How to Play Backgammon – Rules and Beginner's Guide
Backgammon is one of the most popular two-player board games in Iran and many other parts of the world. It combines the element of chance created by dice with player decision-making. You cannot choose the numbers on the dice, but you can decide how to use them.
If you have never played backgammon or are not completely familiar with its rules, this guide will walk you through the board, starting setup, movement, hitting, the bar, re-entering pieces, bearing off, and the basic ways a game can be won.
What Is the Goal of Backgammon?
The main goal of backgammon is to move all 15 of your checkers into your home board and then bear all of them off the board before your opponent does.
The first player to remove all 15 checkers from the board wins the game.
A game of backgammon can therefore be divided into three basic stages:
- Moving checkers around the board
- Bringing all checkers into your home board
- Bearing all checkers off the board
What Does a Backgammon Board Look Like?
A backgammon board contains 24 narrow triangular spaces called points. They are arranged in four groups of six.
Each player has a home board consisting of six points near the area where their checkers are eventually borne off. The other six points form the opponent's outer area.
The two players move their checkers in opposite directions. Understanding the direction of movement is therefore one of the first things a new player needs to learn.
How Are the Checkers Set Up?
Each player begins with 15 checkers. The standard starting position is:
- 5 checkers on point 6
- 3 checkers on point 8
- 5 checkers on point 13
- 2 checkers on point 24
The point numbers are described from each player's perspective, so point 1 for one player is at the opposite end from point 1 for the other player. The most important idea is that each player's checkers move toward their own home board in opposite directions.
How Does the Game Start?
To determine who starts, each player rolls one die. The player who rolls the higher number goes first and uses those two numbers for the opening move.
If both players roll the same number, they roll again until one player gets a higher number.
After the opening roll, players take turns rolling two dice and moving their checkers according to the numbers shown.
How Do Checkers Move?
Each number on the dice represents the number of points a checker can move. For example, if you roll 3 and 5, you may move one checker 3 points and another checker 5 points.
In some situations, both numbers can be used by the same checker, moving it a total of 8 points, as long as each part of the movement lands on a legal point.
For example, with a roll of 3 and 5, a checker may move 3 points and then another 5 points, or 5 points followed by 3 points, when both sequences are legal.
Each die represents a separate move, so the numbers cannot simply be divided between checkers in any arbitrary way.
Which Points Are Legal?
A checker can move to an empty point or to a point occupied by your own checkers.
If your opponent has only one checker on a point, you may also land there and hit that checker.
However, if your opponent has two or more checkers on a point, that point is blocked and you cannot land there.
The basic rule is:
- Empty point: you may enter.
- Point occupied by your own checkers: you may enter.
- Point with one opposing checker: you may enter and hit it.
- Point with two or more opposing checkers: the point is blocked.
What Does It Mean to Hit a Checker?
If your opponent has only one checker on a point and you move one of your checkers onto that point, the opponent's checker is hit.
A hit checker is not removed from the game. Instead, it is placed on the middle section of the board, known as the bar.
A player who has one or more checkers on the bar must re-enter those checkers before moving other checkers.
How Does a Checker Re-enter from the Bar?
When one of your checkers is on the bar, you must use one of your dice to bring it back onto the opponent's home board.
The checker can enter if the corresponding point is open or contains only one opposing checker. If that point is blocked by two or more opposing checkers, the checker cannot enter there.
If both dice provide legal entry points, you may choose between them. If only one die allows entry, that die must be used.
If neither die allows a checker to re-enter, you cannot make another move and your turn ends.
What Happens When You Have More Than One Checker on the Bar?
If you have multiple checkers on the bar, you must first try to re-enter those checkers. You cannot freely move other checkers while a checker remains on the bar.
For example, if you have two checkers on the bar and only one of your dice allows a checker to enter, you must use that die to re-enter one checker. If the other die also allows another checker to enter, you must use it as well.
What Is a Double?
When both dice show the same number, the roll is called a double.
A double gives you four moves using that number.
For example, if both dice show 4, you have four separate moves of 4 points. These moves can be distributed among several checkers or used with fewer checkers when the moves are legal.
Doubles can create powerful opportunities, but all four moves must still follow the normal movement rules.
