How to play backgammon
Backgammon is a race between two players to bring 15 checkers home and bear them off. The rules take minutes to learn — and a lifetime to master.
The objective
Be the first to move all 15 of your checkers around the board and bear them off. The two players travel in opposite directions around the 24 points.
The board
The board has 24 narrow triangles called points, arranged in four quadrants of six. Each player's inner quadrant is their home board; the one beyond it is the outer board. The middle ridge is the bar.
- Points — the 24 triangles where checkers rest.
- Home board — where you bring checkers before bearing off.
- Outer board — the quadrant beyond your home board.
- Bar — where hit checkers wait to re-enter.
Starting position
Each player begins with 15 checkers: two on the opponent's 1-point (your 24-point), five on your 13-point, three on your 8-point, and five on your 6-point. The two sides mirror each other.
The pieces
- 15 checkers per player.
- Two six-sided dice.
- A shared doubling cube (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64).
See how a turn works
Step through a move, a hit, and a bear-off.
Roll the dice.
Simplified view — white moves right, black moves left.
The rules
Moving checkers
Roll both dice and move checkers the number of points shown. You may move one checker twice (once per die) or two checkers once each. Every landing point must be open: empty, occupied by your own checkers, or holding a single opposing blot.
- Use both dice whenever possible.
- A point with two or more opposing checkers is closed to you.
- A checker may hop over opposing checkers while moving.
Rolling doubles
Doubles are played four times. Rolling double 5 means you move 5 points four times in total — often a decisive swing.
Hitting a blot
A lone opposing checker is called a blot. Land on it and you hit it: the blot moves to the bar and your opponent must re-enter before making any other move.
Re-entering from the bar
To re-enter, roll a number that matches an open point in your opponent's home board and place your checker there. If no matching points are open, your turn is skipped until one opens.
Bearing off
Once all 15 checkers are in your home board, roll to remove them. Bear off with an exact roll; if the roll is higher than needed, bear off the furthest checker. A checker hit while bearing off returns to the bar and must travel all the way around again.
The doubling cube
Either player may double the stakes before their turn. The opponent can accept or resign the game. The player who accepts takes ownership of the cube and may redouble later.
Scoring
A game is worth 1 point, multiplied by the doubling cube.
Single
The loser bore off at least one checker — 1 point.
Gammon
The loser bore off none — 2 points.
Backgammon
The loser bore off none and still has a checker on the bar or in your home board — 3 points.
Three quick tips
Make points early — two or more checkers block your opponent.
Avoid leaving blots where they can be hit.
Free your back checkers before your opponent builds a prime.
Learn by playing
The in-app tutorial walks you through every rule, step by step.
Get Backgammon Classic