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What is Backgammon?
Backgammon is one of the oldest board games, played for millennia on a board with 24 points, 15 checkers per player, and two dice. Players race their checkers around the board in opposite directions, hitting exposed blots, re-entering from the bar, and bearing off all pieces to win.
Play backgammon online here for free against real opponents—no signup required. Tap a point, then a highlighted destination to move, using the dice shown at the top.
How to Play
The Board
There are 24 triangular points split into four quadrants (6 per quadrant). Each player has a home board and an outer board, plus a center bar for captured checkers and a bear-off area for pieces that exit the board.
Basic Rules
- Movement: Each die value is a separate move; doubles give four moves of that number.
- Direction: Players move in opposite directions around the board toward their home board.
- Hitting: A single opposing checker on a point (a blot) is hit and sent to the bar.
- Entering: Bar checkers must re-enter in the opponent's home board before other moves.
- Bearing off: Once all your checkers are in your home board, you can remove them using the dice; overshoots are allowed only if no higher point has your checker.
Winning
The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins. If your opponent has not borne off any checkers, it's a gammon (double win); if they still have pieces on the bar or in your home board, it's a backgammon (triple win) in traditional scoring.
Strategy & Tips
Opening Ideas
Split your back checkers early to build anchors, make inner-board points quickly, and prioritize building a strong home board while keeping racing equity in mind.
Key Concepts
- Anchors: Secure points in the opponent's home board to avoid being trapped.
- Prime building: Create consecutive made points to block enemy checkers.
- Race vs. contact: Decide when to run for a race or stay to fight for hits and blocks.
- Safe exits: Move checkers off the bar only when entry points are open; clear from the rear to reduce shots.
- Bear-off efficiency: Even distribution across home board points reduces wastage on large dice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Running too early and leaving stacks of blots exposed.
- Ignoring anchors and getting closed out on the bar.
- Bearing off while leaving big gaps, causing forced wastage.
- Missing tempo hits that slow the opponent's bear-in or bear-off.
Interesting Facts
- Ancient roots: Backgammon's ancestors date back over 5,000 years to Mesopotamia.
- Doubling cube: Modern play often uses a cube to raise stakes; this version keeps play simple without the cube.
- Probabilities matter: Knowing common roll odds (like 6-5 to escape the back) guides better decisions.
- Prime vs. blitz: Two classic game plans—build a prime to trap checkers, or blitz to hit quickly and close your board.
- Bear-off math: Efficient home distribution minimizes wasted pips and awkward big rolls.
Advanced Techniques
Timing & Flexibility
Maintain enough checkers back to avoid crunching your board while waiting to escape anchors. Keep spare checkers on key points to adapt to different dice.
Race Counting
Track pip counts to know when to shift from contact to racing. Simplified over-the-board counting—add pips per checker to its distance from home—can guide cube decisions in traditional play.
Bear-off Technique
Even out your inner board before bearing off. Avoid stripping high points too soon; keep coverage to reduce forced gaps on large rolls.
đź’ˇ Pro Tip: When you re-enter from the bar, aim for making an anchor first; it buys you time to rebuild and prevents a swift gammon. Tap the bar, then a highlighted entry point to rejoin the race.