How to Play Backgammon
Backgammon is an age old strategy game that combines luck and skill to create an exciting and challenging game. Although chance plays a large role in backgammon, the outcome of backgammon is determined primarily by skill. World class backgammon players are notoriously difficult to beat and will almost always win against lesser skilled opponents.
Backgammon Rules
Backgammon is played by two players who face each other over a backgammon board. The board is divided up by 24 small triangles that are called "points." The object of the game is to remove ("bear off") your checkers ("men") from the board before your opponent can do the same.
Backgammon Board
Each player has 24 points, starting with the number 24 and going down and around the board in a horseshoe shape to the 1st point.
Moving the Men
The movement of men in backgammon is determined by rolling the dice. Two dice are used and each number on the dice shows how many places one or more of your men may move.
For example, if you roll the dice and get a 5-3, you will have to move one of your men five spots and another one three spots or move a single man 8 spots. Keep in mind that when you move a single man 8 points in this example, you are actually making two separate moves with that man: one move for 3 spots and one move for 5 spots.
You may move your men to any point on which there are zero or only 1 of your opponent's men. You may not move your men to a point on which there are two or more of your opponent's men.
Doublets
When both dice land on the same number, it's called a "doublet" and you get twice as many moves as the dice show. For example, if you roll a 3-3, you can move up to four men a total of 3 places each or a single man a total of 12 places.
Points
When you have 2 or more men on one point, you are said to control that point. Your opponent's men cannot land or come to rest on a point that you control. If you control 6 consecutive points, you have completed a "prime."
A prime prevents your opponents from advancing beyond the prime because you can only move up to 6 spots at a time (because the maximum roll on a single dice is 6).
Hits
If you move a man to a point that contains exactly one of your opponent's men, it is called a "hit." Any time a checker is hit, it is returned to the bar (the middle area that divides the inner and outer boards).
Checkers may reenter the game on their owners' home board by rolling the dice. A roll of 2 will start your checker at the 23 point, a roll of 3 will start your checker at the 22 point and so on.
Reentering from the Bar
Your men may reenter the game if you roll the dice and the roll corresponds to a point that isn't occupied by two or more of the opponents' men. For example, if you roll a 2 but your opponent has two men on the 23 point, you will not be able to reenter from the bar and it becomes your opponent's turn.
A player may not move any of his other checkers on the board until all of his checkers have been reentered from the bar.
Closed Board
If an opponent occupies all 6 points in his home territory, this is called a "closed board." It's called that because it prevents you from reentering any of your checkers to the game - all 6 entry points are occupied.
Because you cannot move any of your other checkers on the board until you have gotten all of your men off the bar but the board is closed, you don't get to roll until your opponent moves one or more of his checkers off the re-entry points.
Bearing Off
Bearing off all your men is the point of the game. You may only start bearing off your checkers when all 15 of them have made it to your home board. The order in which your men are beared off is determined by the roll of the dice.
For example, if you roll a 4-5, you may bear off one checker from the 4 point and one checker from the 5 point. If you don't have any checkers on those numbers, you may move other checkers forward.
You may not use a roll of the dice to bear off checkers from a lower point unless there are no other checkers on the board. For example, if you roll a 6 but only have checkers on the 5 point, you may bear off one of those checkers.
You may not bear off if you have men waiting in the bar or if you have any outside of your home board.
The first person to bear off all his checkers wins the game.
Gammons and Backgammons
If one of the players bear off all 15 of their checkers before their opponent bears off any checkers, the loser has suffered a "gammon" and the loss counts as a double loss.
If one of the players bear off all 15 of their checkers before their opponent bears off any checkers and the losing player still has checkers in the bar or on his opponent's home board, the loser has suffered a "backgammon" and the loss counts as a triple loss.
Doubling Cube
The doubling cube is a six-sided dice with the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 on it. If a player feels like he is in position to win the game, he may propose to double the stakes. If his opponent accepts the double, that person now gains control of the cube and the game is played for double the stakes.
At any point after that, the player who is in control of the cube may now propose to double the stakes again. If a player declines to double the stakes, that player must immediately forfeit the game.
Backgammon Strategy
Entire books can be written on backgammon strategy but here we will describe several basic strategies players can use in the course of a backgammon game. As the game progresses, you may want to switch from one strategy to another, depending on how the game is going for you.
The Running Game
This strategy is best for times when you are ahead in the game. The goal of the running game is to move your checkers around the board as quickly as possible. You want to avoid getting hit, getting trapped or entering a stand off.
The Back Game
This strategy is best for times when you are already behind in the game because it's a long shot to win if used right off the bat. In the back game, you hold two points in your opponent's home board and a prime in your own board.
The idea behind the back game is to get in your opponent's way and make hits as he moves his checkers to his home board. It's not a good strategy to start a game with but it can be used to save the game if you're in trouble.
The Priming Game
This is a simple, straightforward strategy that can cause your opponents a lot of trouble. The purpose of the priming game is to control 6 points in a row so that your opponent cannot move past that point no matter what he rolls. The best place to set a prime is somewhere between the 2 and 11 points.
The Blitz
The blitz strategy is employed by simultaneously attacking as many of your opponent's checkers as possible and blocking points on the home board. This will keep your opponent busy trying to reenter his checkers, which becomes increasingly difficult as you block his checkers from reentering.
Check out our detailed backgammon strategy article for additional strategy information.