How to Set Up Nackgammon

Nackgammon is a modern backgammon variant designed by Nack Ballard, one of the strongest American competitive players of the 1980s and 1990s. The setup is identical to standard backgammon in every respect except one: the two back checkers are split between the 23- and 24-points instead of stacked together on the 24-point. This single change produces dramatically different opening dynamics, a richer middle game, and significantly more attacking and priming opportunities.

Nackgammon was supported by the original GamesGrid platform (1996–2008) as an alternative match format alongside standard backgammon, and returns in the 2026 platform.

For the standard backgammon setup that nackgammon modifies, see the main setup page. For full play rules (movement, hitting, bearing off, doubling cube), see the backgammon rules page.

1. The Nackgammon Starting Position

Each player begins with 15 checkers — the same count as standard backgammon — distributed across five points:

Point	Stack size	Compared to standard backgammon
24-point	2 checkers	Was 2; same.
23-point	2 checkers	Was 0; new in Nackgammon.
13-point	4 checkers	Was 5; one fewer.
8-point	3 checkers	Was 3; same.
6-point	4 checkers	Was 5; one fewer.

Total: $2 + 2 + 4 + 3 + 4 = 15$ ✓

The opponent's setup is the mirror image.

The standard backgammon starting position is "rebalanced" — two checkers move from the 13-point and 6-point stacks to the 23-point, splitting the back checkers. The 8-point and the 24-point remain unchanged.

The opening pip count for Nackgammon:

$(2 \times 24) + (2 \times 23) + (4 \times 13) + (3 \times 8) + (4 \times 6) = 48 + 46 + 52 + 24 + 24 = \mathbf{194}$

— substantially higher than standard backgammon's 167, reflecting the deeper back checker on the 23-point that needs to travel further.

2. Why Split the Back Checkers? The Strategic Idea

The standard backgammon starting position has both back checkers stacked safely on the 24-point. From this position, the player has a clear binary choice on each opening turn: split the back checkers (move one of them forward) or escape (run them out). Modern engine analysis has substantially narrowed the strategic space — there are correct plays for every opening roll, and the back-checker decisions are largely settled.

Nackgammon starts with the back checkers already split. This forces the player into a richer set of structural decisions from move one:

The 23-point checker is exposed to direct shots from opposing builders. The position has built-in action.
The split back checkers cannot easily anchor on the 24-point (only one is left there).
Priming and blitzing strategies are dramatically more active because there are more vulnerable targets early in the game.
The back game and ace-point game strategies are largely unavailable because the back checker configuration cannot easily be retained.

The position has been likened to "standard backgammon five turns in" — the early-game tedium of point-making and back-checker decisions is bypassed, and the players are immediately in the meaty middle-game contest of primes, attacks, and contact.

3. Nackgammon Rules: What's the Same

Every other rule of standard backgammon applies to Nackgammon without modification:

Movement: dice are rolled, played as separate moves; doubles play four times.
Hitting: a single checker on a point is hit by a landing opposing checker; goes to the bar.
Bar and re-entry: bar checkers must re-enter through the opponent's home board.
Bearing off: all 15 checkers must be in the home board first; then the standard bearing-off rules apply.
Scoring: gammons (×2) and backgammons (×3) score normally.
Doubling cube: the cube starts at 1 in the middle, with all the standard cube actions (offer, take, drop, redouble, beaver, raccoon in money play).
Crawford and Jacoby: apply in match and money play respectively, exactly as in standard backgammon.

The only difference is the starting position. Everything else is identical.

4. Strategic Differences From Standard Backgammon

A few high-level strategic notes for players coming from standard backgammon:

4.1 Openings Are Different

The 15 opening rolls have different canonical plays in Nackgammon because the position is different. The principles are similar (make the 5-point, the bar-point, the 4-point; split the remaining back checker), but the specific plays vary. Most opening rolls in Nackgammon involve some combination of point-making and dealing with the 23-point blot. Rolls that hit the opponent's 23-point blot become highly significant — they were strategically dead in standard backgammon and are central in Nackgammon.

4.2 Priming Is Easier

Because the position starts with more built-in contact and the back checkers are pre-split, prime construction begins earlier. Strong players reach 5-prime structures by move 4 or 5 of a Nackgammon game with regularity; the equivalent timing in standard backgammon is several turns later.

4.3 The Doubling Cube Is Active Earlier

Cube actions occur on average 2–3 turns earlier in Nackgammon than in standard backgammon because positions clarify faster. The "early double" window opens sooner; the "too good to double" window is reached more quickly.

4.4 Back Games Are Rarely Played

The classic 1-3 or 1-4 back games of standard backgammon are difficult or impossible to establish in Nackgammon because the back checker configuration is already split. Trailing players reach for priming or attacking compensation more often than back-game timing plays.

5. Nackgammon in GamesGrid History

The original GamesGrid platform (1996–2008) supported Nackgammon as a recognised match format. The GG bot family — GG Forever, GG Raccoon, GG Otter, GG Weasel, GG Chipmunk — accepted Nackgammon invitations alongside standard backgammon, up to 9-point matches. The variant attracted a small but dedicated following of players who appreciated the deeper opening complexity.

The 2026 GamesGrid platform continues this — Nackgammon is available as a match format on the new server, with the legacy bot cast and new bot opponents both supporting the variant. The full bot framework is documented on the Bots & AI page.

6. Nack Ballard

A brief note on the creator: Nack Ballard was a top American competitive backgammon player in the 1980s and 1990s, winning the World Championship in 1994 and ranking among the strongest cube-action analysts of his generation. He designed Nackgammon as a variant that preserved the strategic depth of standard backgammon while eliminating what he considered the "settled" early game. The variant has been widely adopted in serious tournament backgammon circles and is recognised as one of the few substantive variant innovations of the post-Magriel era.