Long backgammon online

What is long backgammon

Long backgammon — narde, or long nardy — is the classic board game for two that is played across the Caucasus, Central Asia, Iran and Russia. Each player has 15 checkers that all start on one point, the “head”. Both sides move in the same direction, travel around the board and gather their checkers at home, on the last six points of their path.

Unlike regular backgammon, there is no hitting in long backgammon. Instead, the fight is about points: you may not land on a point where an opponent’s checker stands, so every point you hold is a wall in your opponent’s way.

The rules in short

• An opening roll decides who starts: each player rolls one die, and the higher one goes first. On a tie, the server rolls again.
• On your turn you roll two dice and move checkers by the numbers rolled; one checker may take both. A double gives four moves.
• Only one checker may leave the head per turn, except on a first double of 3-3, 4-4 or 6-6 — then two.
• You must use both dice if you can; if only one can be played, you play the higher one. With no legal moves the turn passes.
• You may not build six of your points in a row unless at least one opponent checker is already ahead of them.
• Once all 15 checkers are home, you bear off: with an exact roll, or with a higher one from your farthest checker.
• The first to bear off all 15 wins one point. If the opponent has not borne off a single checker, it is a “mars”, worth two points.

Why play long backgammon on Omerta

The dice are rolled by the server, so neither player can influence them, and nobody argues about a roll. You get 90 seconds per turn, and the clock restarts after every checker you move, so a game never stalls. Until you finish your turn, you can undo your moves and try another combination.

Your opponent is visible and audible right next to the board: camera and microphone work during the game, so playing a friend in another city feels like playing at one table. The match score is kept between games, and every new game starts with its own opening roll. Games played with an account go to the backgammon leaderboard, ranked by wins.

Tips for your first games

• Take points in your opponent’s path early: a free point in front of their checkers is worth more than one extra step forward.
• Bring checkers off the head evenly. Stragglers at the end of the game are the most common way to concede a mars.
• Build walls of several points in a row — just remember the ban on six in a row with no opponent checker ahead.
• A double is four moves: before moving, picture where all four checkers will end up, not just the first.

How to start

Sign in with email or Telegram, press Create, choose Games and Long Backgammon, then Create and sit down. Send your friend an invitation or the table link. Late arrivals can watch as spectators. If a player leaves the table during a game, the opponent gets a technical win; a dropped connection does not count as leaving — the seat is kept.