Backgammon Rules

Backgammon has had many local rule sets over the centuries. These are the rules used today in clubs, tournaments and online.

Object of the game

Backgammon is a game for two players. Each player tries to bring all fifteen of their checkers into their own home board and then remove them from the board, a process called bearing off. The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins. Games can be played one at a time, or as part of a match that is won by the first player to reach an agreed number of points.

Equipment and setup

The board has 24 narrow triangles called points, arranged in four quadrants of six points each. Each player has fifteen checkers, two dice and a dice cup, and the players share a doubling cube. From each player's own point of view, the checkers start like this:

• two checkers on the 24-point (the opponent's ace point),
• five checkers on the 13-point (the midpoint),
• three checkers on the 8-point,
• five checkers on the 6-point.

Each side moves in the opposite direction, from its 24-point toward its 1-point and then off the board.

Starting the game

Each player rolls one die. If the numbers are the same, both roll again. The player with the higher number moves first, using the two numbers just rolled as the opening move. After that the players take turns rolling both of their own dice.

Moving the checkers

The numbers on the dice show how many points a checker moves. Checkers always move forward, toward the player's own home board. A six moves a checker exactly six points; it cannot be used for a shorter move. With the two numbers rolled a player may either:

• move two different checkers, one for each die, or
• move one checker twice, once for each die. The two moves are separate steps, so the checker must be able to land legally after the first step. A roll of 4-3 lets one checker move four and then three, or three and then four, but it is not a single jump of seven.

A double is played four times. A roll of 4-4 gives four moves of four points each, made with any combination of checkers.

A checker may land on an empty point, on a point holding any number of its own checkers, or on a point holding exactly one opposing checker. It may not land on a point held by two or more opposing checkers.

Compulsory moves

• A player may not pass voluntarily. Both numbers must be played whenever that is legally possible.
• If only one number can be played, that number must be played.
• If either number can be played but not both, the larger number must be played.
• If no legal move exists, the turn is lost.

Hitting and entering

A single checker on a point is called a blot. Landing on an opposing blot is called hitting it: the hit checker is placed on the bar in the middle of the board.

A player with one or more checkers on the bar must bring all of them back into play before moving any other checker. A checker enters on the opponent's home board, on the point that matches one of the numbers rolled: a 1 enters on the opponent's ace point, a 6 on the opponent's 6-point, and so on. Entering follows the normal landing rules, so a point held by two or more opposing checkers is closed, and entering on an opposing blot hits it.

If one checker enters and the other number is still playable, it must be played elsewhere. If two checkers are on the bar and only one can enter, the rest of the roll is lost. If no checker can enter, the whole turn is lost.

Bearing off

Once all fifteen checkers are in the home board, a player may start bearing off. A roll removes a checker from the point that matches the number: a 3 bears off from the 3-point. The rules for other cases are:

• A number may always be used to move a checker inside the home board instead of bearing off.
• If the matching point is empty and there are checkers on higher points, the number must be used to move one of those checkers.
• If the matching point is empty and there are no checkers on higher points, a checker is borne off from the highest occupied point.
• If one of your checkers is hit during the bear-off, it must re-enter and come all the way home before bearing off continues.

Scoring

The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins. The size of the win depends on how far the loser got:

• Single game: the loser has borne off at least one checker. The winner scores the value of the game: one point, or the number on the doubling cube.
• Gammon: the loser has not borne off any checkers. The winner scores twice the value.
• Backgammon: the loser has not borne off any checkers and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board. The winner scores three times the value.

How the value can rise during play is explained in The Doubling Cube; for match play, see the Crawford Rule. A gentler introduction is How to Play Backgammon.