Backgammon
Free online board game · Play the computer · No sign-up
Backgammon in a nutshell
Backgammon is a race for two players. Each of you moves 15 checkers round the board according to two dice, heading in opposite directions. A lone checker can be hit and sent back to the start, so you try to keep your checkers in safe pairs. The first player to bring all 15 checkers home and bear them off wins.
- Set out the checkers. Each player starts with 2 checkers on their 24 point, 5 on their 13 point, 3 on their 8 point and 5 on their 6 point. You count the points from your own side.
- Roll to start. Each player rolls one die. The higher number goes first and plays both numbers rolled. After that you roll two dice on each turn.
- Move by each die. Move one checker by the number on one die and one checker (the same or another) by the other. Doubles let you move that number four times.
- Land only on open points. You may land on an empty point, your own point, or a point with just one opposing checker. A point with two or more opposing checkers is blocked.
At a glance
- Players
- 2 players 15 checkers each
- Length
- 10 to 30 minutes per game
- Equipment
- Board and 2 dice 24 points in four quarters
- Learn it in
- 15 minutes luck and skill both count
Backgammon questions
What happens if I can't move?
If no legal move uses either die, you simply lose your turn. If you can use one die but not the other, you play the one you can (the larger, if either would work).
What is the bar in backgammon?
The bar is the strip down the middle of the board. A checker that is hit is placed there and must re-enter in your opponent's home board, on the point matching one of your dice, before you can move any other checker.
How does bearing off work?
When all your checkers are in your home board, a die lets you remove a checker from the matching point. If you roll a number higher than your highest checker, you may bear off from your highest point. If there is a checker on a higher point, you must move inside the home board instead.
What are a gammon and a backgammon?
If you bear off all your checkers before your opponent has borne off any, you win a gammon, worth 2 points. If they still have a checker on the bar or in your home board as well, it is a backgammon, worth 3 points.
What is the doubling cube?
The doubling cube raises the stakes. Before rolling, a player may offer to double. The other player either takes, playing on for twice the points and owning the cube, or drops and loses the game at its current value. It is optional here and off by default.
What is the Crawford rule?
In a match, when one player first gets within one point of winning, the next game is played without the doubling cube. It is called the Crawford game, and it gives the trailing player a fair chance.
