Nine Men's Morris and Checkers Online: Board Games Like Backgammon Compared
Published on July 8, 2026
Anyone who loves backgammon and goes looking for similar games often comes across two other classics: Nine Men’s Morris and checkers. Like backgammon, both are centuries-old two-player board games that are still popular today, both offline and online. This article introduces both games, compares them with backgammon, and shows where you can play them online.
Nine Men’s Morris: The game of rows
Nine Men’s Morris is one of the oldest known board games in existence — boards with the characteristic morris pattern have been found in Egyptian temples dating back to around 1400 BC.
It’s played on a board of three nested squares connected by lines. Each player has nine pieces, placed alternately on the board’s 24 intersections. If a player manages to place three of their own pieces in a row (a “mill”), they may remove one of the opponent’s pieces from the board. The game is won by reducing the opponent to two remaining pieces or blocking them completely so they can no longer make a move.
How is Nine Men’s Morris different from backgammon?
Nine Men’s Morris has no dice at all — it’s a pure strategy game with no element of chance. While dice theory plays a central role in backgammon, in Nine Men’s Morris it’s purely the forward-thinking placement of pieces that decides victory or defeat.
Checkers: Diagonal to victory
Checkers (known internationally as “draughts”) is played on a chessboard with 8×8 or 10×10 squares. Each player starts with 12 or 20 pieces, which move exclusively diagonally forward on the dark squares. If a piece jumps over an opposing piece onto a free square behind it, the jumped piece is captured and removed from the board — if possible, a capture must be made (forced capture). When a piece reaches the opponent’s back row, it’s promoted to a “king” and may then also move backward.
How is checkers different from backgammon?
Like Nine Men’s Morris, checkers is also a pure strategy game with no dice luck involved. The forced-capture rule makes checkers more tactically demanding than it appears at first glance — similar to the blockade game in backgammon, it’s about positioning your own pieces cleverly and avoiding traps.
Nine Men’s Morris, checkers, and backgammon compared
| Backgammon | Nine Men’s Morris | Checkers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dice/chance | Yes | No | No |
| Pieces per player | 15 | 9 | 12 (on 8×8) |
| Average game length | 15-30 minutes | 10-20 minutes | 15-45 minutes |
| Difficulty to get started | Medium | Low | Low |
| Tactical depth | Very high | Medium | High |
The essential difference lies in the dice: backgammon combines luck and strategy, while Nine Men’s Morris and checkers are decided purely tactically. Anyone who finds the combination of chance and skill appealing will likely stick with backgammon — anyone who prefers playing without dice luck will find a good alternative in Nine Men’s Morris and checkers.
Where can you play Nine Men’s Morris and checkers online?
Similar to online backgammon, there are numerous browser and app offerings for Nine Men’s Morris and checkers as well. Particularly convenient: multi-game platforms like Gameduell offer Nine Men’s Morris, checkers, and other classics alongside backgammon in a single user account — so if you want to switch between games, you don’t need to register multiple times.
If you prefer playing offline, well-stocked backgammon sets often include several games in one: many combo sets have a chess and checkers board on the back, in addition to the backgammon field.
About the Author
Ulf Mayer
I love backgammon in all its forms – whether it's a quick match on my smartphone to pass the time, or a glass of wine alongside a beautiful wooden board with family and friends. As the founder of backgammon-meister.de, I share my passion, tactics, and tips to help both beginners and ambitious players dominate their next match. Dice cup ready? Let's master the game!
backgammon-meister.de has been online since 2008.
