Backgammon

Backgammon Game info

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The backgammon board is laid out in four sections, or quadrants, two per side, each containing six elongated triangular markers, called points. Each player has either white or red/black checkers. The two quadrants before each player are known as their home board and the outer board. If facing the board from the white player’s perspective, the home board is on your right. If facing from the red/black players perspective the home board is on the left. The home and outer boards are separated by a ridge along the centre, called the bar.

Points are numbered starting at the far right in your home board going all around the board up to point 24 (which is point 1 in your opponent’s home board). Each player’s checkers are initially set out with two on 24 point, five on 13 point, three on 8 point and five on 6 point.

The object of the game is to move all of your checkers into your home board and then bear them off (remove them from the board altogether). The first player to bear off all of their checkers from the board wins. The rules governing the game are as follows:

The dice designate how many spaces a player may move either one or two of their checkers. The total of both dice thrown may be used to move one checker, or the result of each individual die can be used to independently move two checkers. In both cases, two moves are made

When a player throws a double, they may make four moves with one, two, three or four checkers corresponding to the dice result

An opponent’s checker may not land on a made point (where two checkers occupy a single point) nor may it touch down when moving using the total of both dice

If your checker lands on a blot (a point occupied by your opponent’s single checker) the checker is hit and placed on the bar, out of play

To reinstate a hit checker into play, you must throw the dice and re-enter in the opponent’s home board, although you cannot re-enter on an opponent’s made point. If your opponent has all their home points made, you lose your turn until a point is re-opened

You cannot move any of your checkers on the board if you have one or more checkers on the bar

You must move your checker(s) if the dice result allows you to make a legal move, even when to do so would cause an unfavourable outcome

Once you have all fifteen checkers in your home board, you may begin to bear off

When bearing off:

The result of each die determines which points may have their checkers removed

If no checker occupies a point indicated by a die, then a legal move must be made inside the home board using a checker that occupies a higher point

If there are no checkers on higher points, you must bear off from the highest available point

There is no obligation to bear off if a legal move exists which is strategically more beneficial

The first player to bear off all their checkers is the winner.

Backgammon when played for reward starts with an agreed stake per point. The game begins at one point and during the course of the game this may be increased by doubling when a player feels they have an advantage. A player may double only prior to their turn, before the dice are rolled.

When doubling:

If you are offered a double and refuse, you forfeit the game

If you accept the double, you take possession of the doubling cube and only you may initiate the next double, known as a redouble

If a player refuses a redouble, they forfeit the number of points at stake before the redouble was offered

There is no limit to how many redoubles may be made in a game

Gammons and Backgammons:

When a game ends, if the loser has borne off one or more checkers, the value shown on the doubling cube is lost, or just a single point if no doubles were made. If the loser has failed to bear off any checkers at the end of the game, it is called Gammon, and twice the value of the doubling cube is lost.

If the loser has failed to bear off any checkers and has at least one checker either on the bar or inside the winner’s home board it is called Backgammon. Three times the value of the doubling cube is lost.