What If Only One Die Can Be Used?
Sometimes one die can be used but the other cannot because of blocked points or the position of your checkers. In that situation, you must use the die that allows a legal move.
If both dice can be played individually but cannot both be used together in the same turn, standard backgammon rules require the higher number to be played.
This rule can become important in complicated positions and can affect the outcome of a game.
When Can You Bear Checkers Off?
Before you can start bearing checkers off, all 15 of your checkers must be inside your home board. You cannot begin bearing off while even one of your checkers remains outside your home board.
Once all your checkers are in your home board, you can use your dice to bear them off.
For example, if a checker is on the point corresponding to the number on your die, you can use that die to remove the checker from the board.
What If the Die Is Higher Than the Exact Point?
If the number on the die is higher than the distance needed to bear off a checker, you may sometimes bear off a checker from the highest occupied point, but only when there are no checkers on higher points.
For example, if you roll a 6 but have no checker on point 6, you cannot automatically bear off any checker simply because the number is higher. You must first check whether you have any checker on a higher point.
This is why the arrangement of your checkers becomes important during the bearing-off stage.
How Do You Win a Backgammon Game?
The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game.
However, in traditional scoring systems, the type of win can also matter.
Single Game
If a player bears off all of their checkers while the opponent has borne off at least one checker, it is a normal single win.
Gammon
If one player bears off all of their checkers while the opponent has not borne off any checkers, the result is commonly called a Gammon.
Backgammon
Under some scoring rules, if a player bears off all of their checkers while the opponent still has a checker on the bar or inside the winner's home board, the result can be called a Backgammon. The exact scoring can vary depending on the rules being used.
Useful Tips for Beginners
When learning backgammon, try not to focus only on moving your checkers forward as quickly as possible. A move that looks fast may sometimes leave a checker in a dangerous position.
- Avoid leaving too many exposed single checkers.
- Build points with two or more checkers when possible.
- Before every move, consider your opponent's possible next moves.
- Think beyond the current turn and consider the position several moves ahead.
- Compare the risks when you have several possible moves.
- Always pay attention to the position of your opponent's checkers.
Why Is Backgammon More Than a Game of Luck?
Dice introduce a random element into the game, and no player can control the numbers that appear. However, after the dice are rolled, a player will often have several possible moves to choose from.
The player must decide whether to take a risk, build a point, hit an opposing checker, move a checker forward, or prepare for future turns.
This is why backgammon combines chance and decision-making. The dice create the situation, but the player's response to that situation is also an important part of the game.
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
New players often make several similar mistakes. Recognizing them can make learning the game much easier.
- Moving the fastest checker without considering the rest of the board
- Leaving too many exposed single checkers
- Ignoring blocked points controlled by the opponent
- Focusing too much on hitting the opponent
- Ignoring the opponent's possible attack on the next turn
- Bearing off checkers without considering their overall arrangement
With experience, players learn that the best move is not always the move that advances a checker the furthest. Sometimes a smaller move can create a much stronger position for the turns that follow.
How Can You Learn Backgammon Better?
The best way to learn backgammon is to combine learning the rules with actually playing. After learning the basic rules, play several games and review your decisions after mistakes to see what other moves might have been possible.
You do not need to learn every strategic concept immediately. Start with movement, hitting, entering from the bar, and bearing off. Later, you can learn concepts such as building points, escaping back checkers, attacking, defending, risk management, and probability.
Learning Backgammon in Online Games
In online backgammon, many of the rules are handled automatically by the software. For example, the system can detect illegal moves, generate dice rolls, manage turns, and record the result of the match.
Understanding the rules is still important because software can manage the game, but choosing the best move remains the player's responsibility.
Because of its turn-based structure, backgammon is well suited to online two-player matches. Players can compete from computers or mobile devices without needing a physical board.
Backgammon Rules: A Quick Summary
Backgammon does not have an extremely complicated set of basic rules, but the combination of dice and decision-making makes every game different. To get started, learn the starting setup, direction of movement, legal points, hitting, entering from the bar, and bearing off.
Once these rules become familiar, playing experience will help you recognize different positions and make better decisions. Backgammon contains an element of luck, but the way a player responds to the situations created by the dice is an important part of the game.