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Backgammon SETUP
Backgammon game is for two players, played on a board consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles named points. Each point is considered a step in the game.
The triangles are grouped into four quadrants of six points each.
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The quadrants referred to as a player's home board and outer board, and the opponent's home board and outer board. The home and outer boards are separated by a ridge down the center of the board named the bar.
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Each Backgammon Player moves its checkers along the points in either clock wise or counterclockwise direction - depending on the player home quarter initial position on the board.
If a player home quarter is on its left side (points 19 - 24) then the player must move the checkers in a clockwise direction. If a player home quarter is on its right side (points 1 - 6) then the player will move the checkers counterclockwise - all the way around the board back to its home quarter.
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Figure 1. Backgammon board initial position.
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An alternate arrangement is the reverse of the one shown here, with the home board on the left and the outer board on the right
The points are numbered for either Backgammon player starting in that player's home board. The outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also the opponent's one point. Each Backgammon player has fifteen checkers of his own color.
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| Initial Arrangement of the Checkers: |
| Point |
Number of Checkers |
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| 6 |
5 |
| 8 |
3 |
| 13 |
5 |
| 24 |
2 |
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| Total per Player |
12 |
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In a starting position, each player already have 5 checkers in its home quarter.
Both Backgammon players can use the same set of dice or have their own pair of dice. Each Backgammon game board has a doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, is used to keep track of the current stake of the game.
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Figure 2. Backgammon Game with Doubling Cube.
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Backgammon - Game Goal
The object of the Backgammon game is to bring all your checkers into your own home base and then bear them off. The first Backgammon player to bear off all of their checkers wins the Backgammon game.
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Figure 3. Direction of movement of White's checkers. Dark checkers move in the opposite direction.
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Backgammon Checkers Movement Rules
To start the Backgammon game, each player throws a single die. This determines both the player to go first and the numbers to be played. If equal numbers come up, then both Backgammon players roll again until they roll different numbers. The player throwing the higher number now moves his checkers according to the numbers showing on both dice. After the first roll, the players throw two dice in alternate turns.
The roll of the dice indicates how many steps, or points, the player need to move his checkers. The checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point. The following rules apply:
1. A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not occupied by two or more opposing checkers.
2. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if the white player rolls 2 and 3, he may move one checker 2 pips to an open point or a white occupied space (a "house") and another checker 3 pips to an open point, or he may move one of the checker a total of 5 pips to an open point (or a white "house" - like is Figure 4 example), but only if the intermediate point (either 2 or 3 spaces from the starting point) are also open.
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Figure 4. Two ways that White can play a roll of 2 & 3
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| a. Play 2 different checkers |
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b. Play the same checker 5 pips |
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3. A player who rolls doubles (-both dice has the same number) plays the numbers shown on the dice 4 times. For example: A roll of 3 and 3 means that the player has four threes to move. The Player can move his checkers in any combination possible as lone as it meets with the other rules of the game.
4. A Backgammon player must play both numbers of a roll according the rules of backgammon, as long as it is legally possible (meaning: the points to be played are opened and have no two or more checker of the opponent player).
5. When only one number can be played, the player must play that number.
6. When neither number can be used, the player loses his turn.
7. In the case of doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the player must play as many numbers as possible on the board in any combination.
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Figure 5. Doubling in Backgammon.
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Hitting & Entering
A point occupied by a single checker of either color is called a blot. If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot checker is taken out of the game and placed on the bar.
A Player, who has checkers out of the Backgammon game on the bar, can not continue playing until all the checker(s) are back in the game.
Player first obligation is to enter those checker(s) into the opposing home quarter. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point, in the other player home quarter, corresponding to one of the numbers on the rolled dice.
For example, if a player rolls 4 and 6, he may enter a checker onto either the opponent's four point or six points, so long as the prospective point is not occupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers.
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Figure 6. White has to move the checker off the bar into the dark player home base either to second or forth spaces. If White enter on the forth space, he immediately hit back to dark checker on the forth space.
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If neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn. If a player is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he must enter as many as he can and then forfeit the remainder of his turn.
After the last of a player's checkers has been entered, any unused numbers on the dice must be played, by moving either the checker that was entered or a different checker.
