Long Nard Rules: A Complete Guide to Setup, Movement and Scoring

What makes Long Nard different

Set up a regular Western backgammon board and a Long Nard board side by side. The boards have the same twenty-four narrow triangles and the same fifteen checkers per player. That similarity often causes the first argument. In Western backgammon you may hit a lone opposing checker, and the two sides travel in opposite directions. In Long Nard neither statement is true. One opposing checker closes its point; you travel counterclockwise together, though you begin on diagonally opposite heads.

That changes how you read danger. A lonely checker in Tavla is vulnerable; in Long Nard it can be an important gate. A five-point line of occupied points is not simply a tactic borrowed from another variant, either. Because checkers cannot be hit, a solid wall has more lasting consequences, and the rules limit when a six-point wall can be built. Learn the movement and restrictions before copying familiar short-backgammon opening moves.

The game is often called long nardy, длинные нарды, uzun nərd or uzun tavla. Names differ, but this guide documents the version specified for Nard Online. Where living room, club or regional practice differs, we say so plainly rather than pretending every table uses a single code.

Board orientation: points one to twenty-four

A board has four groups of six triangles, often called quadrants. A raised divider runs down its middle. For clarity we describe each move from the moving player's own perspective: your head is point 24, your home contains points 6 through 1, and the direction of your route is from higher numbers to lower numbers. After point 1, a checker leaves the board. The opponent can use the same personal labels for their own explanation, even though those labels refer to different physical triangles.

This is a notation system for teaching, not permission to change the direction in which a checker actually travels. Both colours travel counterclockwise as you face the correctly oriented board. When you show a move as 24/18, read it as one checker moving six pips forward from its head. When you show 18/13, that is a separate five-pip move. A die can never teleport a checker past an illegal intermediate landing when you use the same checker twice.

The middle divider is not a bar for captured checkers in Long Nard: nobody is hit and nobody waits there. Some people call a board side a table or quarter. For disputes, name the player's perspective and the exact landing points, not simply “that corner on the left.”

Equipment and starting position

You need a board with twenty-four points, thirty checkers in two distinguishable colours and two ordinary six-sided dice. Each player receives fifteen checkers. In Long Nard all fifteen of your checkers begin on one point, the head; the other player's stack is in the diagonally opposite corner. Do not spread your checkers into the two-five-three-five pattern used for Tavla. That is a different game before the first die is thrown.

The starting stack can feel awkward: you have fifteen pieces available, yet only a small number may leave. There is no special second stack waiting to be deployed and no captured-checker reserve. The head itself is a real occupied point. Your own pieces may share that point or another point freely; opposing checkers may not be added to your pile.

Before teaching someone with a physical set, walk one spare checker around the whole route without rolling. Show it the home quadrant and the place where it comes off. Then return it to the head. This thirty-second demonstration prevents nearly every early confusion between Long Nard and short backgammon.

The objective and the race

The winner gets all fifteen checkers into their own last six points and bears all fifteen off before the opponent completes the same journey. Distance matters, but the game is not only a race of raw pip counts. An opponent can legally occupy a narrow route, making your next throw hard to use. You have to progress while preserving legal places to land, rather than merely chasing the largest number every turn.

A checker cannot be removed from point 12 because you rolled a six. It must finish the route to your home first, and every one of your fifteen checkers must be in that home before bearing off begins. Think of the game in three connected jobs: release checkers from the head, guide them around occupied points, then organize a clean bear-off. A good early play often improves more than one of those jobs.

You can still lose a game even if you had been ahead for most of it. One badly timed point closure can consume several turns; an awkward bear-off can waste a useful roll. That uncertainty is what gives the long race its tension without requiring captures.

Agreeing how the first turn begins

At many physical boards, both players roll one die, and the higher number establishes who starts; a tie is rolled again. Some groups use those opening numbers for the first move, while others throw again. In a digital game, the software determines the starting procedure. Neither convention changes the head restriction, movement direction or obligation to use legal moves. If you are teaching across households, settle the opening procedure before the first roll, not after an unexpectedly good result.

