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Backgammon Variants
Backgammon is played in many countries around the world and that’s why there are a lot of variations of the game. |
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Tapa
The word "tapa" means "bottle cap" in Bulgarian and this game of strategy is still quite popular in Bulgaria. In this variation of backgammon the move direction and game objective are identical, save for one important difference: blots are not taken out when hit. Instead, the opponent's man is placed atop the blot to form a point. Points are also formed in the traditional way, by the player placing two or more of his men at the same slot. |
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Narde
Narde is a Russian variant of backgammon similar to the Turkish Moultezim and the Greek Fevga. |
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Chouette
Chouette is a variation of backgammon that allows for more than two players, and offers many advantages to those playing in backgammon clubs. There are many variants to the rules for chouette, as they can be different from organization to organization. |
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Irish
This game is probably modern backgammon's direct ancestor, as the game dates back to the sixteenth century, where it was played in several European countries under different names. No doubling cube is used in this game. |
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Tabula
Tabula is a Roman game dating back several centuries before the birth of Christ. The game later spread to Europe and became popular in England, where it was known as Tables. Modern understanding of the rules of Tabula comes principally from records kept by Emperor Zeno in 480 AD. |
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Propositions
Propositions are a subcategory of backgammon game in which the rules for the two sides are not the same. Since one player plays by a different set of rules than his opponent, the rules must favor one side or the other. Part of the fun of this game is trying to figure out which side has the advantage, and by how much. |
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Mexican Backgammon
Mexican Backgammon is a variation of Acey-Deucey. Each player rolls one die, with the higher number going first. Unlike regular backgammon, the winner of the opening roll can either use the numbers just thrown or he has the option of re-rolling for his first turn. Players then alternate turns. |
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European Acey-Deucey
The European version of Acey-Deucey is a popular way of playing the game. To start each player rolls one die and the higher number goes first. Unlike backgammon, that player then rolls both dice again for his first turn. |
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Blocking Backgammon
Blocking Backgammon is easier than other games of backgammon, and therefore it is often the first game taught to children in the Middle East. Each player starts with fifteen checkers, but unlike regular backgammon they start off the board. The players enter their checkers in the opponent's home board, and then must bring them around the board. |
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Turkish Backgammon
Also known as Tawula, this game is played in Asia Minor and Egypt. Each player rolls one die. The player who rolls the higher number goes first and uses those numbers for his first turn. |
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Ace-Deo
This is the Greek version of Acey-Deucey. Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first. Unlike backgammon, the player then rolls both dice again for his first turn. |
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Grasshopper
Grasshopper is racing game of pure skill for two players invented by Matt Crispin. Flip a coin or roll dice to determine who goes first. The first player enters a checker onto any point in Quadrant A. Then the second player enters a checker onto any different point in Quadrant A. After the first two checkers have been entered, players choose either to enter more checkers onto vacant points in Quadrant A or to move a checker already on the board. |
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Moultezim
Moultezim has been popular in Turkey for centuries, where it is played in addition to standard backgammon. In Greece a similar version of Moultezim is played under the name of Fevga. |
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Portes
Portes, along with Plakoto and Fevga, is one of a set of three backgammon games that are very popular in Greece. Combined, the games are called Tavli and are normally played one after another in matches of three, five, or seven points. Portes itself is similar to Western backgammon. |
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Trictrac
While modern backgammon reference books refer to trictrac as the French name for backgammon, true trictrac was a very different game. |
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Crazy Narde
Crazy Narde, a/k/a Gul Bara or Rosespring Backgammon is similar to the variants Moultezim in that one checker controls a point. Each player starts with fifteen checkers on the rightmost point of the far side of the board, at diagonally opposite corners from one another. They both move counterclockwise, around the board. |
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Jacquet
This was a variant once popular in France in the 19th Century. Each player starts with fifteen checkers on the rightmost point of the far side of the board, at diagonally opposite corners from each other. |
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The Pin Game
The Pin Game is similar to the Greek game Plakoto, in which checkers are trapped rather than hit. No doubling cube is used in the Pin Game. |
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Russian Backgammon
Russian Backgammon is a true racing game, with both players moving their checkers in the same direction and bearing off from the same table. There is no doubling in this game. |
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Tourne-Case
Tourne-case was a variant of backgammon that was popular in France in the seventeenth century.
