Long nardy rules
Long nardy, or nardi, is the most popular board-and-dice game from Russia to the Caucasus and Central Asia. It uses a backgammon board but plays very differently: nobody is ever hit, and the game is a battle of blocks and timing.
Setup
Each player has fifteen checkers and starts with all fifteen on one point, called the head. The two heads sit at diagonally opposite corners of the board, each on the right-hand end of the opponent's side. Each player rolls one die; the higher number plays white and moves first. Dice are traditionally thrown from a cup and must land flat on one half of the board.
Moving
- Both players move the same way, counterclockwise, each travelling right round the board to their own home quarter, the last six points before their head.
- Each die is a separate move, or one checker can use both dice. Doubles give four moves, as in backgammon.
- No hitting. A checker may land only on an empty point or on its own checkers. A point holding even one opposing checker is closed to you.
- You must play a roll if you legally can, even if the move hurts you. If you cannot move, you lose the turn.
The head rule
Only one checker may leave the head per turn. That makes getting the checkers off the head the central problem of the opening. The one exception is the first roll of the game: 6-6, 4-4 and 3-3 cannot be played well with one checker (the opponent's head blocks 6-6, for example), so on that first roll two checkers may leave the head.
Blocks and the six-point rule
Since one checker holds a point, it is easy to build walls. Six consecutive points held by one player form a block (in backgammon, a prime) that no checker can pass. The rule is that you may not build a six-point block unless at least one opposing checker is already ahead of it. You cannot trap all fifteen of your opponent's checkers. Shorter blocks of four or five points are legal and are the main weapons of the game.
Bearing off
Once all fifteen of your checkers are in your home quarter you start bearing off. A die removes a checker from the matching point; if that point is empty and nothing sits further back, you take one from the highest occupied point, as in backgammon bearing off. Since nothing can be hit, the bear-off is a pure race.
Winning and scoring
| Result | When | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Oyn | You bear off all fifteen; your opponent has borne off at least one. | 1 |
| Mars | You bear off all fifteen before your opponent bears off any. | 2 |
Some home games add bigger wins worth three or four points, but tournament rules count only oyn and mars. Games are often played as a match to an agreed score.
Strategy
- Get off the head steadily. With one checker a turn, every roll that cannot release a head checker is a small loss.
- Take key points early. Points in your opponent's path, especially in the quarter just after their head, slow their whole army.
- Build blocks of four and five. They can hold the opponent for many turns, while you bring your own checkers round.
- Watch your timing. Blocks have to break eventually; try to keep spare moves so you are not forced to give up a strong point.
Long nardy vs backgammon
| Long nardy | Backgammon | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | All 15 on the head | Spread on four points |
| Direction | Both the same way | Opposite ways |
| Hitting | None | Lone checkers can be hit |
| A point is held by | One checker | Two checkers |
| Full six-point block | Restricted | Allowed |
| Doubling cube | No | Yes |
Long nardy probably goes back to the old Persian game nard (see the history of backgammon), and it is the main form of the game in Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, where standard backgammon is called short nardy. Greek fevga is a close relative; see the variants guide. Backgammon Lounge plays standard backgammon: try a game.
Questions
What is the difference between long nardy and backgammon?
In long nardy both players start with all fifteen checkers on one point, move in the same direction, and never hit: a single checker holds a point. Backgammon starts spread out, players move in opposite directions, and lone checkers can be hit and sent back.
Can you hit in long nardy?
No. There is no hitting at all. You cannot land on any point that holds even one opposing checker.
How many checkers can leave the head in one turn?
Only one, with one exception: on the very first roll of the game, 6-6, 4-4 or 3-3 cannot be played with one checker, so two may leave the head.
Can you make a six-point block in long nardy?
Only if at least one opposing checker is already past it. You may not build six points in a row that trap all fifteen of your opponent's checkers behind them.
What is mars in long nardy?
Winning before your opponent has borne off any checker. A mars scores two points; an ordinary win (oyn) scores one.
What is short nardy?
The Russian name for standard backgammon, with hitting and the usual starting position, to tell it apart from long nardy.
Ready to roll? Play the computer or a friend, free in your browser.
Play backgammon