Bonus Socius
1275
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In the 13th century, inspired by anterior Arab compositions, a (Lombard ?) anonymous author composed in Latin the first occidental treatise about chess and tables under the pseudonym of Bonus Socius ('ego bonus socius', "I, the Good Companion").
Florence Library, Banco dei Rari 241
This illuminated manuscript contains 11 problems of game of tables on 7 folios (ff. 112-118). We can find the variants of barail, imperial, minoret et testa.
« Istud partitum optimum sed difficilimum ad plenum. Doceri non potest. Potius usu ludo est optativis in tribus taxillis. Ludet quelibet pars cum 14. Nigre 12 stant in sua domo et albe 12 in sua domo. Vn oportet que due nigre vedurantet ad suas et due albe ad suas. Qui primo trahit melius per totum ht faciendo cum duabis cinc quater as et ligando. Alter descendet paulats cum amesas el terz. lj idem faciet qui primo traxit cauendo sibi ne duas nudas faciat quod tunc alia pars ivet cum una domo suis et posset acquire. Sed dato que interdiratet ne primus tractus siat cinc quater as ut perdixi tunc que primo trahunt detius lunt lurvavet tn de non experto faciendo amesas cum duabis extrinsecis et unum as in domo ille forsan faciet illud quod tu tunc suas denuddire in domo duas tabulas quod una sit in cinc ul in sis arqurus si ipen denudet duas que tu cum una dua extrinseca cooperis una et alia trahassi tunc percuciat tuas extrinsecan. non potit os coopire tu tapies cum arquies. si non post tuum primum tactum suas duas extrinsecas faciendo punctum in suis sines ul si in tuis sines faciat punctum tunc sili perdet quod tu paulati ludes cum amesas el terz. unam sep omiittendo in sis ur qn nelis cum extrinsecas lude illa coopias.
Istum ludum nunquam perftem scies non experimento. Et li non que unus non q pellitur facere quicquid alter facit sicur in quibuldan alii ludis optativis quilit cum facit. tribus taxillis quicquid ci placet. »
« This problem is excellent but very difficult. It can scarcely be taught, but must rather be learned by practice. The game is "by chosing a throw" with three dice and is played with fourteen pieces on a side. Twelve black pieces stand in their house and twelve white in theirs. Therefore it is necessary that the two black get back among their own men and the two white likewise. Who ever has the first move has the advantage if he plays with the two pawns 5-4-1 and if he protects himself; the other will descend a little at a time with 1-1-1. Who ever moves first will do the same, being careful not to leave bare his two, because then the adversary would advance with his and would be able to gain ground. But if in the first move the 5-4-1 cannot be protected, as I have said, then those who have the move will be in worse position. It would be advantageous however for one who is not expert to make 1-1 with two pieces inside and an 1 in the home table. The adversary will possibly do the same ; but then if you know how to give two tables in the house of which one shall be in 5 and one in6, you will have the advantage. If he lays bare his, you will cover with one of your outside pieces : you will move both. If then he takes one of your outside pieces, he will not be able to recover all and you will take him and gain ground. But if he does not move his two outside pieces after your first move, making point in his 12, even then he will lose because you will gradually play with the 1-1-1, always sending one in 6 because when he wishes to play with the inside pieces you can cover it.
This game will never be known without practice. This is because one is not compelled to do what the adversary does as in most other ottative games. Each one does with the three dice whatever he pleases. »
In his article "The Mediæval Game of Tables" (Medium Ævum vol. X n°2 [1941]), H.J.R. Murray translated some terms of this manuscript:
barra sb. the bar. Exire ultra barram (fol. 117v), to cross the bar.
cooperire c. (fol. 117v), to cover, play a second man to a point already occupied by a man of the same side
domus, the inner table from which a player bears his men
extra (fol. 117v), outside the bearing table.
fallum, perdere ad (fol. 117v), to lose by being unable to use a throw
firmare punctum (fol. 113v), to hold a point by piling men on it.
optare v. (ff. 112v and 113v), to choose a throw.
partita, a problem
posta, ad postam, invitare, ad invitum, problem of which no explanation is given, presumably because they were understood
punctum, facere punctum (fol. 116v), to hold a point by piling men on it.
solus sb. (fol. 117v), a single man or blot.
BNF Ms latin 10286 (formerly 7390)
14th century copycat, signed by 'N. de N.' (f° 3r), that would have belong to Charles d'Orléans (annotations in the margins). The 24 folios (ff. 149-172) containing 48 problems of tables are available for consultation on Gallica and begin with :
« Hec sunt partita tabularum et quia dupliciter fiunt scilicet optando cum lingua et proiciendo taxilos, primo dicitur de optativis id est illis que optantur sive petuntur cum ore. Et est istud partitum tale: dicit ille qui habet auream tabulam ista aurea tabula debet elevari in punctis quia ibi est sua domus et rubea econtrario scilicet ubi stat aurea. et luditur in duobus taxillis pete primo vel ego petam et scire debes quod illa que stat deforis scilicet rubea perdit sive primo trahat sive non: quia si primo trahat percutit auream per sines et aurea percutit eam faciendo sines et vincit ut statim vides. si aurea primo trahat percutit rubeam per sines et rubea percutit illam quia melius non habet. tunc aurea faciet iiii as et vincet ut videbis. »
« Here are the problems of Tables that can be played 2 ways, i.e either "by chosing a throw" or "by casting the dice". The first manner is played by announcing the dice as in this first problem. The one who has the golden pawn says : this pawn must be born off from the points [19 to 24], because it is his homeboard, and the red pawn [does] the opposite, i.e from where the golden pawn is. This problem is played with 2 dice [no more]. Be the first to announce or I announce. You shall know that the one who is outside, i.e the red player, loses the game whever he starts or not. Because if he begins, he hits the golden pawn with 6-6 and the golden pawn hits it in return with 6-6 and wins as you can see. If the golden pawn begins, he hits with 6-6 the red pawn that hits it in return because he cannot do better. Then the golden pawn plays 4-1 and will win, as you can see. »
In the 14th century, Bonus Socius was translated to French (Picard dialect) many times.
