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International Backgammon
The modern tournament standard played worldwide, using the doubling cube and the setup described above. This is the version taught in this guide.
Start game →Nackgammon
A modern variant devised by Nack Ballard with a different starting position, designed to reduce early-game repetition and reward deeper contact play.
Start game →Hypergammon
A fast, high-variance variant with only three checkers per player, popular for short games and for studying pure probability.
Start game →Narde (Long Backgammon)
Played across Russia, Iran, and the Caucasus, all 15 checkers start on one point and there is no hitting — pure racing strategy, popular under names like nardy and narde.
Start game →Greek Tavli
Tavli is a match of three games played in sequence: Portes ('doors', close to standard backgammon), Plakoto (checkers can be pinned in place rather than hit), and Fevga (a running game with no hitting at all, played in the same direction by both players).
Start game →Turkish Tavla
In Turkey, 'tavla' refers to a family of games sharing the same board: Adi Tavla (close to standard backgammon, no doubling cube), Moultezim ('the trapped one', where a checker cannot leave the bar-point until it is freed), and Gülbara, which introduces special rules for the 6-point and 1-point.
Start game →Mahbusa
Played across Egypt, Mahbusa ('imprisoned') is closely related to Turkish Moultezim: a checker can be trapped on an opponent's point and held in place instead of being hit, only freed once the trapping checker moves away.
Start game →Acey-Deucey
Popular with the US Navy, checkers start off the board and are entered as play begins. Rolling a 1-2 grants a special bonus move, adding a unique tactical layer.
Start game →All eight variants are fully playable: forced moves, bearing off, gammon and backgammon are all scored. Backgammon, Nackgammon, Hypergammon and Acey-Deucey use the doubling cube. Narde, Plakoto, Moultezim and Mahbusa follow their own traditions instead — one checker off the head per turn, trapping instead of hitting, and the mother-checker rule.