would have, no doubt, been argued back in the day when people wore robes and sandals. Tavli is a combination of skill and luck and these accounts for its popularity. While it is not as demanding on the brain as chess, you cannot rely on the favourable roll of the dice alone to get you through. Having skill and experience on your side help you to maximise the effect of your luck and stifle your opponent’s good fortune.
The trick, Mr Katsambis says, is “recognising the psychological moment when you need to break the ranks you have carefully built up and head for home”.
It is also the moment when you realise the right roll of the dice will carry the day no matter the skill employed. He likens the process to doing business and recognizing the opportunities when they arise.
Mr Katsambis said the Tavli Association of South Australia intends to resume its weekly gatherings as was the case before the onset of COVID-19. The association would meet on Mondays to play the game for three hours at a local community centre that was made available by the City of West Torrens in Adelaide.
“We play for fun and just to catch up with each other. I will play with anyone as the game is both relaxing and exhilarating. It is intellectual and there is quite a bit of skill required in games like Portes and Fevga.”
He said that in Australia the game was not as popular with the Greek youth but was very popular with university students in Greece.
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