BNF Ms fr. 1173 (formerly 7391)
Le Gieu des eskès, les partures de taules et le gieu des merellesis signed 'Nicoles de St Nicholas' (f° 2r).
The 24 folios (ff. 180-203) containing the problems of tables are available for consultation on Gallica and begin with : Chi commenc[h]ent les partures de[s] taules et por ce ke [on] en puet juer en .ij. manières c'est asavoir par souhaidier de la langue et par gietter les dés, premiers dirons de celes à souhaidier, et est ceste parture tele, ke taule doit estre eslevée ens es poins. Et li taule rouge est eslevée ou taulier où celé d'or est..., and finish with a problem that can be found in BNF Ms latin 10286 f.171v :
« Ches partures sont faites alesiées ceus des taules. Et sont faites les unes de .ii. dés et les autres de .iii. Les unes sont juees de souhaide. Si comme li hom sans dés souhaide chou qu'il veut. Et chis premiers gieus est de buffe en .ii. des. Les rouges vont devant et celes d'or les suient. et est maisons de chascune partie li point sont fait et sont toutes celes d'or asseurées. aucun croient keles puissent aler avec les rouges encloses et desleueront li sienes en reponant celes d'or. Tu rechoives anchois celes d'or, et en envoies .ii. por une ; car encontenant lues que tu commenceras celi trespasser des siues asseurées, il sera confus si que tu le verras. »
« These problems are widly games of tables. Ones are played with 2 dice and the others with 3 dice. Ones are played by choosing throws. If playing without dice, we announce what we want. And this first game is Buffe with 2 dice. The red pawns go ahead and the golden pawns follow them to their homeboards in 19-24. All the white pawns are safe. Nobody believes that the golden pawns can follow the stacked red pawns, rearrange and bear off. However you have to accept the golden pawns and you move 2 pawns instead of 1 because as soon as you begin to hit his pawns, yours will be safe. He will be confused as you can see it. »
BNF Ms fr. 1999 (formerly 7918)
Livret des divers jeux partis du tablier, manuscript that have belong to Charles V. The 17 folios (ff. 118-134) containing 34 problems of tables are available for consultation on Gallica and begin with : Jà sont les partures des tables; et pour ce que elles sont faites en deux manières, c'est assavoir par souhait de la langue et en jetant les dez, nous dirons premiers de celles qui sont faites par souhait, ou par petition de la bouche..., and finish with a problem that can be found in BNF Ms latin 10286 f.166v :
A +
« Ceste parture est de souhait en iii dez; et doivent toutes estre ramenées en a, en faisant une meisme chose. A tous traiz l'en demande premier vi, v, iiii, en traiant toutes en la crois; après, vi, v,iiii, de toutes; au dernier, vi, v, iiii ; et viennent toutes en a, si com tu pourras veoir. »
« This is a problem with 3 dice by choosing throws. All the pawns have to be brought to A, with the same dice. You ask 6-5-4 at first to move to the cross. Then 6-5-4 and last 6-5-4. They are all in A, as you can see it. »
Ms H. 279 (Montpellier)
Li Livres Bakot, l’Explicit des partures de tables contains 48 problems of tables on 25 folios (ff. 90-114).
Pierpont Morgan Library. Manuscript. M.108. (also called Fountaine Ms)
The 22 folios (ff. 147-168) containing 44 problems of tables (f°146 that contained the 2 first problems is missing) begin with a problem that can be found in BNF Ms latin 10286 f.150v :
« Cis gius est de le tiest[e] et souhaidans en .iij. des et dient celles dor que elles leueront toutes deuant che que les rouges soient hors cest en A. et traient chilles dor premers et les rouges seront che meisme que celles dor et se les rouges le perdent aucun point quelles ne puissent toudis faire tout le giu al dor le uollent perdre tu auoec celles dor le fai .du. et as. et leaieme de un quaerne il fera un quaerne deus et as et tu deus et ambes .as. enferant les sienes atout le trait et il cece meisme. hoste lune en ferant lune des sienes et fai deus et ambes .as. et il ce meisme tu feras le siene par deus et laut[r]e feras en fasant ambes as et en desleueras une et en uiant ensi tu poras ueoir coument tu les elleueras toutes deuant que nulles des rouges pinstissir et leuenteras. »
« This is a problem of Teste with 3 dice by choosing throws. The player with golden pawns says that he will bear off all his pawns before the red pawns reach A. The player with golden pawns begins and he with red pawns plays the same throws. The red pawns will not have to cross the board if they are hit contrary to the golden pawns. You have the golden pawns and you announce 2-1 [to hit the 2 red pawns] and you cover with a 4. He will do 4-2-1 [and will enter in points 1 and 4] and you 2-1-1 to hit his. He will do the same : he keeps one and enters one [in point 2]. You do 2-1-1 with one pawn that will hit his pawn and then will bear off with 1-1. And by doing so you can see how you bear them all before red crosses the bar. »
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