The Backgammon Starting Position

1. The basic principle

The backgammon starting position is symmetrical: each player sets out their 15 checkers in exactly the same way, but moving in opposite directions. White's checkers travel, in the diagram below, anticlockwise (from right to left across the top half, then from left to right across the bottom half), and Black's checkers the other way round. If you set up your home board on the left, the directions are reversed.

Every backgammon board is numbered from 1 to 24: points 1 to 6 make up your home board, points 7 to 12 your outer board, and so on up to point 24 in your opponent's home board.

2. The 2-5-3-5 setup

Here is the detailed setup for White (Black mirrors it):

Schematic diagram

Here is a text representation of the board at the start of a game (seen from White's side):

3. Why these positions?

The starting position is not arbitrary. Each group of checkers has a specific strategic role:

The 2 checkers on the 24-point: the “runners”

These two checkers are the furthest from your home board. Their mission is to escape quickly from enemy territory and rejoin the rest of your army. From your very first rolls, look to move them forward, especially when you roll a 6.

The 5 checkers on the 13-point: the “midpoint”

This is the most strategic position on the board. These five checkers form a powerful group that your opponent cannot easily block. They can advance quickly and help you make points in your outer board.

The 3 checkers on the 8-point: the builders

These checkers are used to make points in your home and outer boards. Playing from the 8-point to the 5-point (with a 3) is one of the best opening moves there is: you make the precious 5-point.

The 5 checkers on the 6-point: the home-board anchor

This strong position lets you begin the bear-off comfortably. The 6-point is solid, but it pays to make the 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1-points as well so that you bear off faster.

4. Handy visual cues

If you struggle to remember the numbers, here are some visual cues:

• The 2 lone checkers in your opponent's corner: easy to spot, as they stand on their own
• The big stack of 5 in the middle of the board on your opponent's side: the midpoint
• The stack of 3 in your outer board
• The big stack of 5 in your own corner area (the 6th point from your edge)

5. Common mistakes to avoid

Beginners often make these setup mistakes:

6. Setup in the variants

The standard setup described above is that of Western backgammon (FIBS/USBGF rules). Other variants use different starting positions:

• Jacquet: all 15 checkers start on a single point, the heel (the 24-point), and both players travel in the same direction.
• Narde: similar to jacquet, starting from a single column, with the two players starting from diagonally opposite corners
• Plakoto: different setup: all 15 checkers start on the 24-point, and an isolated opposing checker is “pinned” in place instead of being hit
• Acey-Deucey: the board starts empty and checkers enter gradually

To find out more about these fascinating variants, see our complete guide to backgammon variants.