Before starting to play online backgammon on the internet, one must learn how to play backgammon. This is why the backgammon rules page is available here at backgammon home page. In this page you will find all the rules ordered logically. Reading this page will help you learn how to play backgammon or brush your memory in backgammon rules. If you do not know how to play backgammon at all it will be a good idea to first kearn the basics of the game, and then continue to backgammon rules page.
Copied, with permission, from Backgammon Galore, www.bkgm.com
• Basic Backgammon rules • Game Objective • Moving Backgammon Checkers • Hitting and Entering • Bearing off • Doubles and Redoubles • the backgammon rule • Optional Backgammon Rules • Irregularities
Basic Backgammon rules: The game of backgammon is played by two players on a board that consist of of 24 narrow triangles called points. The triangles on the backgammon board are of taw different colors and are grouped into four quadrants of six. The quadrants are referred to as one player's home boards and outer boards. The home and outer boards are separated from one another by a bar, a ridge running down the center of the board. Checkers are arranged according to each backgammon player’s numbered points, starting in his home board. The outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also the opponent's one point. Each player has fifteen checkers of his own color. In the initial arrangement, each player’s checkers are set as follows: two on twenty-four point, five on thirteen point, three on eight point, and five six point. Each player can use his own pair of dice and shaking cup, or the players may share equipment. A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on its faces, is used to keep track of the current stake in the game.
Object of the game: The object of the backgammon game is to move all your checkers into your own home board and then bear them off. The backgammon game is played until one backgammon player wins by bearing off all of his checkers. The backgammon game starts by each backgammon player throwing a single die to determine whom of the backgammon players to go first, and the played numbers. Should equal numbers come up, both backgammon players roll again until they roll different numbers. The backgammon player throwing the higher number moves his checkers according to the numbers shown on both dice. After the first backgammon player roll, the backgammon players throw two dice, each in his turn.
Moving Backgammon Checkers: The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the backgammon player is to move his checkers. Several backgammon rules govern the movement of checkers: 1. The backgammon players always move the checkers forward, to a lower-numbered point. 2. Checkers may be moved only to open points, unoccupied by two or more opposing checkers. 3. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves. For example, a dice roll of 5 and 3, allows the backgammon player to move one checker five spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to an open point. Alternatively, he may move one checker a total of eight spaces to an open point, but only if one of the intermediate points (either three or five spaces from the starting point) is also open. 4. A roll of double allows the backgammon player to play the numbers shown on the dice twice. Thus, a roll of 6 and 6 means the backgammon player moves his checkers four times, six points each. He may move any combination of checkers he thinks appropriate to complete this requirement. Both numbers of a roll must be used if this is legally possible (or all four numbers of a double). When neither number can be used, the backgammon player loses his turn. When only one number can be played, the backgammon player must play that number. If either number can be played but not both, the backgammon player must play the larger one. In the case of doubles, when unable to play all four numbers, the backgammon player must play as many numbers as possible.
Hitting and Entering: A blot is a point occupied by a single checker of either color. When an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar. If a backgammon player has one or more checkers on the bar, he must first enter those checker(s) into the opposing home board, by moving them to an open point corresponding to one of the numbers in the dice roll. Example of this backgammon rule is, if a backgammon player rolls 4 and 6, he may enter a checker onto either the opponent's four point or six point, so long as the prospective point is unoccupied by two or more of the opponent's checkers. Should neither of the points be open, the backgammon player loses his turn. If a backgammon player is unable to enter all of his checkers, he must enter as many as possible and then forfeit the remainder of his turn. Once the last of a backgammon player's checkers has been entered, the unused numbers on the dice must be played, by moving any of the backgammon player’s checkers.
Bearing off: After a backgammon player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his home board, he may start bearing off. This is done by rolling the dice and then removing from the board the checkers, residing on the points corresponding to the roll. Thus, rolling a 6 lets the backgammon player to remove a checker from the six points. If a backgammon player can make an alternative legal move, he is not required to bear off his checkers. When there are no checkers on the point indicated by the roll, the backgammon player must make a legal move using the checkers on higher-numbered points. If there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, the backgammon player is permitted (and required) to remove a checker residing on the highest point. Bearing off is possible only when the entire backgammon player’s active checkers are in his home board. If a checker is hit during the bear-off process, the backgammon player must enter it as usual and then bring it back to his home board before continuing to bear off. The first backgammon player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins.
The Doubling Cube: The backgammon game is played for an agreed stake per point, starting at one point. If, during the course of the backgammon game, a backgammon player feels he has a sufficient advantage, he may propose doubling the stakes. This may be done only before rolling the dice at the start of his own turn. The other backgammon player may either accept the double and play on for the new higher stakes, or refuse the offer, in which case he concedes the backgammon game and pays one point. By accepting the double, the other backgammon player becomes the owner of the cube and only he can make the next double. All subsequent doubles in the same backgammon game are called redoubles. A backgammon player refusing a redouble must pay the number of points that were at stake prior to the redouble. Otherwise, the backgammon game continues at twice the previous stake and he becomes the new owner of the cube. The number of redoubles in a backgammon game is unlimited.
The Backgammon Rule: If, at the end of the backgammon game, the losing backgammon player has borne off at least one checker, he loses only the value showing on the doubling cube (one point, if there have been no doubles). However, if he has not borne off any of his checkers, the loser is considered gammoned and loses twice the value of the doubling cube. Still worse, if he has not borne off any of his checkers and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board, he is backgammon and loses three times the doubling cube’s value.
AddedBackgammon Rules: The following optional rules are in widespread use.
1. Automatic doubles. If identical numbers are thrown on the first roll, the stakes are doubled. The doubling cube is turned to 2 and remains in the middle. Backgammon players usually agree to limit the number of automatic doubles to one per one backgammon game. 2. Beavers. When a backgammon player is doubled, he may immediately redouble (beaver) while retaining possession of the cube. The original double'r has the option of accepting or refusing as with a normal double. 3. The Jacoby Rule. Gammons and backgammons count only as a single backgammon game if neither backgammon player has offered a double during the course of the backgammon game. This backgammon rule speeds up play by eliminating situations where a backgammon player avoids doubling so he can play on for a gammon.
Irregularities: 1. The dice must be rolled together and land flat on the surface of the right-hand section of the board. The backgammon player must re roll both dice if a die lands outside the right-hand board, or lands on a checker, or does not land flat. 2. A turn is completed when the backgammon player picks up his dice. If the play is incomplete or otherwise illegal, the opponent has the option of accepting the play as made or of requiring the backgammon player to make a legal play. A play is deemed to have been accepted as made when the opponent rolls his dice or offers a double to start his own turn.
3. If a backgammon player rolls before his opponent has completed his turn by picking up the dice, the backgammon player's roll is voided. This backgammon rule is generally waived any time a play is forced or when there is no further contact between the opposing forces.