How to Play Backgammon: Rules for Beginners
Quick answer: key takeaways
- Each player has 15 checkers and races them around 24 points into their own home board, then removes them (bears off); the first to bear off all 15 wins.
- Roll two dice and move one checker by each number, or one checker by both; doubles are played four times.
- You may not land on a point held by two or more enemy checkers, but landing on a single enemy checker (a blot) hits it and sends it to the bar.
- A checker on the bar must re-enter in the opponent's home board before any of that player's other checkers can move.
- Winning before the opponent bears off any checker is a gammon (double); winning while they still have a checker on the bar or in your home board is a backgammon (triple).
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games still played, and one of the best mixes of luck and skill ever designed. The dice decide what you can do; you decide what to do with it. The rules fit on a page, and this guide covers all of them, plus a simple plan for your first games.
The board
The board has 24 narrow triangles called points, in four quarters of six. Each player has a home board (where checkers finish) and an outer board. Points are numbered 1 to 24 from each player’s own point of view: your 1-point is the deepest point of your home board, and your 24-point is the far end, in your opponent’s home board.
A raised strip down the middle is called the bar. Checkers that are hit wait there.
Setup
Each player has 15 checkers, placed like this (counting from your own side):
| Point | Checkers |
|---|---|
| 24-point (opponent’s home board) | 2 |
| 13-point (opponent’s outer board) | 5 |
| 8-point (your outer board) | 3 |
| 6-point (your home board) | 5 |
The two players move in opposite directions, each from their 24-point toward their 1-point.
Moving
On your turn, roll two dice. Each die is a separate move: with a 5 and a 2, you can move one checker five points and another two points, or one checker five and then two (or two and then five).
- A checker may land on an empty point, a point with your own checkers, or a point with a single enemy checker.
- It may not land on a point with two or more enemy checkers; that point is blocked.
- With doubles, you play the number four times.
- You must use both dice if you legally can. If only one can be played, play that one; if either one but not both can be played, you must play the higher.
Hitting and the bar
A single checker on a point is a blot. If your opponent lands on it, it is hit and goes to the bar. Before you may move anything else, you must bring it back in by entering it into your opponent’s home board: a roll of 3 lets you enter on their 3-point (your 22-point), and so on, as long as that point is not blocked.
If every entry point you rolled is blocked, you lose your whole turn. This is why building a wall of blocked points in your home board is so strong.
Bearing off
Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you can start bearing off (removing them). A roll of 4 removes a checker from your 4-point. If there is no checker on that point, you must move a checker from a higher point if you can; if there are no checkers on higher points, you may bear off from the highest occupied point.
If one of your checkers is hit while you are bearing off, it must come all the way around again before you can continue.
Winning and scoring
The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.
| Result | When | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Single game | The loser has borne off at least one checker | 1 |
| Gammon | The loser has not borne off any checker | 2 |
| Backgammon | The loser has borne off none and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board | 3 |
Many players also use a doubling cube to raise the stakes during a game, but beginners can safely ignore it.
The opening roll
To start, each player commonly rolls one die; the higher roll goes first and plays both numbers as its first move. If both dice match, roll again.
A first strategy
You do not need deep theory to play well. These five ideas cover most decisions:
- Make points. Two checkers on a point are safe and block your opponent. Points in your home board and on your 7-point (the bar point) are the most valuable.
- Limit blots. A single checker can be hit. Leave one only when it is far from enemy checkers or when it helps you build a point next turn.
- Hit when it helps. Sending an enemy checker back costs your opponent many moves, especially if your home board is strong.
- Escape your back checkers. The two checkers on your 24-point have the longest way home. Move them out early, before your opponent builds a wall.
- Race when ahead. If your checkers have passed all of your opponent’s, stop fighting and run for home.
Common good opening moves include 3-1 (make your 5-point: 8/5 and 6/5) and 6-1 (make your bar point: 13/7 and 8/7).
Practise against the computer
The backgammon game on this site enforces all of these rules, highlights legal moves and lets you undo moves until you press Done. Start on Easy to learn the flow, move to Medium once hitting and blocking feel natural, and try Hard, which looks one roll ahead, when you want a real test.
Ready to practise? Play Backgammon free, or browse more strategy guides.
Frequently asked questions
How do you set up a backgammon board?
Each player starts with two checkers on their 24-point, five on their 13-point, three on their 8-point and five on their 6-point, counting from their own home board. The two sides mirror each other.
What happens when you roll doubles?
You play the number four times. Rolling double 3s gives four moves of three, which you can split among checkers in any way.
Do you have to use both dice?
You must use as many dice as you legally can. If only one die can be played, you must play it; if either could be played but not both, you must play the higher one.
What is the doubling cube?
An optional die marked 2 to 64 that lets a player offer to double the stakes during a game. It matters in money and match play. The game on this site plays single games without the cube, but gammons and backgammons still count double and triple.