Acey-Deucey
Popularized in the U.S. Navy, Acey-Deucey starts with all checkers off the board. Players enter and move around the board in the same direction as checkers re-entering from the bar in regular backgammon. You may move any checker at any time, whether or not you still have checkers to bring in.
The key difference: a roll of 1-2 (acey-deucey) is extraordinarily powerful. First, you play the ace and deuce. Then you choose any set of doubles to play four times. Then you get an extra roll - and if that roll is also 1-2, you repeat the entire bonus.
Strategy favors establishing advanced points quickly and building primes. When opposing primes face each other, the more advanced prime usually wins. Acey-Deucey has a much greater element of luck than regular backgammon, with a fast and furious pace.
Key Tip
Block your opponent from playing a 1 or 2 if you can. If they can't play the 1-2 roll, they lose the bonus double and extra roll.
Nackgammon
Invented by Nack Ballard to teach positional play, Nackgammon uses a modified starting position: instead of five checkers on the midpoint and 6-point, you place only four on each. The remaining two checkers go on the 23-point.
Games tend to be much longer since you can't easily launch a race with a big opening roll. The emphasis shifts heavily toward positional and strategic play, making it an excellent training variant.
Hyper-Backgammon
Each player starts with only 3 checkers on their 24, 23, and 22-points. The doubling cube is used and the Jacoby rule is in effect. All other standard rules apply.
Games are extremely fast and tactical. With so few checkers, every roll is critical, and the cube becomes a dominant factor. Originally played in 7-point matches, this variant is perfect for quick sessions.
One-Point Matches
Played like regular backgammon with two exceptions: the doubling cube is not used, and gammons/backgammons don't count - every game is worth exactly one point. This changes strategy significantly:
- Backgames become more viable since staying back never risks losing extra points.
- All games are played to completion (no cube-outs), so dramatic late comebacks happen more frequently.
One-point matches simulate Double Match Point and Crawford-to-even-score situations in tournament play, making them valuable practice. They've been called the "crack of backgammon" for their addictive quality.
Tapa
Popular in Bulgaria, Tapa uses the same board and movement direction as backgammon, but with a crucial difference: blots are not hit and sent to the bar. Instead, your opponent's checker rests on top of the blot, forming a block. Points can also be made normally by placing two or more of your own checkers together.
If a blot on your home slot (1 or 24) gets covered, you automatically lose a backgammon - unless your opponent suffers the same fate (a draw). Long doubles (5-5 or 6-6) early in the game can be devastating, as you may cover enemy blots in their home quadrant.
Tapa is a deep game of strategy. During most of the game, it's better to move slowerrather than faster. Primes aren't always useful if your opponent has space for short moves behind them. The clash of advancing formations creates dramatic moments.
Narde
Played in Kazakhstan and Russia, Narde uses the backgammon board with these key differences:
- Both players move in the same direction.
- A point is made with just one checker - there is no hitting.
- Doubles are not special - roll 3-3 and you only move a checker three pips twice.
This version involves significant luck. The main strategic consideration is avoiding being blocked by a six-point prime (made with just six individual checkers in a row).
Gul Bara
Similar to Narde, but double rolls are extremely powerful. Rolling double 1s, for example, lets you play four 1s, then four 2s, four 3s, four 4s, four 5s, and four 6s. This makes doubles potentially game-changing.
Feuga
Known in Greece, Feuga starts with all 15 checkers on one point. Both players move counter-clockwise. Key rules:
- There is no hitting - a point is made with just one checker.
- The starting point ("head") has a restriction: only one checker may leave it per roll, except on the first roll when rolling 6-6 or 4-4.
- You cannot build a 6-prime unless at least one opposing checker is ahead of it - preventing trivial "roll the prime home" strategies.
- Gammons count but backgammons do not.
Diceless Backgammon
Especially popular in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, this variant is played like Narde (same direction, no hitting, different starting position), but without dice. Instead, players call their own rolls, turning the game into a pure contest of strategy and time management (chess clocks are used in tournaments).
Removing dice entirely makes this a game of perfect information, more akin to chess. The player who out-thinks their opponent wins.
Chouette
Not a variant of the rules, but a way to play backgammon with three or more players. One player - the "box" - plays against all others. The team's leader, the "captain," makes all final decisions but may consult with teammates.
If the captain's team wins, the captain becomes the box. The box plays for the agreed stakes against each opponent individually. Chouettes are social, lively, and a staple at backgammon clubs and tournaments.