Backgammon Variants
Backgammon is one member of a big family of race games played with dice and fifteen checkers. Some variants change only the starting position. Others change the direction of play or replace hitting with something else entirely. Here are the ones worth knowing, starting with those you can play on this site.
Quick comparison
| Variant | Where it's played | What's different | Play here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nackgammon | Worldwide, among keen players | Four back checkers each | Play now |
| Two players | Anywhere there's a board | Standard rules, one screen | Play now |
| Hypergammon | Worldwide | Three checkers each | Coming soon |
| Acey-Deucey | United States | Start with every checker off the board | Coming soon |
| Tavla | Turkey | No doubling cube, no backgammons | Coming soon |
| Long Nardy | Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia | Same direction, no hitting | Coming soon |
| Plakoto | Greece | Pinning instead of hitting | Coming soon |
Nackgammon
Nackgammon was invented by the champion player Nack Ballard. Each side moves one checker from the 6-point and one from the midpoint back to the 23-point, so you start with four back checkers instead of two. The rules don't change, but the game does: there's more contact, games run longer and priming battles are common. Many strong players prefer it because an early lucky roll matters less. Play Nackgammon against the computer.
Two player backgammon
This is the standard game, played by two people instead of one person against the computer. It's how backgammon has been played for thousands of years, and the best way to teach it to someone new. On this site you share one phone, tablet or computer and take turns. Play a friend on one screen.
Hypergammon
Each side has just three checkers, starting on the 24, 23 and 22-points. All the usual rules apply, including gammons and the doubling cube. Games take a few minutes, and the position is small enough that computers have worked out the perfect play for every position. It's a good way to practise bear-offs, hitting and cube decisions quickly.
Acey-Deucey
A favourite of the US Navy and Merchant Marine for most of the last century. Both players start with all fifteen checkers off the board and bring them in through the opponent's home board. The roll of 1-2, the "acey-deucey", is special: you play the 1 and the 2, then choose any double and play it, then roll again. Games swing wildly, which is much of the fun.
Tavla
Tavla is the Turkish name for backgammon and one of the most played board games in Turkey, often at speed in cafés. The setup and moves are the same as standard backgammon, but there's no doubling cube, and there's no backgammon: a win is worth 1 point and a gammon (called mars) is worth 2. Players usually play a set of games to an agreed score, and the winner of each game starts the next.
Long Nardy
Long Nardy is played across Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Central Asia. It's very different from backgammon:
- All fifteen checkers start on a single point, called the head, and both players move in the same direction around the board.
- There's no hitting. A single checker is enough to block a point.
- Only one checker may leave the head each turn, with a few exceptions for doubles on the first roll.
- You may build a wall of six points in a row, but only if at least one of your opponent's checkers is already past it.
Because nothing gets hit, the game is all about blocking and timing.
Plakoto
Plakoto is one of the three games in Greek tavli, along with Portes (close to standard backgammon) and Fevga. Each side starts with all fifteen checkers on their 24-point. Instead of hitting a blot, you land on top of it and pin it, and it can't move until you leave. Pinning your opponent's last checker on their starting point, the "mother", usually wins the game outright and counts double.
Other games in the family
- Fevga, the third Greek game, where both sides move the same way and a single checker holds a point, much like Long Nardy.
- Gul Bara, played in Turkey, where doubles can carry on into higher doubles.
- Takhteh, the Persian name for the game, played with standard rules in Iran.
For the long story of how all these games grew from the same roots, read our history of backgammon.
Questions
- What is the most popular backgammon variant?
- Outside the standard game, the most widely played versions are the national games: Tavla in Turkey, Tavli (Portes, Plakoto and Fevga) in Greece, and Long Nardy in Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
- Which backgammon variant is best for beginners?
- Hypergammon is a good start because each side has only three checkers, so games take a few minutes. Standard backgammon is the best one to learn properly, because most variants build on it.
- Can I play backgammon variants online here?
- Yes. You can play standard backgammon and Nackgammon against the computer, and either game with two people on one screen. More variants are on the way.