How to Play Backgammon: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, dating back to 3000 BC. It’s a game of luck and strategy, easy to learn and fun to play—no wonder it’s still popular today!
Equipment
Here’s what you need to play:
- Two players
- Fifteen checkers for each player (two colors)
- A pair of dice and a dice cup for each player
- A doubling cube (marked 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64)
- A backgammon board with 24 long triangles (points or pips), alternating in color and divided into four quadrants
The board is split into:
- Your home board
- Your outer board
- Your opponent’s home board
- Your opponent’s outer board The home boards and outer boards are separated by the bar down the middle.
Setup
Each player starts with 15 checkers arranged as follows:
- 2 checkers on the 24-point
- 5 checkers on the 13-point
- 3 checkers on the 8-point
- 5 checkers on the 6-point
The points are numbered from 24 (in your opponent’s home board) down to 1 (in your own home board).
Your Goal
Move all your checkers into your home board, then bear them off (remove them from the board). The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins!
How to Play: Step-by-Step
1. Starting the Game
- Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first, using both numbers for their opening move. If tied, roll again.
- Players then alternate turns, rolling two dice at the start of each turn.
- Dice must be rolled together and land flat on the right-hand side of the board. If not, reroll both dice.
2. Moving Your Checkers
The numbers you roll are your movement options:
- Move one checker the total of both dice, or split the moves between two checkers.
- You can only move to open points (not occupied by two or more opposing checkers).
- You may move the same checker twice, as long as each move lands on an open point.
- If you roll doubles, play the numbers shown on the dice twice (e.g., double fives means four moves of five).
Important: You must move both numbers if possible (or all four if you roll doubles). If only one can be played, you must play it. If neither can be played, you lose your turn.
3. Hitting and Entering
- An open point with one opposing checker is a blot. If you land on a blot, you hit it and place the opposing checker on the bar.
- If you have checkers on the bar, you must re-enter them into your opponent’s home board before moving any other checkers.
- To enter, roll the dice and move a checker to the corresponding point in your opponent’s home board. If you can’t enter, you lose your turn.
- After entering, use any remaining dice to move checkers as usual.
4. Bearing Off
- Once all your checkers are in your home board, you can start bearing off.
- To bear off, roll a number that matches the point where a checker sits and remove it from the board.
- If no checker can bear off with the number(s) rolled, make a legal move with a checker from a higher point. If there are no checkers on higher points, bear off from the next highest point.
- If a checker is hit during bearing off, re-enter it and bring it back to your home board before continuing.
5. Doubling
- The doubling cube is used to increase the stakes. At the start of your turn (before rolling), you may propose to double the stakes.
- Your opponent can accept (take) or resign (drop). If accepted, the cube is turned to 2 and your opponent becomes the owner of the cube. Only the owner can propose the next double.
- Redoubles are allowed, with no limit.
6. Gammon and Backgammon
- If you bear off all 15 checkers and your opponent has borne off at least one, you win the current stake.
- If your opponent hasn’t borne off any checkers, you win a gammon (double the stake).
- If your opponent hasn’t borne off any checkers and still has checkers on the bar, you win a backgammon (triple the stake).
Strategy Tips for Beginners
- Build points: Try to occupy consecutive points to block your opponent’s checkers.
- Hit blots: Send your opponent’s single checkers to the bar whenever possible.
- Keep anchors: Hold points in your opponent’s home board to slow their progress.
- Bear off efficiently: Get all your checkers into your home board as quickly as possible.
- Use the doubling cube wisely: Double when you have an advantage, but don’t be afraid to drop if you’re far behind.