For the examples in this guide, “your first turn” means your first chance to move checkers from your head. That matters because the rare two-checker exception belongs to a player's opening move; it is not a free option every time doubles appear. Keep this separate from which player wins the opening roll.

A helpful table habit is to read both dice aloud before you touch a checker. If you play on screen, inspect the highlighted destinations before confirming. In Nard Online, legal move highlighting and undo before confirmation help you review a turn, but the rules remain the same.

How two dice control a turn

A roll of 6 to 5 gives one movement of six points and one of five. You may use them on two different checkers if both destinations are legal. Alternatively, the same checker may make a six-point move and then a five-point move, provided the stop after the first die and the final destination are legal. Reverse the sequence when necessary: five then six may succeed where six then five fails.

On a 4 to 4 double you have four separate four-point moves, not one move of sixteen that ignores intermediate points. You may distribute those moves among legal checkers in the ways the head rule and board allow. A checker's path may cross occupied points; the important issue is where each die-sized move lands. If the landing point belongs to your opponent, you cannot stop there, even for an instant before moving again.

A common physical-board disagreement comes from adding dice together and landing on point 13 without checking the intermediate point. On 24/18/13 both point 18 and point 13 must be open to your checker. If point 18 is closed, a different order or different checker might work. The sum eleven does not overrule the two separate dice.

Legal moves are compulsory

Long Nard requires the full legal roll whenever it can be played. If you can use both distinct dice in a legal sequence, you cannot choose to use only the one you prefer. Doubles are also used as fully as possible: attempt four moves of that value, subject to the actual reachable positions. When only one of two different dice can legally be played, use the higher die if it has a legal move. If neither die can be used at all, the turn passes.

This is not merely etiquette. Imagine a crowded turn where the six is unpleasant and the two looks comfortable. If both can be made legally, you must account for both, even if the result spoils a beautiful block. Equally, if two move orders exist and only one allows both dice to be used, that full-use order takes priority. You cannot deliberately move into a dead end with the first die to discard the second.

Do not confuse “there is one checker I wanted to move” with “there is no legal move.” Scan your available checkers, both die orders and all possible routes. In a tricky endgame, one movable piece may be far from the action and easy to overlook.

The head rule: one departure per turn

The starting stack is called the head (Azerbaijani baş, Russian голова). Ordinarily you may take only one checker off that point during your turn. A double does not normally let you lift a fresh checker four times. It merely offers up to four die-sized moves, usually made by a mixture of a departing checker and pieces already on the course.

Why does this rule matter? It spreads deployment across multiple turns. You cannot empty your head with a couple of lucky throws, and you must plan which released checkers will create accessible stepping-stones for those still waiting. A player who leaves the head congested too long may find a late procession of checkers forced through the same narrow corridor.

Here is a typical 6 to 5 opening if both destinations are clear: move a checker 24/18 using six and 18/13 using five. You released one checker; both dice were used. You cannot instead make 24/18 with one new checker and 24/19 with another, since that would be two departures in an ordinary turn. This remains true even if that choice would look tactically attractive.

The special first-turn doubles

The Nard Online rule set permits a specific exception when a player's first turn produces 6 to 6, 4 to 4 or 3 to 3, and the opponent's checkers would otherwise prevent the complete double from being played with only one checker leaving the head. In that situation two checkers may leave. The exception solves a blocked-path problem; it is not permission to release two checkers whenever a favourite double appears.

Consider 6 to 6 from your point-24 head in the ordinary start position. A departing checker can go 24/18 on a six, but continuing to point 12 meets the opposing head and is unavailable. Releasing a second checker to 18 is therefore allowed by the opening exception. Do not turn this into “four fresh checkers” merely because four sixes were rolled. You must still respect the reachable legal moves and the two-departure cap of this exception.

On a first-turn 5 to 5, the ordinary one-checker limit stays in place. The same holds for 1 to 1 and 2 to 2. On later turns, even 6 to 6, 4 to 4 and 3 to 3 return to the usual one-departure rule. If a teacher remembers another local variant, identify it as a house rule and keep it separate from the rules implemented here.

