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Backgammon . online backgammon . backgammon rules
 
Equipment
Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a board
consisting of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. The
triangles alternate in color and are grouped into four quadrants
of six triangles each. The quadrants are 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
from each other by a ridge down the center of the board called
the bar.
The points are numbered for either 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 player has
fifteen checkers of his own color. The initial arrangement of
checkers is: two on each player's twenty-four point, five on
each player's thirteen point, three on each player's eight
point, and five on each player's six point. |
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Object of the Game
The object of the game is for a player to move all of his
checkers into his own home board and then bear them off. The
first player to bear off all of his checkers wins the game.
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Movement Of The Checkers
To start the 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 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 and alternate turns.
The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the
player is to move his checkers. The checkers are always moved
forward, to a lower-numbered point. The following rules apply:
A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not
occupied by two or more opposing checkers. The numbers on the
two dice constitute separate moves. For example, if a player
rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five spaces to an open
point and another checker three spaces to an open point, or he
may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an open
point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or five
spaces from the starting point) is also open.
A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice
twice. A roll of 6 and 6 means that the player has four sixes to
use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels
appropriate to complete this requirement. A player must use both
numbers of a roll if this is legally possible (or all four
numbers of a double). When only one number can be played, the
player must play that number. Or if either number can be played
but not both, the player must play the larger one. When neither
number can be used, the player loses his turn. In the case of
doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the player must
play as many numbers as he can. |
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Hitting And 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 is hit
and placed on the bar.
Any time a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his first
obligation is to enter those checker(s) into the opposing home
board. A checker is entered by moving it to an open point
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 point, so long as
the prospective point is not occupied by two or more of the
opponent's checkers.
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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Bearing Off
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 point.
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 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.
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
Backgammon is played for an agreed stake per point. Each game
starts at one point. 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 has 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. A player who
accepts a double becomes the owner of the cube and only he may
make the next double.
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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Gammons And Backgammons
At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off at
least one checker, he loses only the value showing on the
doubling cube (one point, if there have been no doubles).
However, if the loser has not borne off any of his checkers, he
is gammoned and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Or,
worse, 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 times the value of the doubling
cube. |
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