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Learn How To Play Backgammon !

Written by: Yehuda Zargarov

The Backgammon game is actually a very simple game, but it contains deep strategic elements. Your goal is to get all of your pieces past your opponent's pieces. It isn't easy since the pieces are dispersed in the beginning, and the opponent can block or capture it.

Basic Definitions:
Let's start by getting familiar with some basic terms of backgammon.

1. A checker / piece is one of fifteen discs each player starts the game with.

2. A point is one of 24 triangles (numbered from 1 to 24) which are the spaces for the game's checkers to move.
  2.1. An available point is a point which contains no checkers.
  2.2. An occupied point is a point which contains two or more checkers of the same color. The opponent cannot put his checkers on this point. It is also called a "home".
  2.3. A trap is when a point has only one checker, and then the opponent can put his checker on it and trap it.

3. A home board is a set of six points each player has. One home board is the set of points from 1 to 6, and another is the set of points from 19 to 24.

4. An outer board of one opponent is the other opponent's home board.

5. A double is a situation when both of the dice show the same number, in which case the number of steps is multiplied.

Initial Arrangement:
Each backgammon player begins with two checkers on the 24-point, three checkers on the 8-point, and five checkers each on the 6-point and the 13-point. You can flip the board horizontally and then the arrangement is the same but on the symmetric parallel points. To decide who starts the game, each player rolls one die. The player who got the higher number gets to play the first turn. In case of a tie, another roll is applied. Once the backgammon game begins, the turns are alternated each player rolls the two dice in each turn.

Game Process:
After a player rolls the two dice, he must move checkers forward (and not backward) as many points as written on each die (and not on both together). For example, if one die shows 3 and the other one 5, the player must move one checker three points forward and another one five points forward. The player may move the same checker twice as long as he plays two separate moves. If there are no legal moves for the player (If all the possible points he could move to are occupied by two or more of his opponent's checkers) then his turn is gone. If there is at least one possible point to which the player can move his checkers to, he must use his turn (with both dice). If there is only one move which can be made (with one die) then the player must make it and then only the second die's move is gone.

If a double is rolled by a player, he must play twice each die. For example, when rolling 3,3 the player must move four checkers forward three points each. Again, he can move a checker multiple times as long as the moves are distinct.

A player can move his checker to a point where there are no checkers, his checkers only or one enemy checker only. In the last situation, the opponent's checker is called a blot, and is temporarily moved to the bar in the middle of the board. A point to which a player cannot move his checker is a point which contains two or more of his opponent's checkers. The checkers which were temporary moved to the bar can be re-entered to the game through the opponent's home field. If the player rolls 1, he can enter his checker to the 24th-point, if he rolls 2, he can enter it to the 23rd-point, and so on. When having 1 or more checkers on the bar, you cannot do anything else before re-entering them.

When your home board contains all your checkers, you may bear them off, i.e. remove them from the board. The point from which you can remove a checker is decided by the roll of the dice. Rolling 1 means you can remove a checker from your 1-point, 2 means from the 2-point and so on. You can remove a checker from a lower point then the number rolled only if you have no checkers on the point of the number rolled and on the higher points. For example, you can roll 4 and remove a checker from your 3-point if you have no checkers on the 4,5 and 6 points.

The first player to bear off all of his checkers is the winner of the match !

Watch this "how to play backgammon" video for more explanations

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