Open points and why you cannot hit

Long Nard has no hitting. A point containing one opposing checker is closed to you just as firmly as one containing five. You may pass over it when a die carries your checker to a legal destination beyond it, but you may not land there. There is no captured-checker bar and no re-entry sequence. Those belong to short backgammon and Tavla, not this game.

Suppose your checker sits on your point 17, you roll four, and the opponent occupies your point 13. That four-point move is forbidden. It does not matter that the opponent has only one checker there, or that your piece would otherwise complete a useful line. Another checker may still be able to play the four, so you must inspect the entire board before conceding the move.

Stacking your own checkers on a point is allowed. A double-occupied friendly point is therefore not necessarily safer against a hit, because hits do not exist. It may still serve a purpose: keeping several pieces grouped for later movements or controlling a landing point. The significant question is how many distinct points you cover, not how many checkers you piled on each.

Six consecutive points: the anti-prison rule

Six points held in sequence form a complete barrier: opposing checkers cannot land inside it and a single die cannot jump the full six-point stretch to the next open landing. Long Nard therefore restricts building a six-point block if doing so would leave all fifteen opposing checkers trapped behind it. At least one opposing checker must already stand ahead of the completed wall along that player's path.

Five consecutive owned points are not automatically prohibited by this particular rule, although they can cause strong pressure. The critical step is occupying the sixth while nobody has escaped past the proposed barrier. The condition is about the opponent's actual checker positions, not whether your wall looks symmetrical or sits neatly within one quadrant.

Count consecutive points around the corner of the board too. A blockade need not align with the wooden board's physical sides. To judge it, trace the opponent's counterclockwise route and find whether any of their fifteen checkers is already past the wall. When in doubt, reconstruct the board one point at a time instead of arguing about a photograph taken from the other player's seat.

Why one advanced opposing checker changes the block

Imagine you own five consecutive points and have a roll that could occupy the sixth. The opponent's fifteen checkers are all still behind the proposed wall. That last placement is illegal, even if you earned it with a perfectly ordinary number. A rule about position after the move overrules the apparent legality of the landing point alone.

Now imagine one opposing checker had already slipped past the place where the sixth point would be. The same six-point line may become legal. The reason is concrete: the wall does not imprison every opposing piece. That escaped checker has a route toward home, even though the rest face a severe obstruction. The distinction makes the anti-prison rule enforceable by looking at the checkers rather than trying to guess the opponent's intentions.

When planning a block, ask two questions: “May I legally complete it now?” and “Will I still have enough mobile checkers once it is complete?” A legal wall that costs you all flexibility can be a poor strategy. Good players build gates while keeping their own parade moving.

Bearing off with exact rolls

Once every checker is home, a die matching a point can remove one checker from that point. With a 5, a checker on your five-point may be borne off; with a 2, one on the two-point may come off. Each die counts separately, and doubles supply four die-sized actions when legal. You may also move inside home rather than automatically removing a checker if that move is legal and respects full-roll obligations.

The tricky part is an empty exact point. You do not automatically remove a checker from any lower point just because your five-point is empty and a five appears. First check whether a checker on a higher point can move legally using that die. If one exists, it must generally be moved. Only when no checker remains farther from the exit than the empty matching point can you use the oversized roll to remove a checker from the highest occupied lower point.

For instance, suppose only the three-point and one-point hold checkers. You roll 6 to 2. The six can remove a checker from the highest occupied point, the three, because no checker remains above it. The two may require a move inside home, depending on which pieces remain after the first move. Evaluate the dice in a legal order, and never treat a six as six removals.

Four useful bearing-off judgments

Case one: exact fit. You have two checkers on your six-point and throw 6 to 6. Each six can remove a checker there if the rest of the legal turn permits; additional sixes work against the remaining highest occupied points. The double means up to four separate actions, not a bonus for matching both dice.

Case two: a higher checker remains. Your five-point is empty but one checker stands on point 6 and another on point 3. On a five, do not immediately remove the three-point checker. A legal five-point movement from the six-point to the one-point takes precedence under the normal bearing-off rule.

