Mars in long backgammon: how to win one and how to avoid it

Updated: October 16, 2026

Mars is the most painful way to lose. One such game is worth three normal ones, so experienced players think about mars long before the end.

What it is

Mars: you have borne off all 15 checkers and the opponent has borne off none.
Home mars: the opponent managed to bring all checkers home but bore off none.

On NardPlay both are worth 300 rating points against an equal opponent — three times a normal win. If the game had a coin stake, mars doubles that too.

When mars threatens

Mars nearly always starts with stragglers. A couple of checkers stuck behind a prime or left on the head — and while they run home, the opponent is already bearing off. A warning sign: you are more than 30–40 points behind in the race and your last checkers are still in the first half of the board.

How to avoid it

Bring checkers off the head on time — one per turn.
Don't leave single checkers far behind; move them up while the road is open.
If the race is lost, switch to rescue mode: your goal is to bear off at least one checker. Bring everything home as fast as possible, without stopping on nice points.

How to win a mars

Keep a prime in front of the opponent's stragglers for as long as you can.
When you are ahead, bear off quickly and don't waste moves inside your home.
Watch the race: if the opponent will get one checker off anyway, don't take risks for a mars.

Resigning and mars

On NardPlay you can resign at any time, but resigning does not save you from a mars. If a mars is more likely than not in the position — as judged by the neural network — a mars is counted. The same goes for leaving the game or running out of time. If the opponent has already borne off a checker, there can be no mars.

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