Narde (Nardy, Nardi) is a popular backgammon variant in Russia and Armenia. Here are the rules.

Unique Play Style

The distinct feature of this game lies in the checker placement, with all checkers aligned along the left side of the board for each player. These initial positions are referred to as “head.”

Game Objective

The goal is to move all your checkers to your home board and then bear them off before your opponent does. For both players, checker movement is counter-clockwise.

Gameplay Similarities

Bearing off checkers and determining the winner follow the same principles as in backgammon.

Game Start

Narde begins differently than backgammon. Both players roll one die, and the player with the higher number rolls two dice to start the game.

Checker Movement

Movement is similar to backgammon, with a notable exception: you cannot land on (hit) an opponent's checker. You're only allowed to move a checker to an open position or one already occupied by your pieces. Strategically, it's advantageous to cover as many points as possible to limit your opponent's movements. Occupying six consecutive positions prevents your opponent from passing, potentially causing them to lose a turn.

However, completely blocking all opponent's checkers is prohibited; at least one of their checkers must be able to move.

You're limited to moving one checker from the head per dice roll, except for the first roll. If a checker can't move, you may move a second checker from the head. There are only three such initial moves, 6-6, 4-4, and 3-3.

Scoring

In Narde, the doubling cube is not used, so scoring for wins is as follows: you receive +1 point for a regular win, +2 points for a gammon or mars (if the opponent hasn't borne off any checkers from the board), and +3 points for a home mars (a rare situation where the opponent has managed to bring all their checkers home but hasn't borne off any).

Rules Compliance

Narde rules in “Backgammon Masters” adhere to the standards set by the Russian Backgammon Association.