Long backgammon rules: how to play nardi
Long backgammon — long nardy, or simply nardi — is the backgammon variant played across Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans. Both players start with all fifteen checkers on a single point, the head, and race them counterclockwise around the board. There is no hitting: a point holding even one checker is closed to the opponent, so the game is about building blocks and timing rather than captures.
On BN-games you can play long backgammon free in your browser: against a bot, with a friend on the same device, or online by sharing a room code. Dice in online games are provably fair.
Setup
Each player has 15 checkers, all starting stacked on one point (the head).
Movement
Both players move counterclockwise. Roll two dice to determine moves. A single checker can use both dice if the intermediate point is free.
Doubles
Rolling doubles gives 4 moves instead of 2, all with the same die value.
Head Rule
Only one checker may leave the head per turn (with a first-turn exception for certain doubles).
No Hitting
You cannot land on a point occupied by the opponent. No captures exist.
Bearing Off
Move all your checkers to the last 6 points, then bear them off the board. First player to bear off all 15 wins!
Must-Move Rule
You must use both dice if possible. If only one can be used, play the higher value.