Backgammon Rules for Beginners — Complete Guide

What Is Backgammon?

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world, with origins dating back approximately 5,000 years. It’s a two-player game that combines strategy and dice, played on a distinctive board with 24 narrow triangles called points.

Each player has 15 pieces (called checkers) that move around the board based on dice rolls. The goal is to be the first to move all your checkers into your home board and then bear them off (remove them from the board).

The Board

The backgammon board has:

• 24 points (triangles) arranged in four groups of 6
• A center division called the bar
• Each player has a home board (6 points nearest to them) and an outer board (6 points opposite)

The four sections:

1. Your home board — points 1–6 (where you bear off)
2. Your outer board — points 7–12
3. Opponent’s outer board — points 13–18
4. Opponent’s home board — points 19–24

Points are numbered from your perspective: point 1 is in your home board, point 24 is in your opponent’s home board.

Starting Position

Each player places their 15 checkers in this arrangement:

Your opponent’s setup mirrors yours from their perspective.

How to Move

Rolling the Dice

On your turn, roll two dice. Each die represents a separate move:

• You may move one checker the number shown on one die, then another checker (or the same one) the number on the other die
• Or you may move one checker the total of both dice, but only if you can make each part as a legal move

Rules of Movement

1. Checkers move in one direction only — from higher-numbered points toward point 1 (your home board)
2. You can land on any point that is:
   • Empty
   • Occupied by your own checkers (no limit to stacking)
   • Occupied by exactly one opponent checker (you hit it)
3. You cannot land on a point with 2 or more opponent checkers — that point is blocked
4. You must use both dice if possible. If only one die can be played, you must play the higher number. If neither can be played, your turn is forfeited.

Doubles

When you roll doubles (both dice show the same number), you get four moves of that number instead of two. For example, double 5s = four moves of 5 spaces each. Doubles are powerful and can change the game.

Hitting and the Bar

Hitting

A point with a single checker is called a blot. If you land on an opponent’s blot, you hit it — the opponent’s checker is placed on the bar (the center divider).

Re-entering from the Bar

A player with checkers on the bar must re-enter them before making any other moves:

• Roll the dice
• Enter the checker on the corresponding point in the opponent’s home board (rolling a 3 means entering on point 3 of the opponent’s home)
• The point must be open (not blocked by 2+ opponent checkers)
• If you can’t re-enter, your turn is forfeited

Bearing Off

Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board (points 1–6), you can start bearing off:

1. Roll the dice
2. Remove a checker from the point matching the die number
3. If no checker is on that point, you must make a legal move instead
4. If the number rolled is higher than the highest occupied point, you may remove a checker from the highest occupied point

The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.

Winning: Gammon and Backgammon

There are three levels of victory:

The Doubling Cube

The doubling cube is an optional but standard element of competitive backgammon:

• Before rolling, you may propose to double the stakes by offering the doubling cube
• Your opponent can accept (take the cube) or decline (forfeit the game at the current stakes)
• The player who accepts owns the cube and is the only one who can re-double later
• The cube starts at 1 and can go to 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64

The doubling cube adds a rich strategic layer to the game. See The Doubling Cube for detailed strategy.