Backgammon is one of the oldest board games: the dice decide your moves, and the winner is the player who makes the smartest use of the numbers rolled. Below is a short summary of the rules for beginners. There are several variants of the game, so here we describe the usual (short) backgammon, similar to international backgammon.
What you need
- A backgammon board with 24 triangles (points)
- 15 light and 15 dark checkers
- Two dice
The goal
To be the first to move all your checkers into the last quarter of the board and bear them off (remove them from the board).
Starting position
Each player starts with fifteen checkers, arranged like this: 2, 5, 3 and 5 checkers on different points. The players move in opposite directions around the board.
Making a move
- Roll two dice.
- Each die tells you how many points you can move one checker. You can move one checker with both dice, or two different checkers.
- If you roll doubles (two identical numbers), you use the number four times.
- A checker can only be placed on a point that does not hold two or more of your opponent's checkers.
Hitting
If a single opponent's checker stands on a point, you can "hit" it. A hit checker is removed from the board, and its owner must first bring it back into the game before moving any other checkers.
Bearing off
When all your checkers are in the last quarter, you can start bearing them off the board according to the dice you roll. The winner is the first to bear off all their checkers.
Which backgammon set to choose
For home, a 40x40 or 50x50 cm board is convenient, and compact Mini sets suit travel. The boards fold and become a box for the game pieces. You will find all the sets in the backgammon category, and if you want two games in one, see the checkers and backgammon sets.