Backgammon
Race your 15 checkers home and bear them off first.
How to play Backgammon
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world. Two players race their checkers around a board of 24 narrow triangles called points. Each player has 15 checkers, and you move them with two dice. Luck matters, but good choices win most games.
Goal
Move all 15 of your checkers into your home board and then take them off the board. The first player to bear off every checker wins.
Turn by turn
- Press Roll to throw two dice. Each die is a separate move: with a 5 and a 2, move one checker 5 points and one checker 2 points, or one checker 7 points in two steps.
- A double (two of the same) gives you four moves of that number.
- You move toward your home board, and your opponent moves the other way. The numbers on the board show your points: you go from 24 down to 1.
- You may land on an empty point, on your own checkers, or on a point with just one rival checker. A point with two or more rival checkers is blocked.
- You must use both dice if you can. If only one die can be played, you must play the larger one when possible. If no move is possible, the turn passes.
- On this site, tap a checker, then tap a glowing target. The small number shows which die is used. Use Undo to take back a move in your turn, and press Done when you are happy.
Hitting and the bar
A single checker on a point is a blot. If your rival lands on it, it is hit and placed on the bar in the middle. A checker on the bar must enter in the rival's home board before you can move anything else. It enters on the point that matches a die, if that point is not blocked.
Bearing off
When all your checkers are in your home board (points 1 to 6), you can bear them off. A 4 takes a checker off the 4-point. If you roll higher than your highest checker, you may bear off from the highest point instead.
End of the game
The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins. If the loser has not borne off any checker, it is a gammon (a double win). If the loser still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, it is a backgammon (a triple win). Want a lighter dice game? Try Ludo.
Strategy tips
- Make points, not blots. Two checkers on a point are safe and block your rival. A lone checker can be hit and sent back.
- Build a prime. Several blocked points in a row form a wall. Six in a row trap the checkers behind them completely.
- Learn the best openings. Roll 3-1? Make your 5-point (8/5, 6/5). Roll 6-1? Make your 7-point (13/7, 8/7). These strong points help all game long.
- Count the shots. A blot six points or less in front of a rival checker can be hit by many rolls. Blots further away are much safer.
- Check the pip count. The pip numbers above the board show how far each side must still travel. If you are well ahead, break contact and race. If you are behind, keep checkers back to hit later.
- Bear off safely. When your rival still has checkers on your side, avoid leaving blots at the end. A late hit can turn a win into a loss.
Backgammon FAQ
Is there a doubling cube?
No. This version plays a single game without the doubling cube. Gammons and backgammons are still shown in the result, so you can see how big your win was.
Who moves first?
Against the computer, use the First move menu. In 2 Players mode, each player rolls one die and the higher number starts, playing those two dice as the first move.
Why can I not move the checker I want?
The rules say you must use both dice if you can, and checkers on the bar must enter first. The game only lets you choose moves that follow these rules.
How strong is the computer?
Easy plays random legal moves. Medium checks every play with a simple score. Hard also thinks about blots, primes and its home board, and looks at your possible next rolls.