Case three: nothing remains above the die. All your pieces are on points 1 and 2, and you throw a six. A six can remove a checker from the highest occupied point, point 2, because no checker remains on a higher point.

Case four: full use changes the plan. You throw 5 to 3 with mixed home stacks. A tempting five-point removal might close the possibility of using the three. Examine both die orders and keep the sequence that uses both when one exists. The compulsory-play rule does not disappear at the finish.

Mars and the value of the result

The first player to remove all fifteen checkers has won. Under the Nard Online Long Nard rule set, a normal win is worth one point if the other player already bore off at least one checker. A mars is worth two points if the losing player had not borne off any checker by the time the winner finished.

Mars is about the loser having removed zero checkers, not the winner having rolled a double, built a six-point wall or finished by a particular number of turns. Check the borne-off counts at the end. If the loser removed just one checker, the result is not mars. That simple check prevents long conversations after a close race.

Some traditional long-nardy circles discuss other names or point awards. Those are not additional Nard Online Long Nard scoring categories in the product specification. If someone mentions a third-point outcome, clarify which table rules they mean instead of quietly mixing it into this guide.

Worked opening: 6 to 5 from the head

Start from your own point 24 with fifteen checkers. Imagine your first throw is 6 to 5 and both points 18 and 13 are available. One legal way to use the roll is 24/18/13: six pips, stop; five more pips, stop. One checker leaves the head. The other fourteen remain at 24. This is the example behind the phrase “take one checker out and advance it.”

Why not use the six on one head checker and the five on another? The normal head rule forbids releasing two in a turn. Why not jump directly eleven? Because the intermediate stop after the first die must be legal. Why not leave one die unused? Because both can be played. Three separate principles are present in a position that looks elementary.

The sequence is a legal example, not a universal best opening. A changed opponent position could close one stop; on another board a five-then-six sequence might be the playable one. Move quality depends on the other fifteen checkers, not only your own roll.

Worked opening: 6 to 6 and an occupied head

On the first turn, a 6 to 6 looks like twenty-four pips of movement. In the standard opening arrangement, your opponent's head lies along the route from your own head. Starting from point 24, a new checker can reach point 18 on six. Its next six would try to land on point 12, which the opponent's opening stack closes. That blocked destination is the reason the special rule allows a second checker off your head: 24/18 and 24/18.

A useful learning exercise is to lay out these two departing pieces with spare dice showing 6 to 6, then try 4 to 4 and 3 to 3. Discuss which intermediate landings are closed and why. The board explains the exception better than a memorized slogan.

A middle-game decision with a blocked five

Suppose you have a checker on your point 19 and another on point 10. You throw 5 to 2. The opponent occupies point 14 but leaves points 17 and 12 free. With the checker at 19, 19/14 is not legal because point 14 is closed. Yet 19/17/12 can be legal if neither destination is blocked: play the two first, then five. The second checker on 10 may offer different possibilities and must be considered as well.

This small position teaches a large lesson. Do not give up after the first die order fails. Do not assume that an occupied triangle blocks all crossings over it. And do not describe the path as a seven-point jump unless you also specify the individual legal stops. The opponent might have a single checker at 14, but that is sufficient; the number of pieces there does not change the prohibition.

If you are teaching an adult newcomer, ask them to place the dice beside the exact intermediate points. When the same player has learned to verify two landings, the compulsory-roll and six-point-wall decisions become much easier to discuss.

Common rule disputes and how to settle them

“He landed on my single checker; can I send him away?” No. Long Nard does not hit. The landing is illegal in the first place. “Can I move both head checkers on a normal 6 to 5?” No. One departure per turn, apart from the narrow first-turn doubles exception. “Can I waste a die?” Not when a full legal sequence exists. “Can I finish a six-point block against all fifteen checkers?” No, not if they would all be trapped behind it.

Other disputes are truly about local practice rather than the core movement model. Clubs may handle the starting toss differently. Names such as koks may carry different meanings, and some households attach different scores to additional outcomes. If playing on a physical board, agree your house rules before the match. When playing Nard Online, follow the supported game's specified rules and software-enforced legal moves.