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Figure 7. Dark player has 2 & 3 on his dice, but can enter the dark checker only to the third space in the white home since second space is occupied by two or more white checkers.
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Bearing Off & Bearing On
Once a player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his home board, he may commence bearing off. A player bears off a checker by rolling a number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and then removing that checker from the board. Thus, rolling a 6 permits the player to remove a checker from the six points.
If there is no checker on the point indicated by the roll, the player must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, the Backgammon player is permitted (and required) to remove a checker from the highest point on which one of his checkers resides. A player is under no obligation to bear off if he can make an otherwise legal move.
Note that the player MUST play both numbers on the dice (or 4 numbers in double) unless one or more of the numbers can not be played legally.
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A player must have all of his active checkers in his home board in order to bear off. If a checker is hit during the bear-off process, the player must bring that checker back to his home board before continuing to bear off. The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins the game.
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Figure 8. White player has all his checkers at his "home" and start to bear off.
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| a. All white checkers are in home base |
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b. White bear off 4 checkers |
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A player must have all of his active checkers in his home board in order to bear off. If a checker is hit during the bear-off process, the player must bring that checker back to his home board before continuing to bear off. The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins the game.
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Doubling in Backgammon
Backgammon is played for an agreed stake per point. Each game starts at one point, meaning at the end of the game, the winning player's gets one point for his win. During the course of the game, a player who feels he has a sufficient advantage may propose doubling the stakes. He may do this only at the start of his own turn and before he had rolled the dice.
A player who is offered a double may refuse, in which case he concedes the game and pays one point. Otherwise, he must accept the double and play on for the new higher stakes - of two points, or loose the game immediately for one point. Thus, if the offered player thinks he has no chance of winning this game, he might as well refuse the doubling offer and loose only one point. A player who accepts a double becomes the owner of the cube and only he may make the next doubling offer (if he feels he has the advantage on the game).
If a subsequent doubling is offered, the stakes of the previous doubling is doubles. So, if the last doubling was for two points, the new offered doubling will be for 4 points, and the doubling cube goes for its new owner.
Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles. If a player refuses a redouble, he must pay the number of points that were at stake prior to the redouble. Otherwise, he becomes the new owner of the cube and the game continues at twice the previous stakes. There is no limit to the number of redoubles in a game.
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Gammon Win & Backgammon Win
At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off at least one checker, he loses only one point or the value showing on the doubling cube (if a doubling was offered and accepted). However, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers, he is gammoned and loses two points or twice the value of the doubling cube.
If the loser has not borne off any of his checkers and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, he is "backgammoned" and loses three points or three times the value of the doubling cube.
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Optional Rules
These rules are not accepted in all countries and all versions of Backgammon.
You should agree with your opponent player on any of these rules in advance.
1. Automatic doubles. If identical numbers are thrown on the first roll, the stakes are doubled. The doubling cube is turned to 2 and remains in the middle. Players usually agree to limit the number of automatic doubles to one per game.
2. Beavers. When a player is doubled, he may immediately redouble (beaver) while retaining possession of the cube. The original "doubler" has the option of accepting or refusing as with a normal double.
3. The Jacoby Rule. Gammons and backgammons count only as a single game (one winning point) if neither player has offered a double during the course of the game. This rule speeds up play by eliminating situations where a player avoids doubling so he can play on for a gammon.
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Irregularities & Special Rules
TThese special Backgammon rules will help you determine the course of the game and judge special situations that known to come into dispute. The rules that are offered here are commonly accepted by most of the Backgammon community around the world.
1. The dice must be rolled together and land flat on the surface of the right-hand section of the board. The player must re-roll both dice if one of the die lands outside the right-hand board, or lands on a checker, or does not land flat.
2. A turn is completed when the player picks up his dice. If the play is incomplete or otherwise illegal, the opponent has the option of accepting the play as made or of requiring the player to make a legal play. A play is deemed to have been accepted as made when the opponent rolls his dice or offers a double to start his own turn.
3. If a player rolls before his opponent has completed his turn by picking up the dice, the player's roll is voided. This rule is generally waived any time a play is forced or when there is no further contact between the opposing forces
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