How to Set Up and Play Backgammon for Beginners

Backgammon has been around for over 5,000 years, and it’s still an extremely fun head-to-head game today. While it may seem a little complicated for a beginner, backgammon is super easy to learn, and we’ll help you understand all the special rules and terminology. Keep reading, and we’ll walk you through setting up the game, moving the pieces, and using winning strategies to become a master at the game!

How do you play backgammon?

To play backgammon, a player rolls 2 dice on their turn and moves checkers toward their home side of the board. If you land on an opponent’s checker, it's sent backward to re-enter the board. When you have all your checkers home, start removing them from the board. Whoever removes all their checkers first wins!

Section 1 of 7:

Backgammon Objective

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Be the first to move your checkers to your side of the board and remove them. Each player has 15 checkers spread across the board at the start of the game. On your turn, you’ll roll dice and move your checkers toward your side of the board. When all of your checkers are on your side, you’re able to remove them from the board. Get all 15 of your checkers off the board before your opponent, and you win!^{[1]
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- Backgammon is a 2-player game, and it usually takes about 15-20 minutes to play.

Section 2 of 7:

Backgammon Setup

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Familiarize yourself with the backgammon board. A backgammon board contains 24 triangles called points that alternate colors. The board is split into 4 quadrants that each contain 6 points. Each side has a player’s home board and an outer board that are directly across from their opponent’s. The home boards and outer boards are separated by a raised area called the bar.^{[2]
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- Each player has a different numbering system for the points on the board. The point closest to the edge on their home board is #1, and the furthest point on your opponent’s home board is #24.
- Each player moves checkers in a horseshoe shape from the opposite side of the board toward their own home board.
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Position your checkers on your 6th, 8th, 13th, and 24th points. Each player has 15 checkers in their color, usually white and red or white and black. To set up the board, place the checkers onto the following points for each player. Remember that each player numbers the points differently, so you won’t share any spaces with your opponent.^{[3]
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- 6th point: 5 checkers
- 8th point: 3 checkers
- 13th point: 5 checkers
- 24th point: 2 checkers
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Roll a die to see who goes first. Take turns rolling a single die, and whoever rolls the highest number takes the first turn. If both players roll the same number, reroll the die until someone gets a higher number.^{[4]
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- The person with the higher roll must use the results of both dice to move checkers for their first turn. So if one player rolled a 5 and the other rolled a 2, the first player starts the game and uses both the 5 and 2 for their first move.

Section 3 of 7:

Moving Checkers in Backgammon

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Roll 2 dice on your turn. Roll 2 dice at the start of your turn. The result of each die represents 2 separate moves. So if you roll a 3 and 5, you can move one checker 3 spaces and another checker 5 spaces, or you can move a single checker 3 spaces and then 5 more spaces.^{[5]
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- During most backgammon games, if the die lands outside the board or on a checker, it’s not valid, and you have to reroll it.
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Move checkers to open points on the board. An open point is any point on the board that has fewer than 2 of your opponent’s checkers. You can move a checker onto an empty point, a point with any number of your checkers, or a point with one of your opponent’s checkers. Always move your checkers in a horseshoe pattern toward your home board.^{[6]
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- You may choose any of your checkers to move on the board as long as you’re able to make the full movement.
- If a point has 2 or more of your opponent’s checkers, the point is blocked and you cannot move onto it.
- If you land on an open point with one of your opponent’s checkers, then it’s hit and removed from the board temporarily.
- If you use both dice to move a single checker, both points have to be open.
If you roll the same result on both dice, you earn 2 extra moves during your turn. For example, if you roll double 3s, then you can make 4 moves that are each 3 spaces.^{[7]
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Lose your turn if you can’t make any legal moves. If there are no open points because they’re blocked off by your opponent, then you forfeit those movements. If you can use one of the rolls, then move a checker that number of spaces and then lose your turn.^{[8]
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- If you can only play one number or the other, you must choose the higher number.

Section 4 of 7:

Hitting and Entering Checkers

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Land on a point with an opponent’s checker to move it to the bar. A point that has 1 opposing checker is called a blot. When you move a checker onto a blot, take your opponent’s checker off the point and place it on top of the bar in the middle of the board.^{[9]
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- You can hit multiple blots on your turn.
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Enter checkers from the bar before moving ones on the board. If you have any checkers on the bar at the start of your turn, you have to enter them back onto the board before moving any other pieces. When you roll the dice, check if you can move onto any open points on your opponent’s home board. Move your checker from the bar into the open point if one is available.^{[10]
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- Example: If you roll a 2 and 4, you could move your checker to the 21st or 23rd point.
- Entering the board may also give you an opportunity to hit one of your opponent’s checkers as well.
- If you have multiple checkers on the bar, you must enter them both before moving other pieces.
- If you can’t use either of the dice rolls to enter a checker, then you lose your turn.

