Backgammon is a race for two people. Each of you moves 15 checkers around the board toward your home, then takes them off. Dice decide how far you may move; you decide which checkers move. A first game takes one evening to learn and a lifetime to argue about.
Before you start, agree on two things: which direction each of you moves, and whether you are playing with the doubling cube. Most first games skip the cube. So does our free browser game, where you can practice every rule below against the computer or a friend on the same device.
This guide follows the rules published by the U.S. Backgammon Federation and Backgammon Galore. Where we describe our own browser game, we say so.
What you need
- A board with 24 narrow triangles, called points, split into two halves by a raised strip called the bar.
- 30 checkers, 15 in each color.
- Two pairs of dice and, ideally, two dice cups.
- A doubling cube marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. You can leave it in the box for your first games.
If you are choosing equipment, our board guide explains what the size on the box means and what to check in a listing.
Set up the board
Sit across from each other. The six points closest to you on your right-hand side are your home board; the six to their left are your outer board. Your opponent’s home and outer boards are directly across. Number the points from your own perspective, 1 to 24, starting in your home board. Your 1-point is your opponent’s 24-point.
Each player places 15 checkers in the same pattern, mirrored across the board. Counted from your farthest point to your nearest, the pattern is 2, 5, 3, 5:
| Point (from your view) | Checkers | Where that is |
|---|---|---|
| 24-point | 2 | Your opponent’s home board, far corner |
| 13-point | 5 | Your opponent’s outer board, next to the bar |
| 8-point | 3 | Your outer board, next to the bar |
| 6-point | 5 | Your home board, next to the bar |
Your opponent sets up the same four groups from their side. When both of you are done, each half of the board shows one tall stack of five, one stack of three or two, and the two back checkers sitting alone in the far corner. Both sets move in opposite directions around the board: you travel from your 24-point toward your 1-point, your opponent travels the other way.
In our browser game, Ivory moves from point 24 toward point 1 and Blue moves from point 1 toward point 24. The numbers stay fixed on screen so you always know where you are.
Who starts
Each player rolls one die. The higher number starts and plays both dice as rolled; you do not roll again. If both dice show the same number, roll again. After the opening move, players alternate, each rolling both dice at the start of a turn.
Moving your checkers
The two dice are two separate moves. A roll of 5 and 3 lets you move one checker 5 points and another checker 3 points, or one checker 8 points, provided the point it passes through is open. A point is open if it holds no checkers, your own checkers, or exactly one opposing checker.
- Doubles count four times. Roll 4-4 and you make four moves of 4.
- Use both dice if you can. If only one of the two numbers can be played, you must play the higher one whenever possible. If neither can be played, your turn is over.
- Two or more checkers make a point. Your opponent cannot land there. A line of made points is a wall that slows the other side down.
Our free game lists only the moves that satisfy these rules, which is a good way to check your own reading of a roll.
Hitting and the bar
A single checker on a point is a blot. If your opponent lands on it, the blot is hit and goes to the bar. A checker on the bar must re-enter before its owner may move anything else. It enters the opponent’s home board on the point matching one of the dice: a 3 enters on the opponent’s 3-point, from your point of view the 22-point. If both entry points are blocked by two or more opposing checkers, the whole turn is lost.
Hitting is where first games turn. Sending a checker back costs your opponent up to 24 points of travel, but it can leave your own blots open in return.
Bearing off
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you may start bearing off, removing them from the board. A roll of 4 removes a checker from your 4-point. If that point is empty, you must move a checker from a higher point instead. Only when no checker sits on a higher point may you use the roll to bear off from your highest occupied point.
If a checker is hit during the bear-off, it must return to the bar, re-enter and travel all the way home before you can continue removing checkers.
How the game ends
| Result | Condition | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Single game | You bear off all 15 first; your opponent has borne off at least one | 1 point |
| Gammon | Your opponent has not borne off a single checker | 2 points |
| Backgammon | Your opponent has borne off none and still has a checker on the bar or in your home board | 3 points |
Our browser game scores single games, gammons and backgammons exactly this way, one game at a time, with no running match total.
The doubling cube, in one paragraph
The cube tracks the stakes of a game. At the start of your turn, before rolling, you may offer to double. Your opponent either accepts, turning the cube to 2 and taking ownership of it, or refuses and concedes the game for one point. Only the cube’s owner may offer the next double. Gammons and backgammons multiply the cube value. Optional rules such as automatic doubles, beavers and the Jacoby rule change how the cube behaves; agree on them before the first roll. Backgammon Galore describes each of them.
Learn the checker play first. The cube adds a layer of judgment that makes more sense once you can read a position.
Questions from first games
Can I move a checker onto a point held by one of my opponent’s checkers? Yes. That is a hit, and their checker goes to the bar.
Can I split a roll across two checkers, or must one checker take both dice? Either. Each die is its own move. If one checker uses both, the intermediate point must be open.
Do I have to hit when I can? No. Hitting is a choice, not an obligation. Using both dice is the obligation.
What if I roll doubles on the opening roll? Roll again. Both players roll one die until the numbers differ.
Is backgammon only for two players? Yes. It is a two-player game by design, which is why it sits so comfortably at a small table.
Sources
- Beginner’s Guide to Backgammon, U.S. Backgammon Federation, by Chris Bray. Setup, movement, hitting, bearing off, gammons and the cube.
- Rules of Backgammon, Backgammon Galore. Bearing-off detail and the optional cube rules.
Ready to try a roll? Take a seat at our free Backgammon table. No account, no download, and the board explains every legal move as you go.