Backgammon

How to play Backgammon

Backgammon is a race game for two players, each with fifteen checkers on a board of twenty-four points. You roll two dice and move checkers toward your home board by the numbers shown; once all fifteen are home, you bear them off. The first player to bear off every checker wins.

A point holding two or more of your checkers is safe, and your opponent cannot land there. A single checker is a blot: if it is hit it goes to the bar and must re-enter before anything else can move. Doubles are played four times. Play the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or share one device with a friend.

• Players 1 or 2
• Mode Against the computer, or two players on one device
• Plays on Phone, tablet and desktop
• Price Free, no sign-up

Backgammon rules

• Each player moves fifteen checkers around the board toward their own home board.
• A roll is two separate moves, or four when the dice match.
• You may not land on a point held by two or more enemy checkers.
• Landing on a single enemy checker hits it and sends it to the bar; it must re-enter before other moves.
• You must use both dice if you can, and the larger one if only one can be played.
• Bearing off starts once all your checkers are home. The first to bear off all fifteen wins.

Controls

Arrow keys / Home / End

Move focus between points / first or last point

B / O

Focus the bar / bearing-off tray while on the board

Tab / Shift+Tab

Leave the board and move between controls

Roll button, Space or R

Roll the dice

Click / tap a checker

Pick it up; if it has only one move, it is played at once

Click / tap a marked point

Move there

Click / tap the tray on the right

Bear a checker off

Undo, or U

Take back a move during your turn

N

Start a new game

Backgammon questions