Backgammon is a two-player race game. The goal is to move all of your checkers into your home board and then bear them off (remove them from the board). The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.

What you’ll need

• A backgammon board
• 15 checkers per player (usually light vs dark)
• 2 dice

Set up

Each player starts with 15 checkers arranged in the standard setup:

Standard backgammon starting position. Diagram from Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA).

• 2 checkers on the 24-point
• 5 checkers on the 13-point
• 3 checkers on the 8-point
• 5 checkers on the 6-point

Players move in opposite directions around the board toward their own home board (the final quadrant where they will bear off).

Starting the game

• Each player rolls one die.
• The higher roll goes first and uses both numbers rolled for the first move.
• If tied, roll again.

How to move

On your turn, roll two dice. The numbers are two separate moves:

• You may move one checker by the first die and another checker by the second die, or
• You may move the same checker twice — but each part of the move must be legal. (If you use both dice on one checker, the intermediate point must be open.)

A checker may land on:

• Any point with your own checkers
• An open point (empty)
• A point with exactly one opposing checker (a blot)

You may not land on a point occupied by two or more opposing checkers (a blocked point).

Using both dice

• You must play both dice if it is possible to do so.
• If you can play only one die, you must play the higher number when possible.
• If no legal moves are available, you forfeit your turn.

Doubles

If you roll doubles (for example, 4–4), you play the number four times (four moves of 4).

Hitting and the bar

If you land on a blot (a point with a single opposing checker), you hit it. The hit checker is placed on the bar (the center divider).

If you have one or more checkers on the bar, you must enter them first before making any other moves.

Entering from the bar

To enter a checker from the bar, roll the dice and move it into your opponent’s home board (their inner board) to a point that matches a die value, as long as that point is open (not blocked by two or more opposing checkers).

If you cannot enter using one or both dice, you lose that part of the roll (or the whole turn if neither die can enter).

Bearing off

Once all of your checkers are in your home board, you may start bearing off.

• If you roll a number that matches a point with one of your checkers, you may bear off a checker from that point.
• If you roll a number higher than any point you occupy, you may bear off a checker from your highest occupied point — but only if you have no checkers on higher-numbered points.
• If you can’t bear off with a die, you must use it to make a legal move within your home board if possible.

Winning

The first player to bear off all 15 checkers wins.

Optional: the doubling cube

Some games use a doubling cube (2, 4, 8, 16…). Before rolling, a player may offer to double the value of the game. The opponent must accept (and continue) or refuse (and concede the game at the current value).