An especially frequent source of confusion is mixing up Tavla Classic, Tavla Modern and Long Nard. A blot, the bar and the doubling cube are Tavla concepts in this app; do not import them into Long Nard because you remember them from another match.

Practical tips for your first ten games

For your first game, learn the route. Trace a checker from the head through all four board quarters and into home. For the second, watch how each turn removes at most one checker from the head. For the third, deliberately check both die orders whenever one landing is closed. For the fourth, practice recognizing a legal five-point block and an illegal six-point prison. This training method gives you a rule to recognize before asking you to memorize opening theory.

From games five through seven, count how many checkers remain at the head after each turn. You will start to see why early deployment matters. In games eight and nine, pay attention to the position of your last checker outside home while the opponent begins to bear off. On game ten, look at the final result and explain why it was a normal win or mars using the two borne-off counts.

Offline computer opponents can help you repeat those exercises without arranging a live opponent. Nard Online offers Easy, Medium and Hard bots, with no connection needed for offline play. A pass-and-play game on one device is another good way to discuss a disputed move while both players can see the same board. Neither option replaces reading the actual legal destination before confirming.

Common mistakes

The first mistake is learning Long Nard from short-backgammon habits. If you reach to hit a checker, you have switched games in your head. The second is taking two checkers off the head because the roll shows two dice. The third is treating doubles as a giant jump instead of four individual moves. The fourth is counting a wall only on one physical side of the board and missing a six-point line that wraps around a corner.

Another expensive mistake is attempting to bear off while a single checker remains on point 7. A sixth is thinking “the matching home point is empty, so any lower piece may leave,” without checking for pieces on higher points. A seventh is using the comfortable half of a roll and discarding an inconvenient legal half. Finally, many beginners measure progress by the fastest checker rather than the whole fifteen-piece journey.

When a move surprises you, stop and name which rule it violates. “The game would not let me” is not much of a lesson. “My five cannot land on the opponent's single occupied point” gives you a principle you can apply next turn.

Frequently asked questions

How many checkers does each player have?

Fifteen. Both sets begin as a single stack on the player's own head in opposite corners.

Do both players move in the same direction?

Yes. Long Nard uses counterclockwise movement for both players on the correctly oriented board. This is unlike Tavla and Western backgammon, where their routes oppose one another.

Can a single opponent checker block my landing?

Yes. One opposing checker closes its point. You cannot hit it, remove it or stop on top of it.

Is the head limit one checker or one move?

The usual limit is one checker leaving the head per turn. Once a checker has left, it may make further die-sized moves if the roll and destinations permit.

Which first-turn doubles allow two checkers off the head?

In the documented Nard Online rules, 6 to 6, 4 to 4 and 3 to 3, when the opposing arrangement prevents completion with one departing checker.

Is a six-point wall always illegal?

No. The restriction prohibits a completed six-point wall trapping all fifteen opposing checkers behind it. If at least one opposing checker is already ahead, that specific restriction does not forbid the wall.

Can I bear off with a die higher than my farthest checker?

Yes, once all fifteen are home, an oversized die can remove a checker from the farthest occupied home point when no higher checker needs moving.

What does mars mean?

A mars is a two-point result when the losing player has borne off none of their checkers before the winner removes all fifteen.

Can I play without an internet connection?

Yes. Nard Online has offline bot modes in Easy, Medium and Hard. The browser game is available at /play/; do not confuse its live browser availability with offline connectivity.

Does Nard Online have real-money winnings?

No. Online tables use virtual coins with no real-world value. They cannot be withdrawn or cashed out, and there is no real-money gambling.

Summary

Long Nard begins with two dense stacks but becomes a delicate race through twenty-four points. Move with two separate dice, use the full legal roll, release normally one checker from the head, respect the first-turn doubles exception and never hit. A single opposing checker closes a point, and a completed six-point wall must leave at least one opposing checker ahead. Once all fifteen arrive home, bear off accurately; the normal result is one point, and mars is two.

You need not remember every opening pattern to enjoy your first good game. Remember the route, the legality of each intermediate landing, and the fact that the last checker matters just as much as the first. Those three habits make the more difficult rules visible on the board.