Forum Archive : Variations

Backwards play From:   Colin Bell Address:   crb11@cus.cam.ac.uk Date:   23 February 1996 Subject:   Re: Variation of BG Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   4glerq$aaj@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk John Heckler wrote: > There might already be a game or variation of the rules of Backgammon > in which this has already been tried, but I was thinking the other day > that it might make for an interesting twist if the rules of BG allowed > you to move backwards. All other rules being basically the same. > Does anything like this exist? A group I'm in likes to try out variations on standard games like this, and we've played what you suggest and several others. What you suggest doesn't really work very well as a game: once separation occurs, the correct strategy for the player who is behind seems to be to move pieces backward chasing the other person, and playing a sort of reverse-backgame while making their entire homeboard (or as good as they can manage). If a blot is hit, the other player comes on, and if they're now behind in the race as they usually are, the position reverses, so it's essentially who can get their men off without ever leaving a blot: a bit random. Playing with two forward dice and one backward one (doublets including the backward one have no effect) is more of a game, but very long-winded (hitting is far too easy). The best version we've had along these lines seems to be that you have to declare whether your dice are forward or backward before you throw. In this variant you can move backward from your opponent's home board onto yours, but only bear off forward. The strategy is quite odd: control of the 1 points tends to be crucial. Other variants: two rolls versus choice. One player rolls (and plays) two rolls per turn, the other doesn't roll but may choose whatever roll they wish, except for doubles. This seems to be reasonably balanced and a fair degree of skill is involved. Another involves one person starting with five pieces on the opponent's 1 point and two on the midpoint (this was played first when someone set up the board incorrectly by accident). More balanced than you might expect, and good practice in backgames and some holding games (the 'odd' player almost always makes an advanced anchor very early - or loses a gammon). Finally, normal backgammon but with each player rolling three dice, and the opponent selecting which two are to be played. In subsequent turns only two dice are rolled and the third number is one removed last time. Needless to say, none of these games is as good as regular backgammon, and the better ones seem to be the ones that resemble it most. But they're fun to try once in a while. -- Colin Bell, crb11@cam.ac.uk. Dept of Pure Mathematics, University of Cambridge Cindy Stauffer  writes: (September 2011) I have been playing Backgammon here in Turkey for many years. The other day a friend and I were bored and had the idea to allow backward play. The rules are the same as the game typically played in Turkey, except one can choose to move forward or backward. When no moves are possible forward, the person must then move backward. We found this Reverse-Backgammon to be extremely interesting and fun to play. The game takes a bit longer but also requires much more strategizing. I came on this site to research if anyone had ever played it like this as I became a fan and believe everyone who plays should try this newer version. It might be necessary to play 2-3 games to really get into it and also to have a situation where the Reverse (Back Play) becomes a key play.   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Variations

Acey-deucy  (J. Nagel, Dec 2004) 

Acey-deucy  (Steve Ewert, June 1998) 

Acey-deucy  (Lee+, Jan 1997) 

Acey-deucy  (John David Galt+, Dec 1995) 

Acey-deucy  (James Eibisch, Apr 1995) 

Backwards play  (Colin Bell+, Feb 1996) 

Bad advice  (Jason Lee+, Mar 2004) 

Best-of-n variant of match play  (Tim Chow+, Feb 2009) 

Bluff Cube  (Timothy Chow+, Dec 2012) 

BluffGammon  (Christian Munk-Christensen, June 2009) 

Cancelgammon  (Ilia Guzei+, Mar 2004) 

Domino backgammon  (Laury Chizlett, Sept 1999) 

Duodecagammon  (David Moeser, Dec 2000) 

Duplicate backgammon  (Dean Gay+, Jan 1997) 

Duplicate backgammon  (Albert Steg, Feb 1996) 

Exact bearoff  (Chris Moellering+, Dec 2002) 

Fevga  (George, Sept 2004) 

Fevga (or Moultezim)  (Igor Sheyn+, May 1995) 

Freeze-out match  (Dave Brotherton, July 1998) 

Gabgammon  (jckz, Oct 2005) 

Greek backgammon  (Alexandre Charitopoulos, Aug 2003) 

Greek backgammon  (Alexandros Chatzipetros, June 1997) 

Greek backgammon  (Marc Jacobs+, Feb 1994) 

Hit man  (Matt Reklaitis, Jan 2004) 

Hyper backgammon  (Gregg Cattanach+, Dec 2000) 

Hyper backgammon  (Michael A Urban, Oct 1993) 

International backgammon  (Bob Lancaster+, Oct 2002) 

Jacquet  (Mark Driver, June 2001) 

Joker cube  (Joe Russell+, May 2011) 

Khachapuri  (Michael Petch+, Sept 2010) 

Kleinman's tandem backgammon  (Fabrice Liardet+, May 2010) 

LongRun  (Bill Hickey, Mar 2010) 

Longgammon  (Michael Strato, Dec 2000) 

Low number first, fixed dice, others.  (Walter Trice, Jan 1997) 

Mexican  (Tom Henry, Apr 1997) 

Middle Eastern backgammon  (Alan Cairns, Mar 2002) 

Misere (backgammon to lose)  (Jason Lee+, July 2004) 

Misere (backgammon to lose)  (Jason Lee+, Apr 1995) 

Misere, Chase, Skewed dice  (Stein Kulseth, Jan 1997) 

Nackgammon  (Ken Arnold, July 1996) 

Nackgammon Shuffle  (Stick, Sept 2011) 

Nackgammon opening moves  (Warwick+, Feb 2002) 

Narde  (narde, Nov 2006) 

Nardi  (KL Gerber+, Nov 2002) 

No hit  (RedTop+, May 2004) 

Nuclear backgammon  (Walt Swan, Apr 1997) 

Old English  (Nick Wedd+, Feb 1996) 

One roll lookahead  (Stephen Turner, Mar 1997) 

Opening slot rule  (Gregg Cattanach, June 2006) 

Other variations  (Douglas Zare, Feb 2000) 

Plakoto  (Ed Dengler+, May 1995) 

Plakoto  (Pasteel M., Feb 1994) 

Plakoto express  (Athansios Vagias, Feb 2005) 

Portes  (George, Sept 2004) 

Roll-over  (Edward D. Collins, Oct 1997) 

Russian backgammon  (Daavid Turnbull, Aug 1991) 

SassanGammon  (Chiva Tafazzoli+, June 2009) 

Shesh Besh  (G.S., May 2003) 

Simborg Rule  (Scott+, Feb 2005) 

Slot backgammon  (Fabrice Liardet+, Aug 2008) 

Sudden death, Woodpecker, Gerhardsen  (Fredrik Dahl, Jan 1997) 

Tablestakes betting  (TrueMoneygames, June 2002) 

Takhteh  (Bruce Scott+, Mar 2003) 

Tandem Backgammon  (Mislav Kovacic, Feb 2012) 

Tavla  (Arda Findikoglu, Nov 2004) 

Tavla  (ucc02cx+, Feb 1997) 

Tavli (Portes, Plakoto, and Fevga)  (Jens Larsen, July 1997) 

Tavli question  (Brus+, Apr 2011) 

Tracy turn around  (Michael J. Zehr, Feb 1996) 

Tri-gammon  (Gregg Cattanach, Sept 2000) 

Trictrac  (David Levy+, May 1998) 

Trigammon  (James Eibisch, Jan 1997) 

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