How to Play Backgammon

Backgammon is a classic two-player board game played for hundreds of years.

Backgammon is a classic two-player board game played for hundreds of years, to learn more about the origin of backgammon check out our guide. The game involves strategy, skill, and a bit of luck and is played on a board with 24 triangles called points.

Each player has 15 pieces, which are moved around the board according to the roll of two dice. The game's aim is to be the first player to transfer all their pieces off the playing area.

Here are the rules and gameplay of Backgammon:

Setup:

• The board is set up with 15 pieces for each player placed on the board in a specific configuration.
• The pieces for each player are color-coded, and each player rolls one die to determine who moves first. The participant with the higher roll gets to move first.

Movement:

• On each turn, a player rolls two dice and moves their pieces according to the numbers rolled. The player can move one piece the total number of spaces shown on both dice, or two separate pieces according to each individual die roll.
• A piece can only be moved to an open point on the board, or a point occupied by their own pieces. The opponent's pieces on a point act as a "block," preventing the player from moving to that point.
• If a party roll doubles, they get to move each die twice, resulting in four moves instead of two.
• If it is impossible to move any of their pieces, that player loses their turn.

Hitting and Bearing Off:

• If a player lands on a point inhabited by a single adversary piece, the adversary's piece is "hit" and sent to the "bar" at the center of the board. The opponent must then roll and move that piece back onto the board before making any other moves.
• Once a player has moved all 15 of their pieces to their "home" board, they can start "bearing off" by removing pieces from the board. The number rolled on the dice indicates which piece can be removed. The player can remove a higher-numbered piece if a larger number is rolled.
• The first player to remove all 15 of their pieces from the board wins the game.

We have complied a list of backgammon books to help further aid your learning. 

Starting positions of the pieces for each player:

In summary, Backgammon is a classic board game that involves moving pieces around the board according to the roll of two dice. Players aim to move all of their pieces off the board, while also blocking and "hitting" their opponent's pieces. With its simple yet engaging gameplay, Backgammon is a great.