Backgammon Variant: Intro to Nackgammon

Nackgammon is a backgammon variant created by the brilliant champion player, Nick Ballard. This version is intended to enhance a player's skills by integrating a more difficult set-up than the conventional game. In effect, positioning strategies are more advantageous than attacking strategies to win nackgammon.

Nackgammon has similar rules as backgammon with respect to legal plays and checker movements. Doubling is also allowed but only in accordance with the Jacoby rule. This rules states that double-game wins and triple-game wins aren't accounted for unless the doubling cube has been offered and accepted.

Starting positions in nackgammon are obviously different from backgammon wherein players start with four runners rather two back pieces. Hence, the distribution of a player's entire 15 pieces is described like so: two checkers each on the 24-point and 23-point, four pieces on the 13-point, three checkers on the eight-point, and four pieces on the six-point.

This, albeit slight, change in starting positions proves to be quite challenging. Players must be able to make points in order to bring their back checkers home. As a result, slotting on key points presents higher risk than what one would normally endure in a traditional game.

Advantageous checker plays in nackgammon are geared toward making an advanced anchor (making your opponent's four-point or five-point) as well as making your own inner board points. Splitting early on is advisable even if that exposes four blots on the backgammon board. It's because if your opponent hits you early on (given the lure of exposure), you'll have more opportunity to secure an advanced anchor for yourself.

With respect to making inner board points during the beginning phase of the game, a four-two opening must be used to make your four-point and a three-one opening to make your five-point. In case of these opening rolls, recommended plays are in accordance with what's effective in backgammon.

However, not all advantageous openings in backgammon prove beneficial in nackgammon. A primary example would be a six-five opening that calls for the lover's leap in the conventional game. This move isn't advised in this backgammon variant and the better play is making the 18-point in stead of running a back piece.

Nackgammon is different from backgammon with respect to starting positions and fixed enforcement of the Jacoby rule. There are four pieces on the opponent's inner board in stead of having just two back checkers. Two more pieces (each checker taken from the 13-point and six-point) start on the 23-point. With those differences, this backgammon variant is set to test a player's skills in making points which prove to be more challenging than the conventional game.