Backgammon is a classic board game for two players. Each player has 15 pieces, which must be moved around the board according to the outcome of two dice rolls. The goal is to get all your pieces safely home and then off the board – before your opponent does.
The board consists of 24 triangular spaces called "points", which are numbered from 1 to 24 to make explanations easier. Each player has 15 pieces, which are arranged in a fixed setup.
The board is divided into four quadrants: home board and outer board for both players. The setup is symmetrical, but determines which player moves their pieces clockwise and which counterclockwise. In the image below, black moves clockwise, while white plays counterclockwise.
In the alternative setup, black still moves clockwise, but the pieces are mirrored as shown here:
Regardless of setup, the goal for both players is the same: to get all their pieces into their own home board and then off the board.
The game begins with both players rolling one die each. The player with the highest number starts and uses the two dice from the first roll for their first move. If both roll the same, roll again.
The game then continues in turns. Each player uses two dice per turn. It is recommended to use a dice cup, as it ensures randomness and fairness in the rolls.
The pieces are moved forward in the player's direction based on the dice. You can:
You may not land on a space where the opponent has two or more pieces. If the opponent has only one piece on the space, it can be hit (see next section).
Example 1: If you roll 4 and 2:
– One piece can be moved 4 spaces, and another 2 spaces.
– Alternatively, one piece can be moved 6 spaces, if it can land on a space 2 or 4 spaces ahead along the way.
If you roll doubles, you get four moves instead of two. For example, if you roll two fives, you can move four times 5 spaces, divided among one or more pieces.
Example 2: If you roll 5 and 5:
– You can move four different pieces 5 spaces each
– Or, for example, two pieces 10 spaces each
The strategy of the game arises from the interplay between movement and conflict. If a player has two or more pieces on a space, the space is "occupied" and cannot be entered by the opponent. But if you have only one piece on a space, it is vulnerable.
If the opponent lands on a space with a single piece, that piece is hit. The hit piece is placed on the bar and must then be entered into the opponent's home board – on spaces corresponding to the pips on the next dice roll.
A player who has a piece on the bar may not move other pieces until the hit piece has been brought back into play. If no spaces correspond to a legal entry (i.e. the opponent has two or more pieces on the space), the turn is lost.
When a player has brought all their pieces into their home board (the last six spaces), bearing off can begin. You bear off pieces by rolling numbers that correspond to the spaces – for example, a 6 to bear off a piece from space 6.
If there are no pieces on the space corresponding to the roll, you may bear off a piece from the next highest space. If that is not possible, you must make a normal move with a piece still in the home board.
If a piece is hit during bearing off, it must first be brought all the way back to the home board before you may continue bearing off pieces.
The game is won when a player has removed all 15 of their pieces from the board.
Backgammon combines luck and strategy. A good roll can turn the game, but the skilled player plans their moves, protects their pieces, and exploits the opponent's mistakes. The game is simple to learn – but hard to master.
