What is the objective of Backgammon?

To move all your checkers into your home board and bear them off before your opponent.

How does hitting work?

If you land on a point occupied by one opposing checker, it’s removed and placed on the bar. The opponent must re-enter it before doing anything else.

What is bearing off in Backgammon?

Once all your checkers are in your home board, you begin removing them from the board by rolling the exact die number needed.

Do Backgammon rules differ in the UK?

Not significantly. UK rules usually align with international standards. Some UK pubs or local groups may use slight house rule variations.

Is Backgammon based on luck or skill?

Both. Dice add randomness, but strategy, positioning, and decision-making strongly influence the outcome.

What is a gammon or backgammon?

Gammon: You win before your opponent bears off any checkers = 2 points Backgammon: You win before opponent bears off and they still have checkers on the bar or in your home = 3 points

Backgammon Rules → Complete Beginner’s Guide to Playing Backgammon

How to Play Backgammon Board Game

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, combining elements of strategy, luck, and tactical movement.

Two players compete to move all their checkers around and off the board before their opponent. With a unique blend of dice rolls, blocking tactics, and bearing off strategy, Backgammon is simple to learn but deep in skill.

Preparations, Starting Position & Setup

Players: 2
Equipment:
- Backgammon board (24 narrow triangles called points)
- 15 checkers per player (typically black and white)
- 2 six-sided dice
- 1 doubling cube (optional, for scoring)
- Dice cups (optional)

Checker Setup:

2 checkers on opponent’s 24-point
5 checkers on player’s 13-point
3 checkers on player’s 8-point
5 checkers on player’s 6-point

The board is split into four quadrants: each player has a home board and an outer board.

Gameplay

Here is how the game runs:

Movement

Players alternate turns, rolling two dice and moving their checkers accordingly.
Each die represents a separate move. Example: a roll of 3 and 5 = one checker 3 spaces + another 5 spaces, or one checker moved 3 then 5.
Checkers move in one direction only: from the opponent’s home board to the player’s home board.
Doubles: Played twice (e.g., double 4 = four moves of 4).

Hitting and Entering

Landing on a single opposing checker (a blot) = hit. Opponent’s checker goes to the bar.
A checker on the bar must re-enter before other moves are made.
Entry is based on dice rolls (e.g., a roll of 2 allows entry to point 2 of opponent’s home board if it’s open).

Blocking

A point with two or more checkers is closed to the opponent.
Opponents cannot land or enter on blocked points.

Winning the Game

Once all 15 checkers are in a player’s home board, they begin bearing off:

A checker can be borne off by rolling the exact number needed to move it off.
If a roll is higher than needed, remove from the highest occupied point below that number.
The first player to bear off all checkers wins.

Scoring Variations:

Single Game: Normal win
Gammon: Opponent hasn’t borne off any checkers → double points
Backgammon: Opponent still has checkers on the bar or in winner’s home board → triple points

Strategies and Tips

Focus on building blocks → Create secure points with two or more checkers.
Minimize vulnerable blots → Avoid leaving singles exposed.
Use doubles wisely → Maximize strong rolls for blocking or racing.
Master bearing off → Spread checkers to cover more points for flexibility.

Overview of the Game Rules

Each player rolls 2 dice per turn
Move checkers based on dice results
Hit blots to send them to the bar
All checkers must reach the home board before bearing off
First to bear off all checkers wins
Optional scoring: single, gammon, backgammon

Backgammon Rules