Chasing the Girls Backgammon Variant

Chasing the Girls is an ancient Backgammon variant that might even hark back to the Roman Era. In Chasing the Girls, each player has only 6 checkers, with a single checker placed on each point. The checkers rotate counterclockwise up to the point where one of the players no longer has any checkers remaining.

Play begins when the players roll the dice and the player with the low number gets to reroll the dice and set out on his turn. The rolls played either have a 1 or 6, or are doubles. Just like in the game of Backgammon, in Chasing the Girls, a 6 double roll gets played twice, while other doubles are all played only once.

In addition, in this Backgammon variant, a point can be held by only 1 checker, meaning that if your roll of the dice leads one of your checkers to a point that is already held by one of your other checkers, then your checker should be put on the following vacant point.

Corner Rattler

A corner rattler is a player's last checker. When you're down to a corner rattler, the approach to the game needs to be adjusted as follows:

• A corner-rattler can stand on points 1, 6, 7 and 12 – alone.
• The corner rattler shifts forward to the following corner point if you roll a 1.
• The corner rattler shifts forward 2 corner points if you roll a 6.
• If you roll a 1-1, shift forward by 2 corners.
• If you roll a 6-6, shift forward by 4 corners.
• Aside from these doubles, you get to reroll.

A corner rattler is also not subject to aggression if it's placed in the middle of 2 of the opponent's checkers.

In a case where both participants have only corner rattlers left, a lengthy chase is likely to take place until one of the players finally makes the hit and wins the game, hence the name of this Backgammon variant - Chasing the Girls.

David Carnegy - Managing Editor