Nard (, also narde or nardshir; from nēw-ardaxšīr) is an historical Persian tables game for two players that is sometimes considered ancestral to backgammon. It is still played today, albeit in a different form. As in other tables games, the playing pieces are moved around a board according to rolls of dice. It uses a standard tables board, but has a different opening layout and rules of play from that of backgammon. History The game has been historically popular in Persia, Muslim countries, and among Babylonian Jews. A common legend associates the game with the founder of the Sassanian Dynasty, Ardashir. Indeed, the Persian name is a shortening of the older name , from Middle Persian nēw-ardaxšīr "brave Ardashir". The oldest known reference to the game is thought to be a passage in the Talmud, although some claim it refers to the Greek game Kubeia. Another early reference is to be found in the Middle Persian romance Chatrang-namak (written between the 7th and 9th centuries) which attributes the invention of the game to Bozorgmehr. The Shahnameh (written around the year 1000) also attributes the invention to Bozorgmehr. Parlett refers to Nard as "proto-Backgammon". By the 17th century the game was played in Georgia under the name of nardi, and by the 19th century it was being played by the Kalmucks, who called it narr. During most part of the 20th century both Georgia and Kalmucks were parts of USSR, so now the game is played in Russia and other ex-USSR countries under the name of Nardy (нарды). Rules Common rules The following rules apply to all the variants below: Players: the game is played by two players Equipment: Tables board of 24 points or spaces; 2 dice; 30 pieces or men of 2 different designs (15 per player) First play: both players throw a die to decide who plays first; the one with the higher die leads off Game turns: players takes turns at rolling both dice simultaneously Movement: players must always move their pieces forwards; which direction that is depends on the variant Moves: Two men may be moved forward on each turn, the first by the score on one die and the second by the score of the other die Alternatively one man may be moved forward based on the total dice score; but must rest on an intermediate point corresponding to the score on one of the