Two dice supply the available distances, but you decide which checkers use them. Backgammon combines a race with mutual blocking. This guide starts with our local edition; the variants guide covers the live opening and tournament rules.
In this guide
15 checkers and opposite routes
Each side moves fifteen checkers over 24 triangular points into its home board, then off the board. Our diagram numbers Light’s route from 24 down to 1; Dark travels the opposite way. Light starts with two on 24, five on 13, three on 8 and five on 6. A point is an entire triangle, not one checker position.
Position as text
Light 2 × 24; Light 5 × 13; Light 3 × 8; Light 5 × 6; Dark 2 × 1; Dark 5 × 12; Dark 3 × 17; Dark 5 × 19
Use the dice separately and fully
A 3 and a 5 are separate moves. One checker may use both if the intermediate landing point is legal, or you may move different checkers. Doubles supply four moves of the same distance. Use the greatest possible number of available dice. If only one of two different dice can be used, the higher is compulsory when it is legally playable.
Two opposing checkers block a point. A lone opposing checker is a hittable blot. Hits send checkers to the bar, from which they must re-enter the opponent’s home board before any other own checker can move.
Bring everyone home before bearing off
Bearing off is allowed only when every own checker is home and none is on the bar. An exact die removes the checker at that distance. An oversized die may remove only the farthest own checker. A hit can revoke the permission: the returned checker must reach home again.
The local engine awards 1 for a single win, 2 for a gammon and 3 for a backgammon. If the loser has borne off a checker, it is a single. With none borne off it is a gammon; an additional loser checker on the bar or in the winner’s home board makes it a backgammon. Our edition has no doubling cube.
Actual settings and assistance
Local play supports a computer opponent or two people sharing one device. Three computer strengths change decisions rather than rules. Normal view shows the whole board; scroll view enlarges its halves. Dice speed, three or five rotations, timer visibility, reduced motion and separate sound volumes affect presentation.
Help marks a suggestion; Repeat replays the last computer moves. Undo works within your own unconfirmed turn. On a new page visit, Start game begins a fresh round using saved preferences. Continuing an explicitly saved account position requires an explicit load.