Each player has only three checkers, which start off the board. Players play only on their own side of the board, moving their checkers from left-to-right across the board. |
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Chasing the Girls
The game is easy enough to play. It begins with a setup where the players have just six checkers each. Opponents place their checkers on each point in the opposite right-hand table. Once they have been set the checkers move around the board in a counterclockwise direction. This will continue until one of the players is completely out of checkers. |
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Doublets
This is a very old game of pure and was still being played in Iceland at the beginning of the twentieth century. There are references to playing "doublets" in Shakespeare and other literary sources throughout the centuries. |
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Duplicate Backgammon
Duplicate Backgammon was first tried in the late 1920s when duplicate bridge first became popular. When backgammon was rediscovered in the 1970s, the duplicate game was tried again. It is not really a different game, but simply a different way of competing at regular backgammon. |
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Shesh Besh
Shesh Besh is a Turkish game very similar to Western backgammon.
The game is set up identical to backgammon. Each player has 2 checkers on the opponent's one-point, 5 on the opponent's twelve-point, 3 on his own eight-point, and 5 on his six-point. |
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Plakoto
Along with Portes and Fevga, Plakoto is one of three backgammon games popular in Greece. The three games together are called Tavli and are typically played one after the other in matches of three, five, or seven points. |
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Dutch Backgammon
Unlike regular backgammon, each player begins with fifteen checkers off the board. The players enter their checkers in the opponent's home board, and then bring them around the board. |
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Hypergammon and Nackgammon
Hyper-backgammon, or hypergammon, as its known, is a fairly recent variation of backgammon that has become popular as a quick diversion from the regular game.
Nackgammon was invented by Nack Ballard, one of the living legends of the modern game. It is the same as the regular game, except that each player starts with two additional back checkers. |
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Fevga
When playing Fevga, each player will begin with fifteen checkers on the extreme right of the board. The opposing setups will be positioned diagonally from each other. Movement for both will be in the same direction around the board: counterclockwise. What the players hope to accomplish in this game is to move all of their checkers around the board and bear them off. |
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Blast Off
Starting kids off slowly is not just a way to keep them from serious injury, but also a way to foster interest in an activity by not frustrating them. This was the idea when Oswald Jacoby and John Crawford came up with the backgammon variant of "Blast Off". |
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Plakoto Express
Those who are familiar with Plakoto will be right at home when they play Plakoto Express. As a little twist to the game that separates it from its better known cousin, the roll of a double in Plakoto Express is a far more powerful thing. |
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Acey Deucey Backgammon
Over time every game picks up variants on a rule or two here or there - mostly home game rules, or house rules, that are often adopted and sometimes evolve into almost entirely new games. |
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Misere (Backgammon to Lose)
Would you like to lose? Think it would make you miserable? Not in the game of Misere, also known as "Backgammon to Lose" which is the objective of the game. |
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LongGammon
If you walked passed a backgammon board set up with all the checkers lined up on one line, you would likely think the people playing were either in on some private joke, or a bit out of touch with the way backgammon is supposed to be played, but it could be that they are trying out one of the many challenging variants of backgammon called LongGammon. |
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Snake
If you are new to the game of backgammon, you might benefit from first playing a few games of Snake. Snake is one of those crafted backgammon variants that serves a specific purpose. |
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Swedish Tables
Would you like to turn the tables on your backgammon playing pals? The game to use to throw them for a loop is called "Swedish Tables", a backgammon variant that has players running in the same direction and has more than one way to win the game. |
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Fayles
This game uses three dice, no doubles and a restriction on hitting your opponent that makes this game very different from many of the backgammon variants out there. |
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The Never Finishing Game
The Never Finishing Game was invented by Nicholas Frantzis, and combines many of the features of standard backgammon, (such as checkers that are hit), and Plakoto (where checkers are trapped.) |
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Takhteh
Takhteh is a variant of backgammon, but in a very real name it also IS backgammon. The name Takhteh, which can also be spelled "Takhte," is the Persian name for backgammon. |
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Gioul
Gioul is very much like backgammon and another backgammon variant, called Plakoto. The game originated in Turkey and is very popular throughout the Middle East. The major difference in this game is the way doubles work, as explained below. |
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Eureika
Eureika is not a game for backgammon purists - in fact, it is primarily thought to children in order for them to get the feel and understanding of the backgammon board, but not to develop much in the way of strategy. This game is one of pure luck. |
