Backgammon Rules

The backgammon board has twelve triangles on each side. These are points. Points numbered 1 to 24 connect to form a continuous track in the shape of a horseshoe. Each player has two checkers on 24-point, three checkers on 8-point, and five checkers each on 13-point and 6-point. Every player starts from individual 24-point and proceeds towards individual 1-point. Points 1 to 6 are home board while points 7 to 12 are outer board. 7-point is bar point and 13-point is midpoint.

The main aim is to remove all your checkers from the backgammon board by moving them systematically across the board. You have to do this before your opponent to win the game. All backgammon pieces remain scattered on the board initially. You could face hitting or blocking by your opponent too. Each individual game is short and there are many games in a single match. The winner is the player achieving a specific number of points within the shortest time.

The game starts with both players rolling dices. Player with a higher total on the dice gets to play the first move. Thereafter, turns are alternate and each player rolls two dice at each turn. You move checkers according to the roll on the dice. Each player should move one checker according to one die and another checker according to the other. You cannot move a single checker for the total points of your dice. If the roll on both dices is the same number, you have to play each die twice.

Your checker could land on a place occupied by your own checker or an unoccupied place. If you land on a point occupied by one opposing checker, it is a blot. You have to place the hit blot in the center of the board. There cannot be any point that remains occupied by checkers from both players at the same time.

If you are able to clear off all fifteen checkers before your opponent, he loses a gammon. A gammon is double the normal loss. If the player still has checkers on the bar or at the home board of the opponent, the loss is a backgammon equivalent to three times a normal loss.