How to Play Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games: a race with dice, where you can block and hit your opponent on the way home.

The board

• 24 narrow triangles called points, in four quarters. Your home board is points 1–6, bottom right on kawu.
• Each player has 15 checkers: 2 on your 24-point, 5 on the 13, 3 on the 8 and 5 on the 6.
• You move from your 24-point toward your 1-point; your opponent moves the other way.

Moving

1. Each player rolls one die to start; the higher one moves first, using both numbers.
2. On your turn, roll two dice and move checkers by each number: one checker by both, or two checkers by one each.
3. Doubles are played four times (a 4-4 moves 4 four times).
4. You can't land on a point with two or more of your opponent's checkers.
5. You must use both dice if you can; if only one can be used, the larger one if possible.

Hitting and the bar

• A single checker on a point is a blot. Landing on an opponent's blot hits it: it goes to the bar in the middle.
• A checker on the bar must enter in your opponent's home board before any of your other checkers may move.

Bearing off

• Once all 15 of your checkers are in your home board, you can bear them off: a die removes a checker from the point with that number.
• A die higher than your highest checker may bear off that highest checker.
• The first player to bear off all 15 wins. A gammon (the loser has borne off none) counts 2; a backgammon (and still has a checker on the bar or in the winner's home board) counts 3.

Playing on kawu

• Click a checker, then where it goes (highlighted). With only one choice it moves straight away. Undo step takes back a step within your turn.
• The dice are rolled for you; the computer can't see future rolls.

Next: backgammon strategy, or play now.

Last updated 2026-10-18