Doublets or queen's game is an historical English tables game for two people which was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Although played on a board similar to that now used for backgammon, it is a simple game of hazard bearing little resemblance to backgammon. Very similar games were played in mainland Europe, the earliest recorded dating to the 14th century.
History
Doublets may be an elaboration of the Spanish game of doblet which is described in detail in 1283 in El Libro de los Juegos published by Alfonso X of Castile.
In 1534, a game called renette or reynette ("little queen") appears in the list of games in Gargantua published by Rabelais. According to Cotgrave's French Dictionary of 1611, renette is "a game of tables of some resemblance with our Doublets or Queenes Game..." The name "queen's game" is recorded as early as 1554 and doublets in 1549 in a sermon by Latimer to Edward VI: "they be at their doublets still." Hyde (1694) equates doublets to the French game known variously as tables rabattues, dames rabattues or dames avallées.
By 1621, doublets was clearly well known enough to be mentioned in Taylor's Motto thus: "At Irish, Tick-tacke, Doublets, Draughts or Chesse, He flings his money free with carelessnesse". The earliest known English rules were written down around 1665-1670 by Willughby in his Volume of Plaies, who describes "Dublets" as "the most childish game at Tables in which there is nothing but chance and scarce any skill." He was followed by Cotton, (1674) Seymour (1750) and Johnson, in the various editions of The Compleat Gamester, the later editions being reprints of the first with minor spelling changes.
Equipment
The game is played on a tables board of the type used for backgammon. It has two halves known as tables each of 6 points a side. Players sit on opposite sides of the board and only one table is used. The outermost point on each side is point 1; the innermost, next to the bar is point 6. Each player has 15 counters known as men, one player having white men and the other player, having black ones. Two dice are used.
Aim
The aim of doublets is to be first to play off all one's men.
Rules
The following rules of play are based on Willughby.
Players begin by dressing the board on the side nearest to them as follows:
Points 1-3: Two men are placed on each point, one on top of the other
Points 4-6: Three men are placed on each point in a pile, one on top of the other.
Players throw the dice to decide who goes first. Each player takes a die and throws it. The one with the highest cast wins, picks up both dice and makes the first throw of the game.
In turn, each player throws the dice and moves his or her men based on the result. There are two phases of play:
Phase 1. Players play down a man for each cast of the die. For example, with throws of 2 and 6, the player takes the upper of the two men on point 2 and places it on the same point but above the lower man; they also take the top of the three men on point 6 and place it on the point above the remaining pile of two. If the men on a point corresponding to a die throw have already been played down, the throw is lost. Phase 2. When all the men are played down, they are played off or borne off. For example, if a player throws 1 and 5, he may remove a man from each of points 1 and 5. If the point corresponding to a die throw is vacant because the men have already been borne off, the throw counts for nothing.
If a doublet is thrown, the player may play down (in phase 1) or bear off (in phase 2) as many men as the total of the two dice e.g. if two deuces are thrown, four men may be played or borne off; if two fives are thrown, ten men may be played down or borne off. Hence the name of the game.
The first to play off all his or her men wins the game.
Variation
Cotton's description is broadly similar except that, when a player is unable to use the throw of a die, the opponent may use it instead if able. This rule is also found in dames rabattues—see below—but the rules for bearing off in the French variant are different.