Backgammon is an ancient and fascinating board game that combines strategy, luck, and skill. If you’re new to the game, understanding the rules might seem overwhelming at first. This quick-start guide will help you get started with backgammon by explaining the basic rules and strategies. Let’s dive in!
Objective of Backgammon
The primary goal in backgammon is to move all your checkers into your home board and then bear them off the board before your opponent does. The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.
Setting Up the Board
A backgammon board consists of 24 narrow triangles called points. These are divided into four quadrants: the player’s home board and outer board, and the opponent’s home board and outer board. Here’s how to set up:
- Each player has 15 checkers of their color (usually black and white).
- Checkers are placed on specific points at the start:
- 2 checkers on each player’s 24-point.
- 5 checkers on each player’s 13-point.
- 3 checkers on each player’s 8-point.
- 5 checkers on each player’s 6-point.
- Both players roll a single die to determine who goes first. The player with the higher number moves first using their roll; if it’s a tie, re-roll.
Rolling the Dice and Moving Checkers
Players take turns rolling two six-sided dice and moving their checkers according to the numbers rolled. Key rules include:
- A checker can only move to an open point, which is one not occupied by two or more opposing checkers.
- If a player rolls a double (the same number on both dice), they play each number twice, making four moves total.
Example Moves
| Roll | Move Options |
|---|---|
| 4 and 2 | Move one checker 4 spaces and another 2 spaces, or one checker 6 spaces. |
| 6 and 6 | Move up to 4 checkers each 6 spaces. |
Hitting and Entering
If you move a checker onto a point occupied by a single opposing checker, the opponent’s checker is hit and placed on the bar. To re-enter the game, the opponent must roll a number corresponding to an open point in your home board.
Bearing Off
Once all of a player’s checkers are in their home board, they can start bearing off or removing them from the board. A player bears off a checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides. If there are no checkers on the rolled point, they must make a valid move.
Bearing Off Example
| Roll | Bear Off Options |
|---|---|
| 5 and 3 | Bear off one checker from the 5-point and another from the 3-point. |
| 6 and 6 | Bear off up to four checkers from the 6-point. |