Backgammon Rules — A Complete Guide from Setup to Bearing Off

Backgammon is a board game in which two players roll dice in turn and move their checkers, combining luck with strategy. The board consists of 24 points and each player has 15 checkers; 30 checkers are in play in total, and the position of every checker on the board matters. The goal is to gather all your checkers into your own home area and remove them from the board; the first to bear off wins.

The board is divided into four quadrants, and points 1-6 are each player's own home area; these six points are reserved for bearing off. The checkers move counter-clockwise toward the opponent's home and finally come back to your own home. This guide explains the rules of classic backgammon; in variants such as Gul Bara the setup, direction of movement and goal change.

The two players set up their checkers facing each other and use the same numbers for their own side; the two setups mirror each other. Each player's 15 checkers are spread over four points; this setup is built as a mirror image for both sides; both sides start with 15 checkers. Setup is completed in these four steps.

1. Place 2 checkers on your 24-point. These are the checkers furthest back at the start of the game and the point farthest from your opponent's home; they are the ones that will travel the most during the game.
2. Put 5 checkers on your 13-point. This group of five in the middle area sets your direction in the first moves and gives you flexibility in defense; you can pull back when needed.
3. Place 3 checkers on your 8-point. This group of three forms the line approaching your opponent's home and creates chances to make points; you can hit your opponent's blots from this line.
4. Put 5 checkers on your 6-point. This is where your own home area begins; the checkers most useful to you during bearing off sit here, and they are the first to leave.

These four points get 2, 5, 3 and 5 checkers; 15 checkers in total come onto the board. The opponent builds the same formation as a mirror image, and there are 30 checkers on the board. When setup is done you're ready for the first roll; check the setup once before you roll your first dice.

The flow of the game rests on a few simple rules. Knowing these points is enough to understand the moves on the board and the order of play; complex strategies are built on top of this foundation. Turn order, direction and the blocked-point rule form the backbone of the game; the remaining rules are the details of these three headings.

• Players roll the dice and move in turn.
• You move a checker forward by the number rolled.
• Checkers move counter-clockwise.
• You can't enter a point with two or more opposing checkers.
• Bearing off begins when all your checkers are home.

Only the player whose turn it is moves; a turn is never skipped. After you finish your move, the dice pass to your opponent. The game continues until one side has borne off all its checkers; leaving part of a roll unplayed gives your opponent an advantage.

There are two dice and they are rolled together each turn; each die grants a separate move, and using both dice together offers more options. You can play the two numbers separately or as a total with a single checker; if 5 and 3 come up, moving one checker 8 points is also possible. You choose the order you play in, but you have to use the rights of both dice; otherwise your turn passes incomplete.

When you roll doubles you play the same number four times; for example, if 5-5 comes up you have four separate moves of 5. If only one of the two dice can be played, you must play the larger one; if neither can be played, the turn passes to your opponent and you lose the turn. A blocked point, meaning a point with two or more opposing checkers, is impassable for you; you can't place a checker on such a point and you look for another move the dice allow; a blocked point acts like a wall.

When you land on a point where your opponent has a single checker, you hit that checker; this is called hitting, and it slows your opponent's progress. The hit checker goes to the bar, that is, it is taken out from among the other checkers on the board; a checker on the bar is visible but can't be played. While you have a checker on the bar you can't move your other checkers; you have to bring it back into play first, which is why leaving a blot is risky.

To come off the bar you roll the dice and place the checker on the entry point that matches the number rolled; these points are in your opponent's home area. If the entry point is covered by your opponent you can't use that die; you can't spend that die on another checker. If both entry points are blocked you lose your turn and wait for your opponent's move; your opponent can gain an advantage in the meantime, so try to keep your entry points open.

You start bearing off when all 15 of your checkers are in your own home area. You remove the checker on the point shown by the die from the board; each die speeds up one checker's exit. You can't leave checkers outside while you have checkers in your home area; you have to bring them all home first; you can't start bearing off early.

If the die is higher than your highest occupied point, you can bear off the checker on that point; this is called the excess-die rule. But if you have a move that uses the die exactly, you must make that one first; otherwise the die is wasted. Planning ahead which checker to remove makes bearing off easier; once you've settled the rules you can compare modes on the online backgammon page and pick the table that suits you.

The game ends when one side has borne off all its checkers, and points are calculated accordingly. If the opponent hasn't borne off a single checker it's a gammon, and the points double. If the opponent still has a checker on the bar or in your home, it counts as a backgammon and the points triple; this is usually the harshest ending of the game.

Scoring can vary from match to match; some tables play a single game, others play a series; agreeing on the points target at the start of the match makes things easier. For the history and culture of the rules, take a look at the about backgammon page. If you're ready, head to play backgammon online and sit down at the table.

Below we've gathered the questions most often asked about backgammon rules. The answers are kept short; for details you can go back to the sections above.