Section 5 of 7:

Bearing Off Checkers to Win Backgammon

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Move all your checkers into your home board. Keep alternating turns and moving your checkers around the board. When you have all 15 of your checkers on points 1-6 on your side of the board, then you can start bearing them off, or removing them from the game board.^{[11]
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- Keep in mind that your checkers are still at risk when they’re on your home board. If your opponent has a checker on the bar, they could enter it onto a point that has a single checker to hit it and slow your progress.
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Bear off checkers by rolling the dice. When you have all of your checkers on your home board, start moving them off the board on your future turns. If you roll a number that matches a point with one of your checkers, remove the checker and set it aside.^{[12]
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- Example: If you roll a 4 and a 1, and you have a checker on the 1st and 4th point, you can bear each of them off.
- If you don’t have a checker on a matching point, you must make a legal move if you’re able to. For example, if you have checkers on the 5th point but roll a 2 and 1, you must move a checker 2 spaces and another 1 space, or move a single checker a total of 3 spaces.
- You may use a higher roll to move checkers from a lower point if they’re the only ones available. If you roll a 4 and 5 but only have checkers on the 3rd point, you can bear off 2 of the checkers there.
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Take points from your opponent after removing all 15 of your checkers. If you’re able to bear off all of your checkers before your opponent, then you win the game! The other player then loses points depending on where they still have checkers.^{[13]
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- Your opponent loses 1 point if they have already started bearing off checkers when you win.
- Your opponent loses 2 points if you bore off all your checkers before they removed any from their home board. This is also called a gammon.
- Your opponent loses 3 points if you bore off all your checkers and they still have a checker on the bar or on your home board. This is also called a backgammon.
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Play more rounds until you reach a point goal. Backgammon is usually played over multiple games. Set a score limit, such as 5 or 10 points. Subtract the loser’s points from their score and reset the board. When a player loses all of their points, then they lose the match!^{[14]
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- If you don’t have time to play multiple games in one sitting, keep a tally of the points so you can come back to the game another time.

Section 6 of 7:

Backgammon Winning Strategies

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Try to keep at least 2 checkers on a point. To avoid having your checkers hit and slowing your progress, protect your pieces by keeping at least 2 of them on a point. Your opponent won’t be able to move a piece there, so it keeps your checkers safe and blocks your opponent from moving.^{[15]
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- When you roll doubles, try to move 2 checkers from the same point to keep them protected.
- If your opponent doesn’t have any pieces between your checkers and your home board, then you’re safe to leave blots on the board.
Your opponent can’t move onto any space that has 2 or more of your checkers, so try to occupy as many points on the board as you can. If your opponent rolls the dice and is unable to move, then they lose your turn and you get to move again.^{[16]
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Whenever your opponent has a single checker on a point, see if you’re able to move into that space and hit the piece to the bar. Your opponent will have to use their turn to enter their pieces back onto the board, so they won’t be able to make big moves around the board.^{[17]
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Move your other pieces in the meantime. If you hit a blot, the checkers you left on their home board limit where they’re able to enter their pieces from the bar, and you’re more likely to get extra turns and rolls.^{[18]
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Section 7 of 7:

Backgammon Variations

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Use the doubling cube to raise the stakes between multiple games. The doubling cube multiplies the amount of points a player loses at the end of the game by the current number showing. Start the game with the doubling cube set to 1, but you can raise the stakes at the start of your turn before rolling your dice.^{[19]
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- Example: If you win the game while the doubling cube is set 4, then your opponent loses 4 points for a standard win, 8 points for a gammon, or 12 points for a backgammon.
- If you want to double the stakes and your opponent accepts, turn the cube to the next number and give it to your opponent. They now have the chance to double the stakes on their turn.
- Doubling the stakes again is called redoubling, and you can do it as many times as you want during the game. Most doubling cubes only go up to 64, but you can keep track of more redoubles on a sheet of paper.
- If your opponent doesn’t want to accept the double, they forfeit the game and lose points based on the original stakes.
If you want a more strategic twist on the game, allow movement in any direction around the board. This makes the game a little bit more unpredictable because no pieces ever feel safe. You can still only bear off checkers if you have all 15 on your home board.
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Change the starting checker layout for a more challenging game. Rather than playing with the standard setup, split your checkers differently to occupy more points at the start of the game. This makes it tougher to move your pieces and enter them on the board, so it takes a little more planning and thinking ahead. For the advanced setup, place your checkers on the following points:^{[20]
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- 1st point: 2 checkers
- 2nd point: 2 checkers
- 12th point: 4 checkers
- 17th point: 3 checkers
- 19th point: 4 checkers

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Do I have to play with the doubling cube?

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If you are playing for fun, you don't have to use the doubling cube because you aren't playing for points.

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At the start of a game or match, how is it decided who plays black and who plays white, and does this ever change?

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Tournament rules state that disagreements over this and similar preferences can be determined by rolling dice, with the high roller getting his first choice.

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How many pieces can occupy one spot?

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As many as you want, as long as the slot doesn't contain the opponent's 2 or more pieces.

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