Backgammon Rules

1. About the game

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world — its distant ancestors go back almost 5,000 years, between Mesopotamia and Persia. It is a game of strategy and luck for two players. The objective is simple: be the first to bring all 15 of your checkers into your home board, then bear them off the board.

What makes backgammon unique is its blend of chance (the dice) and pure strategy. Even with poor rolls, a good player will often find a way to limit the damage. And with good rolls, an inexperienced player can throw everything away through bad decisions.

2. The equipment

A complete backgammon set includes:

• A folding board divided into two halves
• 30 checkers (15 of one colour and 15 of the other — traditionally black and white, or brown and white)
• 4 dice (2 per player), ideally used with dice cups
• 1 doubling cube (a die bearing the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64)
• 2 dice cups (the lid of the case often holds the cups)

For a guide to choosing a backgammon board and finding quality equipment, see our dedicated buying guide.

3. The board and the points

A backgammon board is made up of 24 points (long alternating triangles, numbered 1 to 24) divided into four quadrants of six points each:

• Your home board (points 1 to 6): also called your inner board
• Your outer board (points 7 to 12)
• Your opponent's outer board (points 13 to 18)
• Your opponent's home board (points 19 to 24)

The bar separates the two home boards from the outer boards. Checkers that have been hit wait on the bar before they can come back into play.

Checkers always move in the same direction — from the opponent's side towards your own home board — and the two players move in opposite directions.

4. Starting position

The starting position is the same for both players, mirrored. Here is the standard setup:

An easy way to remember it: 2-5-3-5 on the 24, 13, 8 and 6-points. Your opponent places their checkers in mirror image on the other side.

See our detailed guide to the backgammon starting position, with annotated diagrams.

5. How a game unfolds

To decide who goes first, each player rolls one die. The player with the higher number moves first, using both dice that have just been rolled (not only their own). If the numbers are the same, both players roll again.

After that, the players take turns. On each turn:

1. Shake the dice in the cup and roll them into the right-hand half of the board
2. Move your checkers according to the numbers rolled
3. If a legal move is available, you must play it (you cannot choose to pass)

6. Moving the checkers

Each die counts as a separate move. With a 3 and a 5, you can move:

• One checker 3 pips AND another checker (or the same one) 5 pips
• Or a single checker 8 pips (3+5), provided the intermediate point is open

A checker may land on a point that is:

• Empty
• Occupied by one or more of your own checkers
• Occupied by a single opposing checker (in which case you hit that checker)

A checker cannot land on a point occupied by two or more opposing checkers. That point is “blocked” (or “made”) against you.

Doubles

If both dice show the same number (doubles), you play that number four times instead of twice. A roll of 4-4 therefore gives you four moves of 4 pips each. It is often extremely powerful!

7. Hitting and the bar

A single checker on a point is called a blot. It is vulnerable. If your opponent lands on that point, the checker is hit and placed on the bar (the raised strip down the middle of the board).

Having one or more checkers on the bar creates an urgent situation: you must first bring all your checkers back in from the bar before you can move anything else.

8. Entering from the bar

To bring a checker in from the bar, you must enter it in your opponent's home board (points 1 to 6 from their side, i.e. points 19 to 24 from your perspective). The number on the die tells you which point to enter on:

• A roll of 1 → your 24-point (your opponent's 1-point)
• A roll of 6 → your 19-point (your opponent's 6-point)

If all the corresponding points are blocked (two or more opposing checkers), you cannot enter and you lose your turn.

9. Bearing off

As soon as all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (points 1 to 6), you can start removing them from the board. This final phase is known as “bearing off”.

To bear off a checker:

• The number on the die must match the point the checker is on exactly, or
• If there is no checker on that exact point, you must make a legal move with a checker on a higher point
• If the number rolled is higher than your highest occupied point, you bear off a checker from that highest point

Careful: if one of your checkers is hit during the bear-off, you must bring it back in from the bar and all the way round to your home board BEFORE you can continue bearing off.

10. End of the game and scoring

The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins the game. The score depends on your opponent's position:

• Single game (1 point): your opponent has borne off at least one checker
• Gammon (2 points): your opponent has not borne off any checkers
• Backgammon (3 points): your opponent has not borne off any checkers AND still has a checker in your home board or on the bar

These values are multiplied by the current value of the doubling cube if it has been used.

11. The doubling cube (overview)

The doubling cube is a separate item of backgammon equipment, often ignored by beginners but fundamental in serious play. At the start of the game it sits in the middle with the “64” face showing (the neutral position). While the cube is in the middle, either player may, at the start of their turn and before rolling the dice, offer to double the stakes; after that, only the player who holds the cube may redouble. The opponent can accept (play continues for double stakes) or refuse (and concede the game at the current stake).

For a detailed explanation and advanced strategy tips, see our dedicated page on the doubling cube.